AUSTIN — Don’t underestimate the political power of stardom, even in the state Capitol. Fred Thompson, the actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, officially is only mulling a race for the White House, but he already has snagged support from at least 58 Texas Republican lawmakers. No other presidential hopeful from either party is close.Much of the credit goes to state Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, who have been promoting a Thompson candidacy and securing lawmakers’ signatures encouraging him to run. They like him, they say, because he’s conservative, independent, well-spoken and comfortable before the camera. And, yes, some backers, including Talton, admit to watching Law and Order, the NBC series on which Thompson plays a district attorney, following several movie roles.
Patterson said 54 House members and four senators — Kyle Janek and Dan Patrick of Houston, Chris Harris of Arlington and Jane Nelson of Lewisville — are on the pro-Thompson list. “I think he is the only true conservative in the race,” said Patrick, perhaps only slightly prematurely. “From a presentation standpoint, I think he will be Reagan-esque,”he added, evoking memories of another actor elevated to a much bigger stage.
The House members represent two-thirds of the chamber’s GOP members, including House Appropriations Chairman Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, and 21 other committee chairmen. The list includes Joe Crabb, John Davis, Jim Murphy, Debbie Riddle and Corbin Van Arsdale of Houston; Wayne Smith of Baytown; John Zerwas of Richmond; Rob Eissler of The Woodlands; Brandon Creighton of Conroe; Larry Taylor of Friendswood, and Dennis Bonnen of Angleton.
Sen. Jeff Wentworth and Rep. Joe Straus of San Antonio are backing former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for president, and a handful of Republican lawmakers are believed to be supporting Arizona Sen. John McCain.But McCain still has trouble with conservatives, who dominate Texas Republican primaries. Some Texas Republicans may still be smarting from McCain’s campaign against President Bush in 2000.
Giuliani, with 24 percent, led a recent independent poll of likely Texas Republican primary voters conducted by Baselice & Associates. Thompson and McCain had 19 percent each. Thompson’s name wasn’t included on a similar survey in January, while McCain’s and Giuliani’s support had fallen since then. Giuliani had 28 percent support in January and McCain, 26 percent.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Texas Politicans Move to Support Thompson
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
ABC Radio
Former senator, commentator and actor Fred Thompson will provide regular opinion and analysis on ABCRadio.com. The network says the “Fred Thompson Report” will discuss issues and events that affect all Americans. Audio versions of many of the commentaries will also be made available on ABCRadio.com.
Beth Harwell Joins Draft Fred Thompson Team
Rep. Harwell said, “I have known Sen. Thompson for many years. He is a true statesman in every sense of the word, and I can think of no one better suited to be our next President. I look forward to continuing to encourage him to run.”
Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr., co-chairman of the Draft Committee, said, “Beth’s reputation in Tennessee and in Republican circles across the country is one of tremendous leadership and integrity. She was an excellent state party chair and has proven herself to be an outstanding fundraiser. We are very fortunate to have her working with us.”
Is Fred Thompson Pro-Life? part 2
The Romney campaign is at it again!
A video of Fred Thompson answering a debate question about his abortion position. This video is being offered as proof that Thompson was "pro-choice" in 1994.
Background: Videos of Romney squerming under the light about abortion rights in Mass. when he ran for the US Senate and later as Govenor. Romney has a credibility and is trying to justifiy his positions by using the childish retort, "everyone else was doing it". The problem is that not everyone was doing it. You have to wonder who was the bright and shining start in the Romney compaign came up with this simplistic analysis.
The key phrase in Thompson's answer is this one: "I do not believe that the federal government ought to be involved in that process." That sentence is the summary of all he says next, and shows he is opposed to Roe v. Wade, which represented the federalization of what had been a state-level issue.
He then says he is opposed to federal funding for abortion and supports the states' right to regulate abortion - both are federalist and pro-life positions - and he opposes the federal government criminalizing abortion. Again, a federalist answer.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Memo to Mitt Romney
Writing in the subscription-only Political Diary at Opinionjournal.com, John Fund recounts a moment from the weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner that suggests our own J. Peter Mulhern is once again way ahead of the pack. Last month, Peter wrote a "Memo to Mitt":No doubt the latest Gallup Poll came as a shock to you, Governor. It must be very disappointing after all your hard work to have a guy like Fred Thompson eating your lunch as soon as he mentions in passing that he might consider giving serious thought to the possibility of studying a run for the White House. It's time to review your options and your party's. [snip]
Get Fred on the horn and offer an alliance. Offer to run for Vice President as his running mate. A Thompson-Romney team would probably sweep all the competition for the Republican nomination aside.
Senator Thompson, who is sixty-four years old, might very well have no interest in serving more than one term as President, which would make this arrangement particularly advantageous for you.
Fred Thompson Making Waves in Louisiana
Rudy Giuliani is the tough guy...What's not to like?This is an interesting analysis of the state of politics in Louisiana.
Plenty, for conservatives. That's why hard-liners are questioning Giuliani's ambitions. He's sideways on key traditional Republican issues--abortion, gay rights and gun control--and he doesn't fit into the evangelical formula crafted by President Bush and political consultant Karl Rove.
Despite those obstacles, the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg all-GOP poll shows Giuliani clocking in at 29%, compared to 15% for former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee--who's not even in the race--and 12% for Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
Two of Louisiana's top conservative voices--U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany of Lafayette and U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Metairie--have officially endorsed Giuliani, with caveats that they support the man but not necessarily his message. And a lot of Cajun Catholics in South Louisiana and fundamentalists farther north aren't happy.
"I'm disappointed and outraged," says the Rev. Gene Mills, executive director of Louisiana Family Forum, an epicenter for Christian public policy work. "Boustany and Vitter ran on a pro-life platform with traditional values and built a constituency based on those beliefs. Rudy hasn't stood on those platforms.
"[The endorsement] was premature and ill-advised. The whole race could implode at any time."
Why would Boustany and Vitter, who is Giuliani's campaign chairman for southern states, take such a leap? They'd better hope the payoff is worth the gamble, waging their reputations on a Big Apple Republican maverick.
During the past two election cycles, Louisiana's GOP congressional delegation has been a one-horse bunch. They were loyal to President Bush, backing him wholeheartedly and without fear. With no vice president in the field and no heir apparent, this is a different race.
Congressmen Jim McCrery of Shreveport and Rodney Alexander of Quitman have endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Mormon who recently cleared $23 million in the latest election cycle compared to Giuliani's $15 million.
While Richard Baker of Baton Rouge has yet to place his bet, gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal of Kenner could stay away from the track altogether.
"The campaign I'm focused on is my campaign to bring Louisiana voters the fresh start for our state they're demanding," Jindal says.
Baker, however, could make an endorsement later this year. He has taken several meetings with Romney, according to spokesperson Michael DiResto, but is "very interested" in Thompson's possible candidacy and has a face-to-face meeting scheduled. Baker largely has reserved judgment because none of the candidates has detailed agendas.
"He feels good that he hasn't jumped out there at a time when you could see the emergence of a candidate like Fred Thompson," DiResto says.
That polls are already lining up one year from Louisiana's primary and 19 months from the election isn't unusual, given the political climate. There's a potential windfall from jumping in early and securing a spot at the table during policy development.
Fred Thompson's Secret Weapon
This article David Brody of CBN is interesting.If Fred Thompson gets into the presidential race (which pretty much everyone expects him to do), he's defintely going to be a serious player. He has a lot of advantages but one of his biggest may be his wife. From all accounts, Jeri Thompson is very smart and media savvy. She's been a media consultant and has worked in GOP circles for years. Talk about a top notch pairing! If Americans go for this, it could be two for the price of one. You get a conservative politician turned actor turned politician again...and you get a potential First Lady who could end up being one of the smartest and dynamic the country has ever seen. The Thompson's have two small children. (4 and 6 months old)Read the full article!
I met her Saturday night at the White House Correspondents dinner. I was struck by her presence and self assurance. She comes across as not only very nice but as a player in this 2008 presidential race. And she tells me she reads The Brody File! That confirms her intellect.
Kent State Assesses Fred Thompson
Currently, Thompson polls third in the Republican presidential field, behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain, but ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. That's quite a feat for someone who hasn't officially declared himself a candidate.Read the full article by Matt White.
Thompson, who is better known for the character he played on television, served in the U.S. Senate from 1994 through 2003. While in the Senate, Thompson served as Chairman of the Senate Government Relations Committee, which he used to investigate irregularities in fundraising during the 1996 presidential election cycle.
But, instead of using his position to punish members of the opposite party, Thompson conducted a fair investigation - he was actually criticized by members of his own party for not finding more "dirt" to use against former President Clinton.
Fred Thompson to Appear at a GOP Fund Raiser in Virginia
Former senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee, a possible presidential contender and an actor who plays a tough guy on television, will headline a major fundraiser for the Virginia Republican Party, GOP officials announced Monday.
Thompson, who many Republicans believe could be a leading contender for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination if he runs, will speak at a party gala June 2 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
Shaun Kenney, spokesman for the Virginia Republican Party, said Thompson's visit is intended to invigorate the party faithful as they prepare for the fall election. The seats of all 140 Virginia state senators and delegates are up for election Nov. 6.
"We want to make sure we maintain our majorities and build upon them," Kenney said
Poll frenzy in California
California's Feb. 5, 2008, primary is only about nine months away, so it's time to look at some of the various polls that are bouncing around the state, worrying candidates and perplexing voters.
On the GOP side, a straw poll at last weekend's California Republican Assembly convention in Ontario showed that many of the states most conservative activists want to see former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson as the country's next president.
Thompson Listed 3rd in SC by Zogby
The new Zogby poll has Fred with 11% of the GOP support. Zogby states that McCains candidacy is in trouble in SC.
Fred Thompson has edged Mitt Romney out of the top three among South Carolinians likely to vote in the Republican primary early next year.McCain leads among Republicans with 22% support, while Giuliani trails closely behind at 19%. And while he has not declared his candidacy, actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is in third-place in the first Southern state to vote for President next year with 11% support, just ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who receives 10% support.
At his point in the race, this is good news for Fred Thompson. Twenty seven percent of SC like GOP voters had not made up their minds. I expect Fred Thompson to pickup a large chunk of them plus, the conservative vote is split amoung several candidates. By the time we get to the election, the race will be down to three people.
Monday, April 23, 2007
College Activists Supporting Fred Thompson
Knoxville—Colleges and universities around the country are beginning to catch the Fred Thompson wave!! Several dedicated Draft Fred Thompson supporters and members of the local chapter of College Republicans on the University of Tennessee Knoxville campus have been working hard to get the word out about the Draft Fred Thompson Rally.
We put flyers on sidewalks, bulletin boards, poles and any place that we can legally post them. So far we have distributed over 700 flyers and have plans for several hundred more. If your group would like like to distribute the flyer you can download it here.
Handing out flyers is a great way to get the message out, but you can be creative. At UT we have a very large rock that is frequently painted, sometimes several times a day! Our Draft Fred Thompson activists got busy and painted the great rock late Sunday evening for the early risers on the UT campus. Fred Thompson Rocks!
If you are a college student working to Draft Fred Thompson for President send me an email with copy and pictures to your webmaster at AnotherRonaldReagan.com. If accepted, I will feature your university and your activities.
Fred Thompson on Gun Control
One of the things that's got to be going through a lot of peoples' minds now is how one man with two handguns, that he had to reload time and time again, could go from classroom to classroom on the Virginia Tech campus without being stopped. Much of the answer can be found in policies put in place by the university itself.
Read his Article at National Review!
Fred Thompson on Federalism
Adhering to the principles of Federalism is not easy. As one who was on the short end of a couple of 99-1 votes, I can personally attest to it. Federalism sometimes restrains you from doing things you want to do. You have to leave the job to someone else – who may even choose not to do it at all. However, if conservatives abandon this valued principle that limits the federal government, or if we selectively use it as a tool with which to reward our friends and strike our enemies, then we will be doing a disservice to our country as well as the cause of conservatism.
Read the article!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
GOP & Immigration
At the annual Lincoln Day dinner here last Saturday, Representative Tom Tancredo, Republican of Colorado, received some of the loudest applause from the 1,000 party loyalists in attendance as he railed against illegal immigrants.John McCain got this message back in March.
“We are destroying the concept of citizenship itself,” Mr. Tancredo said.
“America, and indeed Western civilization, are in a crisis.” Without mentioning him by name, he took Mr. Giuliani to task for past policies that have “encouraged more illegals to cross our borders.” When Mr. Giuliani was asked to clarify his views on immigration at the town meeting, he emphasized enforcing the law but stayed away from any kind of blanket condemnation of illegal immigrants.
Mr. Giuliani’s approach is similar to the one proposed by President Bush, advocating an orderly flow of immigrants by providing a clear path to citizenship and thereby easing the pressure at the border.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
GOP Presidential Race: Is Fred Thompson for Real?
It's late and it won't be easy, but the stars may be aligned for the actor to have a serious run at the White House.
Fred Thompson is nearly ready to run for president, a prospect that would change the 2008 presidential race overnight. Revealing earlier this month that he has lymphoma in remission was a preparatory move, lowering the risk that the health issue might derail the campaign. His visit with Republican lawmakers this week to hear their thoughts on his running was also an indication that he is seriously inclined.Republicans are already enthused about Thompson, an actor-turned-senator-turned-actor, who is better known to Americans than most other candidates. Speculation and media interest are keeping his star on the rise. He's running second in GOP polls, just behind ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain. It's an enviable position to be in, considering he has done essentially no campaigning or fund-raising.
Sure, some of that is due to name recognition from years in movies and on TV in macho roles, but it's also a reflection of the fact that 60% of Republicans say nobody else in the presidential race is really grabbing them. Still, a run won't be easy. Thompson is late to the money chase. His voting record representing Tennessee in the Senate from 1994 through 2002 won't please all Republicans, particularly his support of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation that banned large soft money donations to the national parties. He'd have to deal with much wider media scrutiny if he ran, too, as well as negative opposition research from other candidates. Also, others may jump in: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia and Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska will wait until fall to decide whether to run.
Raising money would be the chief initial concern for Thompson. Close to $100 million is needed to be considered a credible national candidate in preparation for the front-packed primaries early next year. Thompson would have to score very well in the earliest tests in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and that requires organization. Internet fund-raising would be critical to his campaign at first, allowing him to show broad appeal and to rise to the money level of other major candidates in the Republican race who have been raising, but also spending, for months now. A few single mega fund-raisers could also put him right in contention and possibly strip support from McCain, Giuliani and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney in the process.
Unlike McCain, Thompson is not inextricably linked to the war in Iraq. That could help with Republicans who have grown frustrated with the Bush administration's war policy. He also has a generally conservative voting record that appeals to many Republicans who question the conservative credentials of the other top candidates. Hailing from the South is also a plus, as it has been in many modern presidential campaigns.
A Thompson brain trust? For a campaign, at least, he would be able to assemble a formidable and well-connected team, including former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker and Bill Frist and Sen. Lamar Alexander, all from Tennessee, as well as Tennessee GOP Reps. Zach Wamp and John Duncan, both of whom have been working on a draft Thompson publicity campaign.
A decision by Thompson could come in a few weeks. He has several speaking engagements to Republican groups coming up in early May. These events are possibly the perfect opportunities for an announcement tour.
Run Fred, Run...Now!
For everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven -- even a time to declare one's presidential candidacy. And, for Fred Thompson, the time is now!
Momentum has been building for Thompson in the past six weeks. If he announces his presidency run in the next few weeks, he will coast easily into a berth in the Republican finals against Rudy Giuliani. But if he delays — as he shows signs of wanting to do -- he will miss the boat.
For many candidates, delay means that they don't have to stand out and be targets until later in the game. But for Thompson, delay could be fatal. The major negative against the former Tennessee senator is that he lacks the heart or the fire in the belly to compete and win. With Hillary Clinton looming as the expected Democratic nominee, victory is of surpassing importance to the Republican primary electorate. Republicans will not nominate someone who they think is ambivalent about running.
During his Senate tenure, Thompson's work habits were suspect. The New York Times recently (gently) noted that he was not known as one of the hardest working senators. The very fact that he left the Senate after only eight years in office raised suspicions that he was distracted by the allure of Hollywood and the joys of private life. Too long a delay in announcing his candidacy could fuel such speculation and create a negative that need not exist for the actor turned politician turned actor.
On paper, Fred Thompson looks like a nominee from, well, central casting. Invoking the legacy of Ronald Reagan, his communications skills hearken back to the era when the GOP right had a president so fluid, silken voiced and articulate that it could advance its agenda without compromise and still prevail. With Rudy Giuliani threatening to resurrect Rockefeller Republicanism in a modern incarnation, Thompson offers a refuge for pro-life, pro-gun, anti-gay Republicans.
The recent Supreme Court decision upholding Congressional legislation banning partial birth abortion and the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech will both ignite demands on the left for an aggressive drive to protect Roe v. Wade, and to legislate tougher gun controls. This Democratic offensive puts Rudy Giuliani in the middle and could erode support for his candidacy. On the other hand, it could fire the ranks of true believers and lead them to rally around a Fred Thompson candidacy.
To read the compete article.
Friday, April 20, 2007
South Carolina Republicans
Read the full article at http://www.thestate.com/169/story/23955.html.South Carolina Republicans are in a funk.
Nothing seems to be going right.
Check the list.
They’re displeased with President Bush, disturbed by developments in Iraq and hacked off at congressional Republicans for spending
taxpayers’ money like a “drunken sailor.” Moreover, they’re unhappy with their choices for president, causing some to start shopping around for an alternative.
Enter former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., whose name has popped up at several GOP precinct meetings over the past couple of weeks. At a recent Horry County gathering, Thompson won a straw poll, handily beating all of the announced candidates. “He won big time,” said Horry County Auditor Lois Eargle, earlier a John McCain supporter.A USA Today/Gallup poll placed Thompson third nationally behind former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and McCain, the U.S. senator from Arizona. Francis Marion University political scientist Neal Thigpen said Thompson’s name was mentioned by several folks at a precinct
meeting in Florence.
“Republicans are not happy with their choices in any way, shape or fashion,” Thigpen said. “The party is in need of someone with glamour, someone who sparkles, someone who could put it together for Republicans.
