Fred Thompson Responds

Fred Thompson responds to the rumor of investigators from other campaigns are in Nashville trying to dig up dirt on the senator.

Fred Thompson's Opinon of the Democrats

In an interview with Fred Thompson on Tuesday night with Sean Hannity:

"Democrats are investing in the defeat in Iraq" --Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson in Connecticut

This article appeared Monday on the Hartford Courant website:

Stuck between the home states of two of their party's presidential candidates, Connecticut Republicans are headlining their annual fundraiser with an actor-politician who may yet declare: Fred Dalton Thompson.

Thompson, 64, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee who now appears weekly as a district attorney on television's "Law & Order," will speak May 24 at the GOP's annual Prescott Bush dinner in Stamford.

With some national conservatives holding out Thompson as the next Ronald Reagan, getting the deep-voiced actor is a coup. But the state party had been aiming even higher - a joint appearance by presidential candidates John McCain of Arizona, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Rudy Giuliani of New York. "That couldn't be pulled together for obvious reasons - scheduling," said Chris Healy, the state chairman. "We thought who would be new and exciting. You make a list of who you would get if you could."

Thompson Overtakes McCain

The Rasmussen Poll is reporting:

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani remains on top in the race for the GOP nomination and now enjoys support from 30% of Likely Voters. That’s more than twice the total of any other candidate. Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson and Arizona Senator John McCain are tied for second at 14%.

Thompson has been in the 12% to 14% range for each of the five surveys since his name was floated as a possible candidate.

McCain, once considered the dominant frontrunner, has struggled in recent months. His support among Likely GOP Primary voters has fallen eight percentage points since January. His numbers now are strongest among independents likely to vote in a Republican Primary. In Election 2000, McCain did best in open primaries that allowed independents to vote. Then Governor Bush did best in Primary states where only Republicans could vote.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney remains the only other candidate in double digits. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remains in fifth place with 8% support.

Texas Politicans Move to Support Thompson

Texas has caught the Thompson wave. The following article appeared in the Houston Chronicle yesterday.

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.

ABC Radio

ABC Radio is reporting :

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

The Draft Fred Thompson 2008 Committee is reporting that former Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Beth Harwell has joined the committee.

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 3

Now listen to Romney in 2002...

Now you decide who is Pro-Life.

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.

Memo to Mitt Romney

This article by Thomas Lifson at AmericanThinker.com requires no comments from me.

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

Today I have been overwhelmed by the number of articles from various states discussing the Fred Thompson for President campaign. This article reviels the growing concern of politicans who are conservative and they jumped out to endorse Giuliani or Romney who have very social liberal pasts.

Rudy Giuliani is the tough guy...What's not to like?

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.

This is an interesting analysis of the state of politics in Louisiana.

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)

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.

Read the full article!

Kent State Assesses Fred Thompson

The online version of the Daily Kent Stater has a fairly good opinon piece about Fred Thompson for President.

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.
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.

Read the full article by Matt White.

Fred Thompson to Appear at a GOP Fund Raiser in Virginia

This article appeared today in the Washington Post. Virginia is catching the Fred Thompson wave!!

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

This article appeared today in the SFGate.com. They are shocked that Fred is running strongly even before he has declared. California is catching the Fred Thompson wave!

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.

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

Fred Thompson penned an article "Signs of Intelligence?" for National Review on April 20th in the wake of the VT murders:

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

Fred Thompson responds to conservative critism of his opposition to tort reform.

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!

GOP & Immigration

After years of the GOP listening to the media and the left. The Republican base is making its collective wisdom known on immigration. Giuliani might be beginning to get it!!

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.

“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.

John McCain got this message back in March.