outside the judiciary ?
ex-Sen. Fred Thompson
Former Sen. Thompson would probably make a fine Justice, and he'd probably sail through confirmation, but he'd be 63 by then (born August '42), so there are more tempting nominees in terms of length-of-legacy.
I'm with you. Fred has an 86% lifetime record with the ACU. He is also pretty popular with the general public.
John Ashcroft.
Senator Fred THOMPSON (R)
Tennessee
2000 Score - 92
Previous Year's Score - 84
Lifetime Score - 86
Years of Service - 7
Property Rights, S. 625 (Roll Call Vote No. 3).
The Senate voted to kill an amendment overriding local owner-tenant laws and permitting delinquent tenants to remain in occupancy during bankruptcy proceedings.
The bill was defeated (54-43)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Education Savings Accounts - Passage, S. 1134 (Roll Call Vote No. 33).
The Senate passed a bill allowing families to save up to $2,000 per child annually tax free for educational expenses in public or private school. The bill also would extend a tax exemption for employee-provided education expenses.
The bill was defeated (61-37)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Tax Cuts, S.Con.Res. 101 (Roll Call Vote No. 68).
The Senate defeated an amendment deleting all tax cuts in the Congressional Budget Resolution.
The bill was defeated (44-56)
ACU opposed this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Fiscal 2001 Budget Resolution - Adoption, H.Con.Res. 290 (Roll Call Vote No. 79).
The Senate adopted a five-year budget plan that includes $147.1 billion in tax cuts.
The bill was defeated (51-45)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Gas Tax Suspension - Cloture, S. 2285 (Roll Call Vote No. 80).
The Senate failed to limit debate on a bill that would suspend the 4.3 ¢/gallon federal gas tax surcharge from April 15 through Jan. 1, 2001. If the national average gas price reached $2/gallon, the remaining 14.1 ¢/gallon federal tax would also be suspen
The bill was defeated (43-56)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Marriage Penalty Tax - Cloture, HR 6 (Roll Call Vote No. 82).
The Senate failed to limit debate on an amendment that would essentially eliminate the federal tax penalty on married couples. 60 votes were needed.
The bill was defeated (53-45)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Education Policy, S. 2 (Roll Call Vote No. 90).
The Senate defeated an amendment that would further nationalize education policy in the U.S. by establishing standards and funding programs.
The bill was defeated (45-54)
ACU opposed this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
U.S. Troops in Kosovo, S. 2521 (Roll Call Vote No. 105).
The Senate killed an effort to impose limits on the deployment of ground troops in Kosovo beyond June 2001.
The bill was defeated (53-47)
ACU opposed this bill
This member voted in opposition to ACU's position
Federal Election Commission Nomination - Confirmation of Brad Smith (Roll Call Vote No. 107).
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Bradley A. Smith of Ohio to the Federal Election Commission. Smith is opposed to federal control of the political process.
The bill was defeated (64-35)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Strategic Nuclear Weapons Systems, S. 2549 (Roll Call Vote No. 119).
The Senate voted to restrict the ability of the president to dismantle existing strategic nuclear weapons systems.
The bill was defeated (51-47)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Campaign Finance Disclosures, S. 2549 (Roll Call Vote No. 122).
The Senate defeated an attempt to stop the Internal Revenue Service from requiring disclosure of the membership of certain political and policy organizations.
The bill was defeated (42-57)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in opposition to ACU's position
Defense Spending, HR 4576 (Roll Call Vote No.126).
The Senate voted to kill an attempt to divert $1 million in defense spending into federal education programs.
The bill was defeated (83-15)
ACU opposed this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Military Abortions, S. 2549 (Roll Call Vote No. 134).
The Senate voted to kill and amendment that would have provided abortions in military hospitals.
The bill was defeated (50-49)
ACU opposed this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Hate Crimes, S. 2549 (Roll Call Vote No. 136).
The Senate voted to expand the definition of "hate crimes" and extend the role of the federal government in investigating and prosecuting them.
The bill was defeated (57-42)
ACU opposed this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Ergonomic Standards, HR 4577 (Roll Call Vote No. 143).
The Senate voted for an amendment prohibiting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from issuing regulations in the area of ergonomics.
The bill was defeated (57-41)
ACU opposed this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Medicare Lockbox, HR 4577 (Roll Call Vote No. 163).
The Senate voted to create a Medicare and Social Security "lockbox, preserving year-to-year surpluses in these programs from use in other areas.
The bill was defeated (54-43)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Morning After Pill, HR 4577 (Roll Call Vote No. 169).
The Senate refused to kill an amendment stopping the use of federal funds to distribute the "morning after" pill on school grounds.
The bill was defeated (41-54)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Submarine Missile Program, S. 2549 (Roll Call Vote No. 177).
The Senate voted against an amendment that would have killed the Trident II submarine-launched missile program.
The bill was defeated (81-18)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Missile Defense System Testing, S. 2549 (Roll Call Vote No. 178).
The Senate killed an amendment that would have imposed unreasonable standards on the development of a national missile defense system.
The bill was defeated (52-48)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Estate Tax Repeal. HR 8 (Roll Call Vote No. 180).
The Senate voted down an amendment that would have maintained the "death" tax while easing its effect in some cases.
The bill was defeated (46-53)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Gas Tax Suspension, HR 8 (Roll Call Vote No. 183).
The Senate voted no to suspend the entire federal gas tax of 18.4 ¢/gallon for 150 days.
The bill was defeated (40-59)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Taxation of Social Security Benefits, HR 8 (Roll Call Cote No. 188).
The Senate voted to reduce the percentage of Social Security benefits that are taxable from 85 percent to 50 percent, which was the level up until 1993.
The bill was defeated (58-41)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Estate Tax Repeal - Passage, HR 8 (Roll Call Vote No. 197).
The Senate vote to phase out the "death" tax by 2010.
The bill was defeated (59-39)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
National Monument Designations, HR4578 (Roll Call Vote No. 208).
The Senate defeated an amendment that would have prohibited the designation of national monuments without congressional approval.
The bill was defeated (49-50)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Prohibit Funds for Kyoto Treaty, HR4578 (Roll Call Vote No. 211).
The Senate passed the Interior Appropriations bill including a ban on the use of any of the money to implement the Kyoto "Global Warming" Protocol, which has never been submitted to the Senate for ratification.
The bill was defeated (97-2)
ACU supported this bill
This member voted in support of ACU's position
Where does Sen. Thompson stand on the 2nd Amendment?
please, please, please, please!!
Unlikely. Thompson is the guy that have that'll make sure that nominee isn't Borked and is supposed to see the nominee through the process and around the pitfalls. Hard to do if he's the nominee. (Granted, Cheney interviewed potential VP picks and then became the VP pick, but that was different -- Cheney didn't have to guide himself through anything that anyone else wouldn't have had to do.)
TS
Tonight on Dom Giordano's show, Bill Sammon suggested Ann Coulter... I think that would be great...