Posted on 06/24/2007 7:54:42 AM PDT by rob21
We are holding Rudy and Mitt to the fire about their past on abortion. Lets not forget Fred Thompson.
Abortions should be legal in all circumstances as long as the procedure is completed within the first trimester of the pregnancy. Link
A very strong statement from Fred Thompson when he was running for congress.
I appreciate your candor.
I have a friend who was with Tennessee Right to Life and reported differently. Mr. Thompson told them that he wasn't going to take a position in the campaign and that people would just have to look at what he does when he's in the Senate.
While I strongly prefer Mr. Hunter to Mr. Thompson, I don't agree with the tone of the argument made in this thread. To say that Mr. Thompson supports murdering babies is at the least a gross distortion of statements that he may have made. The better way of describing the situation is that Mr. Thompson has never been a champion of the pro-life movement. He has made statements that leave his position in some doubt, but his voting record has been very good. The biggest blot on his voting record regarding abortion is his support of campaign finance reform which could prevent abortion opponents from supporting pro-life candidates.
Personally, I don't ask that a candidate be a great champion of the pro-life movement, but like many others on Free Republic, I'm frustrated at how people seem to be projecting their strong conservattism on a candidate who isn't that conservative. Fred Thompson has strengths and weaknesses and certainly doesn't have perfect conservative credentials. On abortion, I think he'd move the ball forward for our side, but I recognize that a good voting record as a legislator does not necessarily mean someone will be effective as an executive.
If I must choose between Mr. Thompson and Mr. Hunter, I'll choose Mr. Hunter. If I must choose between Mr. Thompson and Mr. Romney, I'll likely lean towards Mr. Romney. If the only viable candidates on my ballot are Mr. Thompson and Mr. Giuliani, I'll happily vote for Mr. Thompson.
Bill
Who were these people?
Have you looked to see if Thompson has a “big spending” record? Just curious. Did he support any earmarks or Pork for Tennessee while he was a Senator?
I see Hunter as being strong on defense and having backed additional spending in that area. I don’t see that as a problem—in most cases I see it as warranted after Clinton stripped the military dry.
Because you are misrepresenting his position on abortion.
Fred has denied that he personally answered that questionnaire during his '94 campaign, a campaign worker filled it out and answered the abortion question as she thought his position would be, not as she knew it to be for certain. Does anyone believe that Thompson is dumb enough to have answered the question in that manner while running for office in the ultimate bible-belt state of Tennessee? As has been pointed out numerous times both here an on countless other threads, Fred was interviewed by a National Right to Life official during that same campaign, and based on that interview was given an A rating by the organization. Again, does anyone with a functional brain really believe that National Right to Life would grant an A rating and it's unqualified endorsement to a candidate who openly supported a “woman’s right to choose” as his enemies now claim he did at that time?
As has also been pointed out countless times, Fred’s voting record for the 7 years he served in the Senate was 100% pro-life. That in itself should be enough to convince any unbiased person of his opposition to legalized abortion, but the misleading accusations that are being made by disingenuous and frightened supporters of other candidates regarding that one erroneous answer to a routine questionnaire is being touted as the definitive answer to the question of his position on that issue. Even a seasoned politician lacking a conscience should be ashamed to use such a low tactic against an opponent, and IMHO an honorable and decent conservative such as Duncan Hunter would not personally condone such a disreputable tactic.
Just for the record, I have a high regard for Hunter and I could enthusiastically support him for any high office in the land. But my support combined with the support of you and the relative handful of other Duncan admirers would not be a drop in the bucket of support that he would need to even become a viable contender for the nomination, much less to win the nomination itself. But I am mistaken and he does become a truly viable candidate, I am not bound to any candidate at this time and I could easily become a Duncan supporter in that extremely unlikely eventuality. But if that should come to pass in spite of the overwhelming odds against it, I will not use misleading "information" against his opposition here on FR or any other public venue.
Have you looked to see if Thompson has a “big spending” record? Just curious.
If Hunter decides to drop out or doesn't make it to the primaries and Fred does, I would have no problem moving to Fred's camp.
Until that day, Hunter continues to have my support. Never have I dogged Thompson, he is a conservative.
BRAVO, BRAVO
Another Hunter supporter or two gone. How many more to go?
Hunter's my man. Get me gone.
What in God’s name are you saying?
rob21 was banned, hence her sarcastic “BRAVOS.”
Look at post #53, pph.
Like buying hybrid buses for Chattanooga?
Remember: Glass houses.
Hunter's record doesn't look bad.
I though we were having a Hunter purge for a sec. That's why I said, 'get me gone'
Go Hunter!
Like buying hybrid buses for Chattanooga?
I certainly hope that this thread is not an example of things to come around here. ‘08 can’t come soon enough.
What about the Christian Coalition survey?
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070610/NEWS0206/706100399/1001/NEWS
"National Right to Life would grant an A rating"
You have a link for this? his rating was 77 in 1999-2000 while most other republicans got 100:
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=22003
You are right. 0 rating from NARAL and Planned Parenthood is not much to brag about. That’s what most republicans get from those organizations:
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=001958M&sort=rating
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=001709M&sort=rating
Fred has shown he has not had the best judgment on many important issues. And even if he is proclaiming some things he did a ‘mistake’ or he has changed now, it ought to be a wake up call that this man has made them on major issues. Not the man to trust as President. But we are all supposed to fall in line because he ‘can win’. Rah rah rah. The party needs to change its ways and Thompson is not the person to lead. He NEVER has.
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