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THOMPSON WANTS DEBATE ON ABORTION DOWNPLAYED (1996)
unknown | August 7, 1996

Posted on 10/17/2007 8:08:58 PM PDT by Calpernia

Dateline: NASHVILLE

U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson says he seldom hears about abortion in campaign travels throughout Tennessee and hopes the issue is downplayed at the Republican National Convention.

The Tennessee Republican, an abortion-rights defender in a party with an anti-abortion tilt, is preparing for next week's convention in San Diego . He said the party must avoid distracting issues and focus on electing Bob Dole as president.

''We need to concentrate on what brings us together and not what divides us,'' Thompson said in an interview with The Tennessean published Tuesday.

Thompson said he opposes making early-term abortions a crime, as some Republicans would like to do with a constitutional amendment.

''But I don't think you should bolt on one issue. I'm still not convinced platforms are a good idea. We know what we believe in and I don't think we need to write it all down in a document,'' Thompson said.

''We're going to have to decide in this country whether we reduce the number of abortions or fight about the number of abortions. There are lots of things that we could do in terms of education and adoption to reduce the number of abortions. The two sides are so vigorous in opposing each other that they ignore the question of the number of abortions taking place.''

Thompson, a lawyer and actor born in Lawrenceburg, is seeking to keep the Senate seat once held by Vice President Gore.

In 1994, an obscure opponent got 37 percent of the vote against Thompson in the Republican primary, which some observers attribute to an abortion backlash.

Last week Thompson got 96 percent of the Republican primary vote against another unknown opponent.

Abortion isn't likely to emerge as an issue in Thompson's 1996 general election campaign. His Democratic opponent, Covington lawyer Houston Gordon, favors abortion rights, said campaign manager Joyce McDaniel.

Thompson said he has voted consistently against providing federal funding for abortions and voted for a bill, vetoed by President Clinton, to ban late term partial-birth abortions.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Politics
KEYWORDS: axisofdesperation; fred; fredthompson; hunterwho; postcardfromoblivion; thompson
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To: b9

I was asked by another poster for another source, I posted it here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1912843/posts?page=25#25


121 posted on 10/18/2007 1:38:03 PM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: 668 - Neighbor of the Beast
Then we can worry about being brought together with Democrats.
I don't see anyplace in the article that Thompson mentions being "brought together" with Democrats.
122 posted on 10/18/2007 1:45:19 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson '08)
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To: Clara Lou
And what kind of response would you like to YOUR question of, "

Pissant was almost banned for posting trash like this. Why are you doing it now?
? What answer would make you happy? I'll just stick to posting echinodermatas to you. Cause, you really don't care what anyone has to say. You just want the opportunity to insult and attack.

Let's observe the pointy poisoneous sea urchin:


123 posted on 10/18/2007 1:50:51 PM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Calpernia

LOL! First you give a meaningless non-response, then you post pictures of beautiful sea creatures. Tripping out???


124 posted on 10/18/2007 2:14:26 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson '08)
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To: pissant
I think I've found the solution to you.


125 posted on 10/18/2007 2:25:47 PM PDT by rednesss (Fred Thompson - 2008)
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To: pissant

Fred’s conservative record against abortion needs no shielding, pissant.

And no revisions, either. His love for children, family, and protecting future generations is clear and frequently reiterated.

You dislike him for not being Duncan.
I like him for standing up for principle in the face of hateful opposition every single day.


126 posted on 10/18/2007 2:32:51 PM PDT by b9 (~ simply Fred ~)
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To: rednesss

That is pretty funny, I must say. LOL


127 posted on 10/18/2007 4:56:06 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: b9

I actually do not dislike Fred. I put him in the Dole/Baker/McCain wing though. Not the Reagan/Helms/Hunter wing of the party.


128 posted on 10/18/2007 4:59:36 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: pissant
I put him in the Dole/Baker/McCain wing though.
But... but... you assured us that FRed was your #2 choice after Duncan Hunter. You told us that over and over this past summer. And, since Hunter's getting ready to fold, I know that FDT can count on your vote.
129 posted on 10/18/2007 5:16:55 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson '08)
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To: Clara Lou

Actually, he’s tied with Tanc for #2. But it is a substantial dropoff from #1.


130 posted on 10/18/2007 5:22:29 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: pissant

Tanc is going the way of Hunter.


131 posted on 10/18/2007 5:40:05 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson '08)
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To: Clara Lou

Whom do you think he meant, then?


132 posted on 10/18/2007 8:10:11 PM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (Call me a pro-life zealot with a 1-track mind.)
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To: pissant

I put Fred in the oval office “wing.” “;^)


133 posted on 10/19/2007 12:04:11 AM PDT by b9 (~ simply Fred ~)
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To: b9

LOL! Good one!


134 posted on 10/19/2007 4:28:11 AM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson '08)
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To: DesScorp
Gee Sturm, I guess principled votes doesn't count on this issue, eh? Fred has a what, 99 percent pro-life rating in the Senate?

While Fred Thompson is certainly pro-life, his ratings in the Senate weren't as high as some would like to say they were. His ratings, according to Project Vote Smart's list of his ratings from the National Right to Life Committee, are:

And according to National Right to Life Committee's own ratings:

If you average the ratings reported by Project Vote Smart, you get only an 81.6% pro-life rating.

If you average the ratings reported directly by the National Right to Life Commitee, you get only a 66% rating.

135 posted on 10/19/2007 6:23:31 AM PDT by Spiff (<------ Mitt Romney Supporter (Don't tase me, bro!) Go Mitt! www.mittromney.com)
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To: b9

I will congratulate you if you guys pull it off.


136 posted on 10/19/2007 6:31:55 AM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: Spiff

Of course not!


137 posted on 10/23/2007 1:55:05 PM PDT by darthyorktown (Support the President and our Troops!)
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