Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Quick Reference
Posted on 10/17/2007 9:38:30 PM PDT by Josh Painter
This is the third in a series of posts in which I show that the most common arguments made against Fred Thompson's candidacy, mostly by supporters of his GOP opponents, are baseless and without merit. - Ruger
The straw man argument that Fred Thompson was "lazy" as a U.S. Senator seems to have orginated with the drive-by media and the pundits. Democrat operatives and followers of Thompson's GOP opponents have seized upon this meme, and they keep spouting it in spite of good evidence to the contrary.
Let's begin in Fred's hometown, when he was in his teenaged years. Lawrenceburg resident and longtime Thompson friend Jimmy "Chucky" Moore attended high school with Thompson. He rejects any notion that Fred was ever lazy. Moore recalls:
"It's really an amazing story. He's always worked hard, and the older he got, the harder he worked."A father at the tender age of 17, Fred Thompson worked hard to support his growing family and put himself through college. The Boston Globe, hardly what anyone would consider a consevative source, reported that:
...in 1960, Thompson joined Sarah and their infant son in a public housing project near Florence State University in Alabama. Finances were tight and Thompson had to leave for a semester and return to Lawrenceburg to earn more money. He held three jobs - the graveyard shift at the growing bicycle plant, a day job delivering mail, and a weekend job at his uncle's drag strip.That's hardly the work ethic of a "lazy" man. Nor does a "lazy" man win a scholarship to Vanderbilt Law School - one of the top 20 law schools in the United States - as did Fred Thompson. Nor does a "lazy" men become Assistant U.S. Attorney at age 25 or Lead Minority Watergate Counsel at 30. Thompson has these laudable achievements on his resume.
Power Line's Paul Mirengoff names Robert Novak as one of the pundits who was instrumental in spreading the "lazy" myth about Fred Thompson's years in the U.S. Senate. Yet, said Mirengoff:
I'm told by a source who was there that Thompson was a reasonably diligent member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In any case, this rap is unlikely to hurt Thompson with voters outside the beltway.It's a bum rap, as Jeff Nelligan, who was the public affairs chief for GAO, the Government Accountability Office, at the same time that Fred Thompson chaired the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, the complementary panel to GAO. Since the two worked closely together, Nelligan had intimate knowledge of Sen. Thompson's work habits. According to Nelligan :
...the stories about Thompson... are typical of 1. Opponents who want to drag him down, which is the way it works, and 2. A lazy press corps who but for a few stalwarts, didn’t cover this subject matter when Thompson was preaching at the wind.Another insider who is well qualified to comment on Fred Thompson's work ethic is Bill Outhier, a former aide who recalled the campaign finance staff "working until midnight" because the senator was still in the office. Says Outhier:...Thompson, whatever his faults, is not getting a fair shake. When you’re waxing on about OMB circulars and Clinger-Cohen’s e-billing protocols, you’re not exactly lazy or lackluster. In fact, you’re actually doing what government is supposed to be doing, which is trying to do better.
"Whoever says this man is lazy never worked for him."Finally, Bruce Walker recalled last spring that the "lazy" straw man was used against another conservative Republican years ago:
The rap on Thompson is that he was "lazy" when he was in the Senate. This is precisely the same sort of rap that Leftists made about Ronald Reagan. In fact, this is strength. Because Thompson acts from principle, he does not need to engage in the Machiavellian machinations which pass for "work" in Washington. The reality is that it is absurd to consider Thompson, who has worked during his life in more real jobs than almost any politician in Washington and who today stars in two television programs as well as being the substitute for Paul Harvey and a frequent commentator in conservative periodicals is "lazy" at all. Like Reagan, he probably works harder than anyone in Washington.Again, don't be deceived by the anti-Freds. Their "lazy" straw man ignites and burns to ashes when exposed to the flame of scrutiny. Their desperation to take down Thompson has led them to tell even bigger whoppers than their "lazy" lies, and I will expose each one in due time.
Bookmark this post for quick retrieval for the next time the anti-Freds try to sell their disingenuous "lazy" patent medicine, and give 'em a strong dose of the truth!
The more I learn about Fred, the more I like him.
Great post!
BTTT
Please Vote:There is a fine line between lazy and easy. Fred makes things look easy.
G’mornin’ bump.
The whole lazy thing is just such a joke.
That's because he doesn't have to ask his lawyer for permission every time he does something.
Cool....my tagline is now more than just a metaphor..:)
Thanks Sturm Ruger for all your Pro-Fred posts, the anti-Fred's fight dirty and with zero ethical standards...keeping up the good fight is no easy task here at FR!
This really sucks!
Ah.....the damn blue state of Maine, eh???
Bingo...
Gracias for the series, Sturm....I wonder how many other candidates held three jobs down and had a family in college? Certainly not Hillary. I like this guy more and more (and for the RIGHT reasons)...I’m sending another check today, in fact, putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak.
And Robert Novak can go to hell...he and George Will and Fred Barnes are behind a lot of these attacks on Thompson. The beltway guys just can’t stand it that this hick from Tennessee won’t kiss their rings.
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