Fred Thompson Apologizes to Mike Huckabee

In light of Mike Huckabee’s heartfelt apology to Mitt Romney for making reference to Romney’s religion in the New York Times Magazine, we at the Thompson Campaign would like to offer Huckabee our own heartfelt apologies for some references we’ve made about his record as Governor of Arkansas.

We apologize for pointing out that as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee offered in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. That’s something he’d probably just as soon no one talk about.

We apologize for pointing out that in 2002 Huckabee wrote Pres. Bush a letter asking him to lift the Cuban embargo. It’s easy to see how Huckabee might have missed the finer points of a 40-year embargo. While he obviously knew enough about the embargo to ask that it be lifted, Huckabee clearly didn’t know enough to ask that it not be lifted. So for that, we’re sorry.

We apologize for telling reporters that a BA in Biblical Studies from Ouachita Baptist University doesn’t, in fact, make Huckabee more qualified to fight the war on terror than say…Fred Thompson.

Thompson’s campaign also apologized for pointing out that Huckabee imposed a 47% tax increase on Arkansans when he was Governor, which is something “[w]e notice he never points […] out to voters.”

This is a very smart move by Thompson’s campaign. Huckabee is the frontrunner in Iowa right now, but he’s got some serious weaknesses that his opponents could and should exploit. What you see now is that they’re not personally attacking him - there’s no need to do so - they’re simply pointing out, time and again, that Huckabee didn’t always implement policies that go well with the conservative base. They’re repeat this time and again until enough people believe that Huckabee probably isn’t the best choice.

It’s very effective: not if you do it once, but if you repeat it time and again.

Right after Huckabee made a huge mistake (asking irrelevant questions about the Mormon faith), Fred Thompson decides to make life even tougher for the former Governor of Arkansas. The question is whether this will help Thompson himself or whether this will help Romney. After all, if Huckabee doesn’t win Iowa, Romney will. And if Romney wins Iowa he’ll win Michigan, New Hampshire and possibly South Carolina as well.

On the other hand, Thompson may not want to win Iowa, but his attacks may help him win South Carolina - a state he has to win if he wants to win the nomination. In other words, Thompson attacking Huckabee could result in Romney winning the first couple of states, perhaps not Iowa, but then at least two other states, and Thompson winning in South Carolina. That would make it a two-men race, Rudy Giuliani not being one of them.

Meanwhile, it’s good to see Thompson being more active and aggressive. He did well during the last debate, and he continues to go after his opponents on the issues. If he keeps this hope, there’s still hope for his campaign.

I am so sick of having to post this....

*****

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Thompson is NOT a McCain clone. He’s his own man, as evidenced by his multiple holdout votes (99-1) in the senate on questions of states’ rights.

During the eight years that Thompson and McCain served together, they cast votes on 102 CQ-defined key votes and agreed on 83 of them - or 81.4 percent of the time. They disagreed 18.6% of the time, that’s pretty high considering that both are Republicans and both are considered relatively conservative. Just as an example from one year, among the instances in which Thompson and McCain differed were votes in 2002 to effectively extend a repeal of the estate tax beyond 2010, to authorize oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and to postpone tougher automobile fuel efficiency standards. Thompson voted “aye” and McCain voted “no” in all three cases.

*****

Ed Morrissey, posting on Captain’s Quarters:

“Thompson also had some significant issues with McCain’s policies. He supported the BCRA, but now says that campaign finance reform has done nothing to solve the problems it intended to address, and that a new approach is needed. Thompson supported the Bush tax cuts from the beginning. He also pushed back against some of McCain’s bipartisan efforts, such as on the “patients bill of rights”, on federalist grounds.

In the end, though, the biggest difference is trust. The base simply does not trust John McCain, not after the BCRA, the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill, and especially not after the Gang of 14. No amount of banging on podiums about the war will repair that damage in the primaries. With Thompson, the base gets the best parts of the McCain platform, with a healthy dose of federalism and lower taxes, and some measure of reliability. As much as the [Washington] Post wants to tie them together, Fred and John are quite different — and the GOP base understands that.

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/009894.php

Thought Mesh blog puts it more succinctly:

“But even my passing glance is enough to see some very substantial differences [Thompson has] from McCain.”

http://blog.thought-mesh.net/archives/2007/05/its_always_the_beam_in_o.php

Fred Thomson, in a recent Orange County Register interview:

“A Republican, especially a conservative Republican - you’re going to have a large group of people you line up with on most votes. John and I certainly fit that category. But we have different views on some issues. We’ll have a good discussion about it. But John is my friend and will remain my friend, regardless of what we do.”

http://blogs.ocregister.com/buzz/2007/05/oneonone_with_fred_thomspon.html

Some key SenateMatch responses for Fred Thompson and John McCain:

“Abortion is a woman’s right”
Fred: Strongly Opposes (voted to ban partial-birth abortion)
McCain: Opposes (voted to allow partial-birth abortion)

“Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”
Fred: Strongly Opposes
McCain: Favors

“More federal funding for health coverage”
Fred: Opposes
McCain: Favors

“Replace coal & oil with alternatives”
Fred: Opposes (Voted to preserve budget for ANWR oil drilling)
McCain: Favors (Voted to kill budget for ANWR oil drilling

“Allow churches to provide welfare services”
Fred: Favors
McCain: Opposes

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Fred_Thompson.htm

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_McCain_VoteMatch.htm

Below is a list of campaign finance “reform” votes where Thompson’s and McCain’s votes differed. Most significantly, Thompson introduced an amendment that would increase hard money contribution limits. McCain voted to kill discussion of Thompson’s amendment, but Thompson prevailed, and the amendment passed (with McCain ultimately voting for it). In the discussion of this amendment, Thompson specifically noted that individual contributions are free speech.

CFR related items where Thompson departed from McCain:
March 19, 2001 - April 2, 2001
Votes 00037-00064

Hat tip to ellery!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.