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You have absolutely no proof that Fred was a 2008 stalking horse. In fact, Fred was drafted by people who wanted him to run, like me:

And that is just to name a few websites devoted to that purpose, there are many other forums and blogs that were involved.

As for 2000...first of all, that was 8 years ago and they no longer share many of the views they did back then, secondly he has flat out denied that charge:

Fred Thompson told the Orange County Register in an 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.”

On the issues, Thompson parts company from McCain on the Bush tax cuts (which Thompson supported and McCain voted against), the patient’s bill of rights (a pet project of McCain’s which Fred opposed on federalist grounds), McCain-Feingold (which Fred originally supported, but now freely admits the limitations on political ads were wrong and should not have been included in the law) and the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill (which Fred opposes).

McCain also favors protecting sexual orientation by civil rights laws, which Fred Thompson opposes. McCain favors more federal funding for health coverage, which Fred opposes. Fred voted to preserve the budget for drilling in ANWR, while McCain voted to kill it. Finally, Thompson favors allowing churches to provide welfare services, which McCain opposes.

Over the years, Fred has become more conservative, while McCain has become decidedly less so.

A quote from Thompson: “When you look at the approach of Governor Huckabee and Senator McCain, they clear are moving away from what I consider to be the sound constitutional traditional principles that the Reagan coalition was founded upon.”

When asked whether he’s doing the job for John McCain by going after Huckabee, Thompson pointed out that he mentioned McCain as well and that he considers this mantra to be one of Huckabee’s talking points. “I had several policy differences that I had with him when we were standing there, man to man, face to face, he didn’t answer any of them. Now three days later he comes back with accusations like this or that, it’s all about process and doing someone else’s work. The notion that I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing for the last several months day and night, to be some kind of a stalking horse for someone else, is beyond ludicrous,” he said.

And that’s not the only situation in which he went after McCain either. In an interview with Glenn Beck he criticized his former colleague in the Senate for voting against the Bush tax cuts and for his stance on immigration.

There are some real policy differences between McCain, Huckabee and Thompson and the latter is right to point those differences out.

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Fred attacks McCain in an interview with Glenn Beck:

SENATOR THOMPSON: I think the basis of it is national security, national defense. John was right, I think, with regard to Iraq and he stood tough during tough times and I think he turned out to be right. And I was the same place the whole time and have been. We agree on that. But John is wrong on some other important things and he was wrong when he voted against the Bush tax cuts.

GLENN: But wait a minute. I mean --

SENATOR THOMPSON: He says he's changed his mind about that now and, you know, sobeit. But, you know, I was there during part of that time and I voted the other way. I believed the other way then, I believe the other way now. He's certainly wrong with regard to the immigration bill that they tried to get the American people sign off on last year and they gave a resounding no and now everybody's getting tough on the border. But on taxes and immigration, especially, you know, I think he's wrong. But so is Huckabee as far as that's concerned.

GLENN: But he's also wrong with McCain/Lieberman where he wants to sign treaties for global warming. He wants to give away sovereignty on global warming. This guy is not a conservative.

SENATOR THOMPSON: No, I think he's in the wrong direction on that, too. I think that that's absolutely true. But, you know, he's like everybody else. You know, he has his strong suits and his weak suits. But I think that the direction that he and Huckabee and others really, I think Giuliani and where Romney has been in the past all are going in a so-called moderate direction, which is going to lead to, you know, so-called big government conservativism or bigger government conservativism anyway.

GLENN: That doesn't even make sense.

SENATOR THOMPSON: And they all are there or still there in one form or another. I mean, you can take any of these fellas from a conservative test standpoint and they've been lacking for most of their careers.

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Contrast this with Hunter, who has apparently sold his soul and his supporters for a position in a potential Huckabee administration...it is about ego with him, always has been, his cocky attitude is the main thing that I abhor about him. Sorry pissant, you need to face the fact that you've been conned by your demi-god that you worshiped so much.