Posted on 03/08/2007 7:43:28 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is facing increased calls to get into the 2008 GOP nomination race.
Sources told FOX News that Thompson, 62, now one of the stars of the popular NBC prime time series "Law & Order," has not ruled out a presidential bid, and has authorized advisers and supporters to continue to gauge support.
Advisers are holding regular strategy sessions, investigating fundraising avenues and private polling to measure enthusiasm. Perhaps pre-eminent among a number of prominent Thompson backers working behind the scenes is former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker.
Baker has been a mentor to Thompson since before the Senate's Watergate hearings, for which Baker hired Thompson as majority counsel and for which Thompson earned fame for having Baker ask the key question that led to President Richard Nixon's downfall: "What did the president know and when did he know it?"
Baker ran for president himself in 1980. Thompson eyed the White House in the 1990s.
While Thompson, who also helped raise money and advise I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's legal defense fund, continues to mull a bid, sources said he has been inundated with calls from GOP donors and supporters urging him to run.
Thompson has a solid and consistently conservative voting record that his supporters said makes a stark contrast to Republican frontrunners Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney.
This week, he told radio news host Mark Levin that he would have something to say about his plans, but not yet.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Question One: What's your position on illegal immigration?
I certainly hope he throws his hat in the ring. Will make my voting decision much easier.
~snicker~
HONK!!!
" Is he pro-life or "pro-choice?"
If you go by his Senate voting record, it's been pro-life.
Google "Fred Thompson" and "pro-choice." You'll get hundreds of references to the former Senator as a pro-abort, notwithstanding a few good votes that they'll tout from here to kingdom come.
You are, quite simpley put, a known liar.
Wolf, wolf, EV!
Like I said; he's your worst nightmare: yet another candidate who we can all get behind and you won't;
WOLF!
"Was it Thompson or Dick Armey?"
Coulda been Dick Armey, I like him too!
Not surprising to see you jump on board with a pro-abort trasher of the First Amendment buddy of John McCain.
Precisely.
You idiot; he's been my guy all along.
Man, you are such a hater; and a loser. I love it!
You won't be happy no matter who is running.
"Fred served in the Senate so he's not exactly some dope off the street."
,...then he's somewhat unconventional.
Sure I will, when it's a conservative.
http://www.nationalreview.com/daily/nr070600.html
It's dated July 2006, so maybe he's clarified his views since then.
7/06/00 6:20 p.m.
Thompson's Turn
Senator Thompson's office disputes NR.
By Ramesh Ponnuru, NR senior editor
The latest issue of NR includes a rundown of possible Bush running mates. In passing, it mentions that Senator Fred Thompson, the Tennessee Republican, has the drawback of being pro-choice. His office called today to say that Thompson is actually pro-life.
Thompson has certainly voted with pro-lifers almost all the time. The National Right to Life Committee counts votes for John McCain-style campaign-finance reform, which Thompson supports, as anti-pro-life votes, but otherwise he's been solid. The senator voted against the Harkin amendment, which put the Senate on record favoring Roe v. Wade. But when Thompson ran for Senate in 1994, he did so as a supporter of legal abortion, as several press clips from the time pointed out. NR has also obtained a copy of a letter Thompson sent to a constituent in 1997, which notes that Thompson supports various restrictions on abortion but also includes the line, "I believe that government should not interfere with individual convictions and actions in this area."
The upshot: Thompson is an ally of pro-lifers in all the actual fights that come up, but he's not one of them on the core issue. Unless, that is, he has changed his mind, as suggested by his current self-description as a pro-lifer. In that case, NR would be more than happy to print a corretion.
Vote AmishDude. I'll tell you whatever you want to hear.
Unless you want to hear something different.
John McCain II.
And you better watch who you call pro-abortion, you little weasel.
Mitt, is that you?
"He looks presidential but this isn't American idle."
In the "Information Age", that is EXACTLY what this is...
You're proving over and over what a hater you are; nobody even pays any attention to you.
Such a liar.
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.