Posted on 03/22/2007 9:40:54 AM PDT by quidnunc
In a March 3 memo, the Senior Minority Counsel on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee outlines for Sen. John Glenn (Ohio) what he hopes will be the ranking Democrat's contribution to the Asiagate investigation — 11 subpoenas on conservative activist groups. The list, since forwarded to committee chairman Fred Thompson (R., Tenn.), reads like a "Who's Who" of the conservative movement, including Citizens for a Sound Economy, the Christian Coalition, and Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform.
In mid March, Senate Republicans agreed to open the door to this potential harassment of their allies after a high-stakes battle over the scope of Sen. Thompson's investigation. Thompson, the hulking 54-year-old former actor who looks the part of a President and wants to play one in real life, laid the predicate for this in February by acceding to the demands of Democrats for an investigation broad enough to include a hunt for GOP wrongdoing.
This set off alarm bells among his Republican colleagues, who fear he will keep stoking his amazing media hype by playing the bi-partisan reformer at their expense. So, privately, they discussed shutting Thompson down and, instead, hoping for an independent counsel.
Majority Leader Trent Lott avoided the fantastic spectacle of Republicans scrapping their own investigation with a deal passed through the Senate Rules Committee. Thompson would get his high-profile investigation, but his committee's mandate would be confined to "illegal" activities, ensuring that he would spend time investigating Al Gore, not Grover Norquist. The situation seemed saved — except that Lott didn't have his votes nailed down, including that of Fred Thompson.
From the start, Senate leadership aides have bristled at what they characterize as Thompson's arrogance and "free-lancing." They complain that he didn't consult the leadership when he first ran into trouble with Democrats on his committee and wasn't forthright about the depth of his opposition to the Lott-brokered compromise. It's unclear to what extent Thompson and his ally John McCain (R., Ariz.) worked against the Lott language among their colleagues, but leadership aides fume over the pair's efforts to spike the deal.
The question came to a head at the weekly Tuesday Republican policy committee lunch in the Capitol. McCain first spoke up for broadening Thompson's inquiry to include "illegal and improper" activities. An angry discussion ensued in which it became increasingly clear that an eclectic collection of senators would hand Thompson a key victory. The usual weak sisters, like Arlen Specter (Pa.), wanted a broader inquiry. But so did others.
Republicans who serve on Thompson's committee, like Susan Collins (Me.) and freshman Sam Brownback (Kan.), had voted in favor of Thompson's original broad language in committee and felt they couldn't reverse themselves, especially with Thompson characterizing such a move as a hypocritical flip-flop. The opposition of the conservative Brownback in particular signaled the end for the Lott deal.
Thompson says he will devote the first phase of his investigation to Democratic wrongdoing anyway, but many Republicans won't believe it until they see it. One longtime Senate aide warns that the Democrats are "too smart, too clever, too everything for Thompson." They've certainly enjoyed manhandling him so far. At a Rules Committee hearing a few weeks ago, Democrats signaled they wouldn't question Thompson about Asiagate when he testified — then piled into the room to berate him over the investigation.
Thompson can expect more of the same. Thompson has said he hopes the Clinton scandals will produce the equivalent of a Watergate-era Howard Baker, a senator willing to turn on his own party. But Democrats typically don't behave that way. Indeed, the only party-defying "Howard Baker" to emerge from the scandals may yet prove to be Fred Thompson himself.
Tell that to Buckhead and the Swifties.
Political sites all over the Internet are in a period of dormance, conservative, liberal, and non-partisan.
Was Dan Rather a candidate? WHO KNEW? And Howlin was in on that too.
Were the Swifties FReepers? WHO KNEW?
I donated to them because of postings here, but you've missed my correct point entirely.
Sounds like he has developed a healthy and refreshing view of the press.
The whole memogate thing swayed the election in general. Had that memo not been challenged, it would have looked REALLY bad for Bush and possibly changed the outcome.
And Howlin was in on that too.
I just looked back on that thread and noticed that she was instrumental in alerting freepers to that development and making the whole thing grow. Very belated kudos to Howlin on that.
Were the Swifties FReepers? WHO KNEW?
I'm reasonably sure that O'Neil and Corsi were both freepers. I could be wrong on that though.
I'll attack him from the right. He was a milquetoast senator who I'd rather not see in the WH. I think his previous views on abortion and McCain fiengold and illegal immigration are not conservative.
That said, he is still conservative on balance and I would not withhold a vote for him. Especially if he repudiates his former positions, ala Romney.
BTW, did he support the "assault" weapons ban?
Sorry to be the one to break the news to you, but its the MSM that's going to be taking down "America's mayor" if he's nominated. Those voters that are shallow enough to vote for him based on their perception of him being a 9/11 hero are going to disappear with the breeze when Dan Rather and Mary Mapes types come up with some new memos.
Let me put it this way. I have my fingers crossed for the next FReepathon and it starts on the first day of April.
Who's your crossdresser in this race?
We're gonna be OK. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that this one is a lot quicker than the last. People just don't have a lot of extra money to donate right after the holidays. Things will be fine.
And while we're on the topic, many thanks for the work you do in helping run the 'thons. Sometimes, I'll see your name keep popping up on the fundraising threads and click on your recent posts list. The time you spend helping out on these is truly impressive.
Do you think he'd have all the supporters around here that he does if he wasn't a solid pro-2A guy?
Of the three candidates who actually have a ghost of a chance of getting the nomination, either Guiliani or Romney would be acceptable to me.
From what I know about them Hunter and Brownback would probably be OK too, but they're also-rans with no prayer.
the best they could hope for is the vice-presidential nomination, which is what some of them are actually angling for,
That article just goes to show how quickly conservatives are to eat their own, rather than give a fellow conservative, or any Republican, for that matter, the benefit of the doubt.
My brother, who retired as a Captain from the Air Force said this, as well. He said Clinton should have been impeached for treason.
Thompson has a track record which speaks of a lack of leadership and executive ability, so there's not all that much doubt to give him the benefit of.
There's a Texas saying "All hat and no cattle."
Too many Freepers are enthralled by hats and disdainful of cattle.
I hope you're right!! We shall see.
If Fred Thompson would do the right thing, he'd delay his run to another time and throw his support behind Duncan Hunter. If THAT wouldn't make news, I don't know what would. Then Hunter might well consider him, as well as my preference, John Bolton, for VP.
And far too many are quick to tear someone down because they don't particularly like them, for whatever reason. Why not give the man a chance to get out there and say what he has to say, without muddying the water?
the MSM is going to try and do that to ANY republican candidate. the difference is, Rudy already has an image and a persona with high favorability ratings. its harder to take down someone who is popular, then it is to negatively define someone who isn't widely known.
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