Join the Draft Fred Thompson Bandwagon
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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.
Hmmm. Let's see what Rudy's competence looks like when it comes to counterterrorism.
He kept the NYC ECC in the World Trade Center despite calls from emergency managers to move it away from a known target.
He failed to replace emergency radios that had problems during the first WTC attack.
And he pushed a corrupt crony for the most important anti-terror job in the country.
Rudy has no competence when it comes to anti-terrorism and preparadness.
Rudy folded when it came time to stand up for the right to keep and bear arms. He folded when it came time to stand up for inncocent unborn children to keep them from being mutilated in their mothers' wombs.
Let's see how many Rudyphiles protest the age of this article...
Hmmmm.
Norquist hates McCain and the feeling is mutual.
I must say, if Fred wanted to go after Norquist, that's a plus for Fred. Everyone is scratching their collective wooden heads wondering how Norquist has escaped an indictment.
Rudy also was a strong supporter of CFR.
Fred has since recanted. Has Rudy? >> crickets
Those spending hours, hunting the archives to go back TEN YEARS to dig up unflattering pieces are really becoming comical (and predictable), aren't they? LOL
As if ten years can't be a lifetime in terms of changed outlooks and priorities, with life-altering personal and global events and new insights.
Oh joy .. we'll watch with knowing smiles and let them have their scab picking parties .. it's really funny.
Fred's the only one .. so far .. who's excited my poltical meter; it's going to be fascinating to watch this cycle play out. I'll wager that in 6 months, there's going to be a whole new political landscape in place. God bless Fred and his family as they consider this momentous challenge.
Was this Asia Fund Raising Scandal mentioned above KoreaGate?
With David Cheng and Tongsun Park?
I am not up on my ancient history, but isn't bad when our side takes bribes, as well?
Indeed and that applies to all old articles on all the candidates. That stuff is important only to those posting it and their rabid cohorts. Perceived negatives and even factual negatives prior to 9/11 have very little chance of gaining traction with voters.
This handwringing over Fred's "possible" entry, tells me that supporters of others are worried sick and I sure hope he runs.
A babe in the woods!?
He was co-chief consel for the Senate Watergate committee.
If he wasn't politically tempered there he wouldn't be hardened anywhere.
The man had a chance to prove himself and he failed.
He is telegenic, articulate, charismatic… and a weak reed.
Join the Draft Fred Thompson Bandwagon
▲ Click the box to see where he stands on the issues. ▲If you'd like to be on the Fred Thompson ping list, let jellybean or me know.
I wonder how Duke Hunter feels about this.
I actually read the whole article. I didn't see anywhere in the article that Thompson "folded". The article shows that it is difficult to uncover the truth when Democrats are doing everything they can to cover-up and disrupt an investigation, this is nothing new and is still going on. Thompson's hearings were much more honest and effective than the pathetic 911 hearings. I saw nothing in the article that shows Thompson lacks leadership or judgment. On the contrary, Thompson showed he had excellent judgment by this quote: "The remarkable thing about Clinton is "his utter lack of shame. He literally — I mean this — has no shame. He's not affected the way normal people are by humiliation. For him, it's all a part of the game. It's a matter of maneuvering to the next point. And it serves him well in the kind of environment we have now." Compare that to the fawning attitude Rudy had, and still has, towards Clinton.
If someone thinks that this article is something that would change voters positive opinion of Thompson, they are off the mark.
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