Posted on 06/26/2007 11:04:12 AM PDT by Politicalmom
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Fred Thompson, a likely Republican presidential candidate, on Tuesday defended his work as a Washington lobbyist, telling The Associated Press that lobbying is an important part of life because "government's got their hands in everything."
The actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee added, "Nobody yet has pointed out any of my clients that didn't deserve representation."
Thompson, who likes to cast himself as a political outsider, earned more than $1 million lobbying the federal government for more than 20 years. He lobbied for a savings-and-loan deregulation bill that helped hasten the industry's collapse and a failed nuclear energy project that cost taxpayers more than a billion dollars.
In a brief interview with the AP, Thompson said he expects to hear criticism about his lobbying activities as he moves closer to declaring his candidacy. Opponents emphasized his lobbying work during his Senate races in 1994 and 1996.
"They'll talk about it — probably with the same results," he said.
More than 200 supporters gathered earlier Tuesday at the Nashville airport to greet Thompson. He told the crowd he's "testing the waters" about a run, "but the waters feel pretty warm to me."
Thompson was scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Nashville later in the day.
Thompson declined to give a specific date for an official announcement about a presidential run.
"I have a general time in mind," he said. "You're either running or not running. I think the steps we're taking are pretty obvious."
What possible reason would Fred have for choosing an old loser to be his running mate?
That’s ridiculous.
CFR is mainly a think tank. Foreign policy geeks exchange viewpoints via papers. Ask him why an organization intent on taking over the world would invite Angelina Jolie to be a member.
I agree and have argued the same.
CFR is mainly a think tank. Foreign policy geeks exchange viewpoints via papers. Ask him why an organization intent on taking over the world would invite Angelina Jolie to be a member.
Isn't Jolie active with the U.N.?
Isn't she a "globalist"?
She certainly has some name recognition and can influence people - sadly.
So what? There are globalists in CFR. There are also people who favor free trade, but would never compromise the soverignty of the U.S. There are lots of different points of view in the CFR.
U.S. citizenship is an absolute requirement for membership.
They will be in trouble if they destroy the U.S.
Hillary is projecting again....
>The gnats may think they are riding the warhorse, but that don’t make it so.<
Nooooo way, Jose. Big money is riding that ole Tennasee Warhorse.
Check this out: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1856620/posts
If it’s the one I’m thinking about, the author is a radical leftist with no experience writing on political matters.
There's a lovely conservative sentiment, LOL.
Both lobbying efforts were for Tennessee clients, Thompson’s home state.
Nuclear energy is exactly what is needed right now.
We have a choice:
1. Do we keep giving trillions in oil money to radical Islam so that, like Iran, they have the money to buy NUKES and blackmail us or actually use them?
OR.
2. Do we switch from oil to industries like NUCLEAR, and trust our own scientists and engineers to do it safely?
Which one is most likely to lead to a nuclear disaster?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070625/ap_on_el_pr/fred_thompson_lobbying_4
PM, at the bottom of the article you posted was this other and more unflattering article, with all the names and dates. Just FYI, FWIW.
Nothing in there we didn’t already know...but thanks for the link!
I think there’s still a tendency to attempt to run someone who is perceived as lily-white and perfect. A sleeves-rolled-up git-r-done kind of person.
And then there’s Hillary. Is Rush still saying she’ll be the next president? Yes.
If you look hard enough, extrapolate enough information, they’re all dirty.
>>Thompson’s first and longest-running lobbying client was Westinghouse Electric Co., for whom he lobbied in favor of nuclear energy<<
We need this now.
Oh joy, a career lobbyist-cum-actor for President.
Are we really this desperate?
Westinghouse has been doing very well recently and has introduced some new designs for nuclear plants. Now is the time to jump back into nuclear power generation if we can get the environmentalists to be quiet long enough to let us.
CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) raises some legitimate questions about itself. For one, its members fill up presidential administrations and the top levels of government. That bothers me not so much because of a conspiracy - as some see it - but because it represents a dangerous potential for groupthink; incidentally, which I believe we are suffering from in Iraq. Second, while I do not follow it closely, I get the impression that it is not suffuciently transparent. Third, look at its membership list. It extends out very far for a foreign policy organ, especially into the media. Grab a popular newsmagazine and cross check its contributors page with a CFR membership list. You might be surprised how many are members. Or spend the morning watching the news with a list in front of you. Etc.
Also while there are lots of different views, invariably it leans left and leans globalist.
I am not saying it is a conspiracy. That’s beyond my ability to speculate. But it is fair to ask questions.
There are prolly quite a few FReepers who’d defend Thompson’s long standing as a politician. And, it can be argued that with that amount of time almost anyone might have some ‘less than successful’ situations.
Maybe he’s really too old to run.
well...since you seem to have a Ron Paul obsession (based on your previous forum comments) you are dismissed from being taken seriously.
Big money is riding that ole Tennasee Warhorse.
"I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience." -during a 1984 presidential debate with Walter Mondale
One of the biggest slam-dunks in the history of politics.
“There are prolly quite a few FReepers who’d defend Thompson’s long standing as a politician. And, it can be argued that with that amount of time almost anyone might have some ‘less than successful’ situations.
Maybe he’s really too old to run.”
You are making no sense.
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