As Senator Rose, Lobbying Became Family Affair

New York Times ^ | July2, 2007 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

[Politicalmom]

WASHINGTON, June 29 — On Christmas Eve 1994, Fred D. Thompson Jr. was out of a job. A 34-year-old self-described late bloomer, Mr. Thompson had graduated from law school just two years before and practiced law only for his father, Fred D. Thompson Sr., who was about to be sworn in as a senator from Tennessee.

“I was out on the street, knocking on doors,” recalled the younger Mr. Thompson, who is known as Tony.

But attending Brentwood Methodist Church in Nashville that night, Tony Thompson ran into the departing incumbent senator, Harlan Mathews, a Democrat. Mr. Mathews invited Tony to join him in a Nashville lobbying business, a job that would let him capitalize on his father’s new position.

“I don’t just believe in the tooth fairy,” Mr. Mathews said. “A lot of people were seeking access — not necessarily unfair access, but seeking access — so Tony was employed in a number of areas where his father had made a reputation or his father’s advice or whatever was going to be valuable one of these days.”

Now the elder Mr. Thompson, who also worked as a lobbyist before and after his eight years in the Senate, is aiming for an even higher post, preparing a run for the Republican presidential nomination. In the folksy drawl that built him a lucrative sideline as a screen actor, Mr. Thompson is presenting himself as a reform-minded outsider taking on Washington, just as he did when he campaigned for the Senate as “Ol’ Fred” the “real live country lawyer,” and cruised Tennessee in a rented red pickup truck.

[Politicalmom]

Here's the "big, scary hit piece".

My Dad just called from CA saying that Fred was in "big trouble."

Fortunately, he's arriving here tomorrow, so I can reassure him. :p

[Politicalmom]

PING!!

Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference

WARNING: If you want to join, be aware that this ping list is EXTREMELY active.

[RDTF]

This is all the NY Times can dig up? LOL

[Ciexyz]

btt

[angelsonmyside]

Hillary, Newt and now NY Slimes and he has not even made an official announcement. They must be sweating bullets.

[elizabetty]

The most shocking piece of information in here is that he rented the Red Pick Up truck he used campaigning.

[donna]

Family business - the Presidency will make them very rich.

[kellynla]

unless they catch Thompson in bed with a live boy or a dead girl, he will be the next POTUS.

deal with it, NYT...

[mmichaels1970]

I posted this before...

Although clients valued Tony Thompson’s service because of the perception that he had access to his father, Mr. Mathews said, Senator Thompson was sensitive to the potential appearance of favoritism to his sons’ clients and sought to keep a distance. Rather than relying on his father, Tony Thompson relied mainly on political contacts in Tennessee he had made campaigning for his father, Mr. Mathews said.

Sounds ok by me.

[goldstategop]

That this is a politically connected family? That's like saying hookers live in a bordello. Let the New York Times bring us something REALLY newsworthy.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[bybybill]

The NYT piece on the lobbists in the Reid family was much better. Oh, wait a minute, the Times didn`t run that story.

[Politicalmom]

Not true. It is parked in front of his Mom’s house in Tennessee right now.

The campaign leased it, for some arcane reason having to do with how campaign money can be spent.

[barker]

the Presidency will make them very rich.

It sure did the clintons.

[Jeff Chandler]

The NYT piece on the lobbists in the Reid family was much better.

The Nancy Pelosi defense contract piece is my favorite.

[Aria]

Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. (born 22 September 1951, Mount Kisco, New York) became the publisher of The New York Times in 1992 and chairman of The New York Times Company in 1997. Sulzberger is the son of the previous Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger and grandson of another Times publisher, Arthur Hays Sulzberger. He is married to artist and journalist Gail Gregg.

Is the NYT saying there is something wrong with going into the family business?

[balch3]

since it’s the NY Slimes, it’s safe to assume every word of it is a lie.

[gunservative]

Imagine if the Slimes went fishing on Hillary...

[skimask]

What a joke....Is this all Hillary’s hit men can come up with?

[WOSG]

the headline behind the headline

As Conservative candidate Rose, Times dug deeper for dirt

Looming threat of electable conservative shocks Times into actual investigative reporting - but when will they mention the White House travel office under Hillary?

[Doofer]

Mr. Thompson is presenting himself as a reform-minded outsider.

I've heard many people make this claim; the only problem is that Fred never has, for bad or good.