Posted on 07/12/2007 5:00:42 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Possible GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson had two meetings on Rudolph Giuliani's home turf today.
Thompson met with Michael Long, head of the state conservative party and with Steve Cassidy, president of the firefighters union. Yesterday, the International Association of Fire Fighters released a video, criticizing Giuliani's handling of 9/11.
When asked about the controversy, the former Tennessee senator, a Republican, refused to weigh in and would not comment on Giuliani's record on 9/11.
"I have the greatest respect for Steve and his organization and what they're doing,” said Thompson. “I've read about it but I don't have enough knowledge about it, and I have not looked into it enough to even have an opinion with regard to it."
“New York is on the front lines and ought to be treated that way by the federal government,” said Thompson.
As for his meeting with Chairman Long, the two men said they talked about national security, the economy, and immigration. Long, who was joined by former New York Senator Al D'Amato, says it's too soon to decide who he's going to endorse, but it sounds like Thompson has the advantage.
"Clearly the senator is philosophically closer to the leaders of our party than some of the other candidates, but we are wide open on that,” said Long.
D'Amato, who has had his differences with Giuliani over the years, has already pledged his allegiance to Thompson.
Thompson has not officially entered the race. He says he'll make a decision soon, on his time frame.
D’Amato has already said he would chair/front FDT/NY-2008
Ping!
The New York State Conservative Party is not Rudy’s home turf. The last time he ran for office, against hillary, he poked his finger in their eye.
“Anyone still think Fred isn’t running for president?”
Fred already said he was going to run on Hannity radio the other day, think they are gonna replay it tonight on tv.
I’ll probably miss it cause Hell’s Kitchen is on tonight. ;)
Lol, Hell’s Kitchen is on Monday nights....duh, anyhow....they are about to show the Fred interview.
And Fred’s kissing union NY butts for the REPUBLICAN primary... anybody here think that’s a grand idea?
How’s his cancer?
Has he said anything lately?
Those were the guys who’s buddies died at the World Trade Center. Because they are in a union a potential future president should shun them? Or am I misunderstanding your post?
There's a world of difference between "shun" and "sucking up"...
This is the REPUBLICAN primary and the NY union bosses are not the first place you'd hunt for REPUBLICAN primary voters.
Are you saying that Fred can skip the primary and go directly to the general...
Or maybe I'm misunderstanding your post?
If Bloomy runs as an Independent and Hillary is the Dem nominee, they could split the liberal NYC vote and Fred could possibly carry the State of New York.
Ya think? Nah; me neither.
“Thompson has not officially entered the race. He says he’ll make a decision soon, on his time frame.”
I wished he would quit “testing the water” and just jump in. I think FDT is the most conservative on the issue of abortion & 2nd Ammendment rights. Since he hired the open homosexual for his campaign staff, I do question where he stands on the homosexual agenda - I suspect he is not so conservative in that area (hollywood affects people). However, to be totally pragmatic, he is probably the most conservative candidate that has a good chance of beating the Dem candidate. So, although there are others probably more socially conservative (Hunter & Huckabee), they cannot win a general election and would be best utilized as a VEEP. I am not as thrilled with FDT as I was initially, but he is the only real show in town.
He needs to stop dragging his feet and get in the race. It is time to thin out the field so the real contenders can face off without support being drawn by 2nd tier candidates. The sooner FDT gets in, the sooner this will happen.
I think it is pretty obvious, that barring some unseen event(s), that on the Republican side the final battle will be between Fred and Rudy. Rudy will draw the fiscal conservatives that aren’t pro-life and pro 2nd ammendment. Fred will draw the social/moral conservatives - eventually. Personally, I could become excited by FDT again if he would shuck the homo on his staff and take a strong stand against:
(1)Homosexual special protection in hate crimes law
(2)Homosexual marriage or domestic partnership. Use the federal government to curtail out of control states.
(3)Do away with “don’t ask or tell” for military service and go back to “you can’t serve if you are homosexual.”
(4)Stop the recognition of homosexuals as a minority and fight courts that do.
This won’t happen of course. So, I will reluctantly vote for FDT because he is the least of the evils available.
The group that released the video about Giuliani is the International Assn. of Fire Fighters.
Fred met with the head of the Uniformed Firefighters Assn., which endorsed Pataki (http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F7081EFD3F590C738EDDA90994D0494D81);
Bush ( http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A15FC3E550C728CDDA00894DC404482);
and Giuliani himself (http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60711FB3D550C778EDDAF0894DF494D81).
Clarification (i.e., getting MY facts straight): Steve Cassidy is also featured in the video, so he is involved. However, his union, the UFA, did indeed tend to endorse pubbies over donks (Pataki, Bush and Giuliani).
For what it is worth, I believe that Gunowners of America rates Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Ron Paul as the strongest candidates on Second Amendment rights.
As to Senator Thompson, here's their editorial:
Fred Thompson: "Generally" Consistent
by Craig Fields
Director of Internet OperationsWhen a person simply musing about the possibility of running for the GOP presidential nomination finds himself essentially tied with the Democratic frontrunner overnight,1 something has happened.
That something was a collective sigh of relief across America's conservative base. Finally (it was thought), a high-profile candidate… without the liberal baggage of a Giuliani, Romney or McCain.
That's because Thompson is relatively conservative in his overall philosophy. He has no need to convince voters that he has changed his ways and now sees the light, because he has been fairly consistent throughout his career.
He is in his own words "against gun control, generally."2 And his voting record shows that to be true, generally. When he voted anti-gun, it was usually to expand federal authority. This is unfortunately consistent with his being a "law and order conservative" (pardon the pun). A complete report on each individual vote is appended below.
Gun owners should also be aware that Thompson unabashedly favors the odious McCain-Feingold Incumbent Protection Act. This legislation, characterized by its proponents as campaign finance reform, severely limits the abilities of groups like GOA to inform the public about the gun rights voting records of politicians already in office. In many cases, it becomes illegal to even mention a politician's name in on-air advertising the month before an election. Thompson -- having voted in favor of the restrictions several times -- thinks doing so is "not a non-conservative position, although I agree that a lot of people have interpreted it that way."3
Fred Thompson was elected to the Senate as a Republican in 1994 -- the 105th Congress -- to fill the remaining two years of then-Vice-President Al Gore's term. Thompson was reelected (handily) in 1996 to a full six-year term.
The timing was such that many of his "gun votes" on Capitol Hill came during the hysteria following the Columbine tragedy in 1999. It seemed that everyone in the country (except GOA supporters) considered it a foregone conclusion that something regarding gun control had to pass Congress that summer.
The Republican Leadership, especially in the Senate, adopted a "Gun Control Lite" strategy -- hoping to preclude major gun bans by passing specific and less onerous restrictions that were largely extensions of current law.
Happily, GOA supporters rose up in truly Herculean fashion that summer, and when the smoke cleared no new gun control at all had made it to the President's desk. Thompson's actions at that time were somewhat haphazard (he voted both for and against the "Lite" strategy at different points, while voting against most, but not all, anti-gun amendments brought by other Senators).
In total, GOA tracked 33 votes in the U.S. Senate while Thompson was there. He voted pro-gun 19 times. Those votes are detailed below:
Fred Thompson's Gun-Related Votes The U.S. Senate Debated:
Voted:Government wiretapping of innocent citizens.4 Anti-gun terror bill (S. 735 ).5 Taxpayer funding to anti-gun lobby groups.6 Taxpayer funding to anti-gun groups -- 2nd vote.7 Anti-gun terror bill -- final passage.8 Taggants in gunpowder.9 Lautenberg Domestic Confiscation gun ban.10 Kohl "Gun Free Zones" ban.11 Free Speech restrictions.12 Smith "Anti-Brady" Amendment.13 Gutting of the Smith “Anti-Brady” Amendment.14 Banning the importation of magazines.15 Mandatory unsafe gun storage requirements.16 "Lock Up Your Safety" mandatory trigger locks.17 Anti-gun Clinton judge appointment.18 Anti-gun Surgeon General.19 Ending the filibuster of a major anti-gun crime bill.20 Background registration checks.21 Banning private sales of firearms at gun shows.22 Anti-gun juvenile crime bill (S. 254).23 Mandatory trigger locks with new handgun sales.24 Hatch-Craig Gun Control "Lite".25 More severe regulation of internet gun sales.26 Young adult gun ban.27 Medium-capacity magazine ban.28 Adopting the "Gun Control Lite" strategy.29 Gun show ban.30 Praising the gun control mommies.31 Senate instructions to pass gun control (Reed).32 Senate instructions to pass gun control (Boxer).33 Attacking gun makers in court.34 McCain's Incumbent Protection (2000 version).35 Incumbent Protection (2002 failed filibuster).36
Not sure if you meant that I don't have my facts straight, or pinged me because I simply posted.
I just asked about his cancer. I hadn't heard anything about it for some time, and wondered how he was doing.
Yeah but he needs to get in since personally, though I will support him, I am tired of this coyness. Get in and win or stop the show business ploys. The Gop is desparate for a winner and if it is Fred, fine but get in so he can compete for finances.
I pinged everyone on the thread.
FDT said the other day (it may have been on Hannity) that he has made up his mind, but was not prepared to make an announcement. I also read an article yesterday that quoted senior advisors to FDT saying that he wants to have his organization fully in place when he makes his announcement.
So for all of you who wring their hands every day, wondering if FDT will run - he IS running - he is just timing his formal announement to achieve the best possible gain. Seeing as he is leading in many polls without formally being a candidate, I am inclined to trust his political judgment over mine, aren't you?
Since he’s in remission, and had no symptoms in 3 years, it’s pretty likely that it was caught early enough.
Interestingly, my favorite hockey player of all time, Mario Lemieux,had the same type of cancer, and returned to play hockey after treatment.
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