Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The "Evolving" Fred Thompson Saga
CBN ^ | 7/19/07 | David Brody

Posted on 07/19/2007 7:33:24 AM PDT by pissant

This may be the political version of Evolution. The New York Times is out this morning with a story about billing records that show Fred Thompson did indeed charge for his time while helping a pro-choice group. Details from the article below:

Billing records show that former Senator Fred Thompson spent nearly 20 hours working as a lobbyist on behalf of a group seeking to ease restrictive federal rules on abortion counseling in the 1990s, even though he recently said he did not recall doing any work for the organization.

According to records from Arent Fox, the law firm based in Washington where Mr. Thompson worked part-time from 1991 to 1994, he charged the organization, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, about $5,000 for work he did in 1991 and 1992. The records show that Mr. Thompson, a probable Republican candidate for president in 2008, spent much of that time in telephone conferences with the president of the group, and on three occasions he reported lobbying administration officials on its behalf.

Mr. Thompson's work for the family planning agency has become an issue because he is positioning himself as a faithful conservative who is opposed to abortion.

Read the whole article here. The Brody File has a call in to Thompson's people. Check back later for an update. Already, email is coming into The Brody File about the story. Here's one:

"The significance of this is not what Fred did 16 years ago. Had he been candid and honest, and explained himself, all would be well. The issue is that Fred lied for political expediency, and allowed others on his staff to do so on his behalf."

Lied may too strong a word. It seems like Thompson did what most politicians do. They beat around the bush and try to avoid an outright apology. Let's review shall we?

When this story first broke, Thompson's spokesman Mark Corallo said the following:

"Fred Thompson did not lobby for this group, period."

Then it became Thompson had "no recollection of doing any work on behalf of this group. He may have been consulted by one of the firm's partners who represented this group in 1991".

Days after the story broke, Thompson told radio talk show Sean Hannity:

"You need to separate a lawyer advocating a position from the position itself. They will probably come at me, in 35 years of law practice, with some people, I represented criminal defendants. I was a prosecutor. I had a general law practice. So that in and of itself doesn't mean anything anyway. … I'm not going to get down in the weeds with everything they dredge up over the next six months."

Thompson also sent in a column to the Powerline blog where he seemed to suggest he did some work:

"A lawyer who is a candidate or a prospective candidate for office finds himself in an interesting position because of the nature of the legal profession and the practice of law. … I've experienced another gambit of those schooled in the creative uses of law and politics: dredging up clients - or another lawyer's clients -that I may have represented or consulted with and then using the media to get me into a public debate as to what I may have done for them or said to them 15 or 20 years ago. Even if my memory serves me correctly, Even it would not be appropriate for a lawyer to make such comments."

Any way you slice it, what we have here is an "evolving story". This isn't really about the abortion issue. Because of Thompson's consistent pro-life record in the Senate, pro-family groups will probably give him a pass on that aspect. But Thompson needs to be careful. He wants people to see him as a plain spoken, tell it like it is southerner. But evolving stories like this are normally left to "inside the beltway" Washington insiders. For his campaign to be successful, he needs to be seen as a Washington outsider not just another politician who is spinning his way out of a mess.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: abortion; cbn; elections; fred; fredthompson; nfprha; wilma
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 361-380381-400401-420421-427 next last
To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
Because Fred has always been against taxpayer-funding of abortions and supported parental notification laws.

I'm not sure I see that as an answer to my question. Parental notification laws are on the books in many states, and taxpayer-funding of abortion is illegal at the federal level. AGAIN: In what way does Fred Thompson disagree with the current availability of abortion? As far as I can tell, not a whit.

401 posted on 07/19/2007 3:45:15 PM PDT by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 400 | View Replies]

To: Ultra Sonic 007
My FRiend, I didn't mention anything about a candidate's record being of little interest--you did. Those are your words.
What I did say is that hundreds of articles, each one on a speech or a single event from 1997 or 2000, aren't drawing much interest.

I'm sure you've noted, by the way, I haven't slammed Mr. Hunter.

402 posted on 07/19/2007 3:49:37 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson-Hunter '08-- imwithfred.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 397 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou

Never said you did slam Hunter.

And considering that a majority of the posts about Hunter are about clarifying his record, that’s the conclusion I drew.


403 posted on 07/19/2007 3:53:46 PM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007 (Look at all the candidates. Choose who you think is best. Choose wisely in 2008.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 402 | View Replies]

To: ejonesie22
Doing the jobs Americans won’t do is not a cute statement but a reality.

BULLCRAP. I know far too many out of work experienced roofers, siders, and other construction workers to believe that in the least. Many of them used to work with my husband, but he saw what was happening and changed careers 10 years ago after 25 years in construction.

Blame the aforementioned welfare for that. There are plenty of American poor that are happier sitting down than working.

I don't disagree with that. So I guess we need to change our welfare laws to do away with the problem, don't you?

A close friend of mine recently had to go back to work because her husband had a heart attack and they have no health insurance through his job. They have 2 children under the age of 10 and she has been a stay at home mom. She got her old job back, in a chicken processing plant, but even though she had previously worked there she went through all kinds of scrutiny to make sure of her legal status.

More than 300 people applied for something like 25 jobs, and those were just the eligible citizens or legals. I live in a rather poor county with a population of less than or about 40,000. Line work at a poultry processing plant is far from glamorous, in fact it is a rather nasty job. So please, don't get on your high horse about jobs that Americans won't do. For a fact I do know better.

404 posted on 07/19/2007 5:05:59 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 369 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Yawn...................


405 posted on 07/19/2007 5:23:04 PM PDT by no dems (If there is no pressure, there is no change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ultra Sonic 007; Clara Lou

there are plenty of popular hunter posts, just as there are many fred duds.

Duncan:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1863769/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1863078/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1860339/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1859752/posts

Fred:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868468/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1868188/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1867577/posts


406 posted on 07/19/2007 5:36:10 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 403 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Thanks. You didn’t need to go to all that trouble.
I don’t care for some of your tactics, as you know, but I certainly respect your dedication to Mr. Hunter.


407 posted on 07/19/2007 5:49:50 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson-Hunter '08-- imwithfred.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 406 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou

Well, frankly, I’ll be very happy when Hunter reaches top tier and receives the slings and arrows that Fred and Rudy are getting. LOL


408 posted on 07/19/2007 5:53:55 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 407 | View Replies]

To: Ultra Sonic 007
Never said you did slam Hunter.
I didn't say you did. I just wanted to make clear that I have no objection to Duncan Hunter himself--beyond the fact that I don't believe that he can win. [Some people are chiefs, some people are Indians. After all these years, I see no indication that he's the chief type.]
409 posted on 07/19/2007 5:58:43 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson-Hunter '08-- imwithfred.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 403 | View Replies]

To: Gabz

I am sure that there are localized variables. I have seen it here as well but it does not change the fact that unemployment is at an historical low. I too have friends, ones with businesses that are screaming for both skilled and semi skilled labor especially on the coast. Where are the job seekers? The contracts lay open and they turn to the ones who come looking so they too can get paid.

I will grant that at the national level construction has been the most impacted industry. I don’t have numbers but I can see that.

Yes indeed we need to trash welfare except for real need and also lock down the boarders so we never face these choices again.

Last thing, no high horse. I have many good friends who work in plants and industrial settings doing some of the hardest jobs. But in a lot of areas finding Americans with that work ethic is getting tough. Where in your area you have 300 applying for 25 slots, they will have 10 apply for 30. Or even worse they do have enough but after the first week half no longer show up. It truly is a strange world right now.


410 posted on 07/19/2007 6:15:09 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (Hillary has already beat Rudy, She is the better cross-dresser.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 404 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Yeah be nice to join the club. Better Hunter than some of the rest.


411 posted on 07/19/2007 6:18:35 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (Hillary has already beat Rudy, She is the better cross-dresser.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 408 | View Replies]

To: pissant
Instead of supporting your guy, you have a need to denigrate others. You truly are what your name indicates.
412 posted on 07/19/2007 6:25:33 PM PDT by GhostSoldier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mikeus_maximus

You were doing great until your last sentence.

Circular logic: “If Thompson’s memory is now refreshed” yet you admit as a lawyer you couldn’t name your clients from 16 years ago much less what you did for them.

If I told you that 16 years ago you did some work for so and so would that be considered as “refreshing your memory” and if it were a “refreshing” would you be compelled to talk plainly and not spin? Any inuendo here? Any? Any at all?


413 posted on 07/19/2007 6:32:35 PM PDT by Hostage (Fred Thompson will be President.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Clam Digger; Extremely Extreme Extremist; Alter Kaker

Regardless of who Alter Kaker is supporting, AK is a nanny-state lover, onerous tax supporter, and private property rights despiser.

Sure doesn’t sound like a conservative to me.


414 posted on 07/19/2007 7:32:02 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 394 | View Replies]

To: ejonesie22
I am sure that there are localized variables

Localized? I live in a three state region. Your basic minimum wage job is hard to come by, regardless of the unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate figure is based upon the new claims for unemployment checks, it does not take into account those that have been dropped off the unemloyment rolls for whatever reason.

Yes indeed we need to trash welfare except for real need and also lock down the boarders so we never face these choices again.

You will never get an argument from me about either.

It truly is a strange world right now.

Indeed it is.

I read the help wanted ads in the local papers every week. Unless you are a rocket scientist, an RN or LPN, have a CDL or an electrician or plumbers license, you're pretty much SOL around here.

The local farmers hire by word of mouth and the corporate "farmers" import their help

415 posted on 07/19/2007 8:01:49 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 410 | View Replies]

To: Gabz
I know, I worked as an instructor for years in the career college field.

The jobs are moving up the scale. Like you said there are plenty of RNs and the like. Does not mean there are no jobs. In some areas there are more labor based jobs than others. However I will agree that in the hard hit areas it sucks, and it is damned hard to move else where. If it was easier maybe thing could balance out more.

About 90% of my students were career/job changers, and about 98% of those were on federal grants and the like. The nature of employment is changing, and to be honest for the better in most cases. People whom one would never think of being in the skilled/professional labor force are joining it’s ranks daily. The resources are there, trust me, I have seen people who could barely fog a mirror get full pop grants for 2 year votech programs.

416 posted on 07/19/2007 8:40:48 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (Hillary has already beat Rudy, She is the better cross-dresser.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 415 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Brody is a smarmy backstabber I would be careful using his stuff he is a master in dichotomy!


417 posted on 07/19/2007 9:17:27 PM PDT by restornu (Romney keeps his eyes on the mission, and not on those who attacks his campaigned!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: pissant
...none of which I’ve seen you comment upon.

That's exactly right! You also won't see me commenting on a Romeny thread or a Giuliani thread or on any thread about any other candidate. My time is precious to me so I chose not to waste it reading/commenting on things that don't interest me.

418 posted on 07/19/2007 9:34:55 PM PDT by jellybean (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=dailyfread Proud Ann-droid and a Steyn-aholic)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 385 | View Replies]

To: pissant

btt


419 posted on 07/19/2007 9:38:36 PM PDT by Ciexyz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ciexyz

I’m guessing they will repsond friday or monday.


420 posted on 07/19/2007 10:17:14 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 419 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 361-380381-400401-420421-427 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson