Posted on 07/31/2007 6:42:51 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee:
According to ABC News, former Senator turned actor, turned lobbyist turned presidential candidate Fred Thompson is denying that he agreed to sign a fair tax bill, even though a video of the almost-candidate shows Thompson asserting the exact opposite. Thompson, who has used a "testing the waters" status to avoid scrutiny of his campaign fundraising and thus skirt FEC laws, has been buffeted by choppy seas lately, with the tax pledge episode being only the latest in a series of fumbles for his fledgling campaign. Thompson, despite not having formally announced his campaign, has already shown an amateur- streak. In just the past week, two top would-be campaign staffers resigned, and Thompson has faced questions about his lack of substance, his conservative credentials, and about large payments to his son from his own PAC. In addition, Thompson's committee has now revealed that he failed to make his own fundraising goals for the month, falling short of the $5 million they had predicted. [AP, 7/26/07; New York Times, 7/31/07]
In the tax pledge video provided by FairTax.org to ABC News, "Thompson is asked, 'Senator, if the House and Senate pass the 'Fair Tax' bill do you feel right now that you would sign it?' Thompson replies to the question by saying, 'Yeah, absolutely.'" [ABC News, 7-31-07] The full video can be seen on ABC News at http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3431517.]
"Fumbling Fred Thompson's flip flop on the fair tax issue shows once again that his presidential campaign is just not ready for prime-time," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Amaya Smith. "Next time Thompson should make sure that he's on the same script as his advisors before changing his position on an issue. Between campaign finance cover-ups, staff resignations, flip-flopping, lying about his lobbying record, missing internal fundraising goals, and parroting Bush's failed policies, Thompson should feel right at home with the rest of the Republican field."
Fundraising Tanking With Endless Delay of Announcement, Falls Short of $5 Million Goal. According to the Washington Post "two sources said Thompson's fundraising has dropped off significantly since the early excitement that surrounded what seemed like an imminent entry into the race." MSNBC.com reported that "fundraising is down 'markedly.' One claimed it has 'slowed down big-time.'" The pace is described as a consequence of the delayed announcement to enter the race. The announcement that the campaign had raised only $3 million dollars, far short of the $5 million goal the campaign set for the end of July, was "met with some disappointment inside his camp," according to the New York Times. ["The Trail," WashingtonPost.com, 07/25/2007 (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/07/25/post_1.html); First Read, 07/25/2007 (http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/07/25/289502.aspx) ; New York Times, 7/31/07]
"Anxiety and Chaos" at Campaign. "'Fundraising has dropped off,' one source said, 'That's added to the anxiety and the chaos.'" ["The Trail," WashingtonPost.com, 07/25/2007 (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/07/25/post_1.html)]
Campaign Shakeup as Manager, Research Director Leave. Questions about his wife's management style are widely attributed to the reason Tom Collamore left as campaign manager. J.T. Mastrandi also left after less then two weeks on the job as research director. Sources inside the campaign told MSNBC.com that Mrs. Thompson was "running it like a congressional campaign" and from the "kitchen table." ["The Trail," WashingtonPost.com, 07/25/2007 (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/07/25/post_1.html); First Read, 07/25/2007 (http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/07/25/289502.aspx)]
Is He Just Playing the Part? New York Magazine just asked "Fred Thompson bills himself as a true southern conservative and a plain-ol'-folks regular guy. But is he just playing a part?" [New York Magazine, July 2007]
Not Sure If He Can Talk About Substance. "When Thompson talks about issues, his speeches tend to lose focus and drift." [New York Magazine, July 2007]
Senate Years "Trainwreck" With "Nothing of Significance" Accomplished. "His Senate years were widely viewed as a train wreck" and "Thompson spent the next two years accomplishing almost nothing of significance other than raising money for his 1996 reelection" [New York Magazine, July 2007]
Pesky Facts, Clumsy Denials Raise Questions About His Record, Ability to Run Campaign. "The most damaging allegation was a Los Angeles Times story claiming that Thompson lobbied the first Bush White House in 1991 on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, a pro-choice organization. At first, Thompson's people denied it. Then they said he didn't remember it. On day three, Sean Hannity, quickly becoming Thompson's Boswell, offered the senator an opportunity to explain himself. Thompson replied, 'In the first place, you need to separate a lawyer advocating a position for the position itself.' The answer may have been factually correct, but it came across as the kind of dissembling voters -- especially conservative ones, in this case -- despise." [New York Magazine, July 2007]
Questions About Why His Son Got Paid More Than $170,000 by His Do-Nothing PAC. At an event yesterday in Texas, Thompson had to answer questions "about allegations that he has been funneling leftover PAC money to his son Daniel. Thompson called the charge 'totally false,' and insisted that his son's management of campaign funds is merely 'common practice.'" [http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/07/25/289752.aspx]
Protestors Already? At the same Texas event, "A woman screaming 'you're not a real conservative, sir' was removed by police from a welcoming reception for likely GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson Wednesday morning. A second protester was also taken from the room." [CNN.com, 7/25/07 (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/07/25/protester-removed-from-fred- thompson-event/)]
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, http://www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
SOURCE Democratic National Committee
The Fair Tax will never be law, and anyone who makes it the center piece of his campaign will go down with it.
Did Senator Fred Thompson make the “Fair Tax” the centerpiece of his campaign?
(original comment) ...if the House and Senate pass the 'Fair Tax' bill do you feel right now that you would sign it?' Thompson replies to the question by saying, 'Yeah, absolutely.'"
This is far different than promising to sign some pledge by the Fair Tax lobbying group. The first item is asked on how Thompson would handle legislation, the latter is a question on if he would sign a specific pledge by this group...
Can you imagine how bad Hillary would look on a stage with Fred, the man is 6 foot and 6 inches. She would look like a little kid. LOL
Why not run Shaq for prez? He’s taller than Fred.;^)
It is highly doubtful Thompson’s “yeah, absolutely” was in response to the FairTax question. The video looked like a fishy edit job to me from the start.
The FairTaxers are responsible for the DNC newsletter. To me they are nothing more than “prebate reprobates”.
Hillary did this before she announced she was running for Senator of New York State. She called it, "her listening tour." The listening tour did not fall under the rules of campaign finance as she had not announced. It also gave her cover to not answer questions from the media.
Perhaps the DNC would be so kind to inform Hillary of this and admonish her also.
Too soon, too over the top, too shrill and mean. They’ve overplayed their hand.
"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
How you Paulestinians doing? If heckling becomes an Olympic sport, all four of you should try out...
I have to agree, it really seems the DNC and the left liberal media are focusing the majority of their attacks on Fred, trying to discourage his run.
He’s the only real threat they face.
He’s obviously not. He’s smart to disclaim that position.
Two different camera shots are edited together between the question and the answer, and Thompson isn’t even looking at the guy who asks the question when he said “yeah, absolutely.”
If this group wants to release a continuous unedited video of the exchange, then maybe we’ve got something. Otherwise, it should be filed away next to Michael Moore.
If you watch the supposed pledge, the way it is edited, I doubt if Fred even understood the question. There is just something that is not right.
It is kind of weird that when the guy is asking the question it looks like he is all alone, and then when Fred answers the guy is in a crowd. Just something was not right with it. Regardless, I doubt Fred even understood the question. He was just walking by greeting people.
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