Posted on 08/03/2007 6:41:41 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It took a while, but Republican Fred Thompson’s opening report on his fundraising for his presidential exploratory campaign committee is providing the first glimpse of the prominent early supporters of his still-unofficial White House bid.
Thompson’s report — filed with the Internal Revenue Service, with which he registered his “testing the waters” committee, rather than the Federal Election Commission (FEC) — showed that he raised $3.46 million and spent $626,000 between the committee’s incorporation on June 4 and the end of that month.
Thompson’s report is studded with contributions from prominent business leaders and politicians in his home state of Tennessee, which he represented in the Senate from late 1994 to early 2003.
His backers include Howard Baker, who represented Tennessee in the Senate from 1967 to 1985, was the chamber’s majority leader for the final four years of his tenure, and later served as chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan. Thompson was a staff lawyer on the Senate committee, on which Baker was a member, that investigated the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, and later was elected to the Senate seat that Baker once held.
One contribution from a familiar but non-political figure with Tennessee ties came from Peyton Manning, the current star quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, who played football at the University of Tennessee.
Thompson’s campaign money report is a bit out of sync with the other 2008 presidential contenders, whose donor lists CQPolitics.com analyzed in articles on the major Democratic and Republican candidates for president in 2008.
While Thompson — well-known as an actor on the NBC series “Law and Order” — is widely regarded as potentially a major factor in the contest for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, he has not yet registered a candidacy with the FEC. So, unlike all of the other contenders, he did not have to meet the FEC’s July 15 deadline to report on campaign finance activities through June 30, the end of the year’s second quarter.
Thompson instead organized his exploratory committee as a political organization governed under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code. His deadline to file was Tuesday, the last day of July.
The following notable donors to Thompson’s early effort are listed below in alphabetical order.
• Howard H. Baker, senior counsel at Baker Donelson and a former U.S. senator from Tennessee (1967-85) who served as majority leader (1981-85): $2,300
• David N. Bossie, president of Citizens United and a former chief investigator for Indiana Rep. Dan Burton during campaign finance probes of President Bill Clinton: $2,300
• Stephen Brophy, chief of staff to Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn: $1,000
• Alfonse M. D’Amato, founder of Park Strategies and a former U.S. senator from New York (1981-99): $2,300
• John M. Dowd, partner at Akin Gump: $2,300
• Douglas J. Feith, professor at Georgetown University and a former undersecretary of Defense: $2,300
• Beth Harwell, a Tennessee state representative and a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party: $2,300
• James A. Haslam II, president and chief executive officer of Pilot Travel Centers: $2,300
• James A. Haslam III, chairman of Pilot Corporation: $2,300
• William E. Haslam, mayor of Knoxville, Tenn.: $2,300
• Rachel Jones Hensler, vice president and lobbyist at The Nickles Group and a former Thompson aide: $2,300
• Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts professional football team, which won the 2007 Super Bowl, and a former star with University of Tennessee: $2,300
• Bruce W. Sanford, partner at Baker Hostetler: $1,000
• Eugene Volokh, law professor at UCLA: $750
You forgot “lazy”.
No kidding? I wonder why? What a stupid excuse for a story.
( Who is America’s George Galloway?) Dick Durbin? Dennis Kucinich? Ted Kennedy? John Kerry? All the above?
Better than a strong NYCity tinge.
These are all Eastern Tennessee Smoky Mountain types. Just wait til he starts raising money in his hometurf of Middle Tennessee. He’ll be rollin’ in dough by the time he reaches Memphis.
There’s probably $10 to $20 grand sitting here on FR just waiting to go as soon as Thompson finally *poops* and gets off the pot.
as I've said, I will support Mitt if I have too.....even put a sign out by my mailbox which should make the Mormon neighbors happy.....
Hold your cash until the first new episode of L&O. That will be the sign...
Until then just relax.
The “dud” “non-candidate” isn’t it...
I would really like to see Fred Smith (Fed Ex) dump McCain and move his support to Fred.
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