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Fred Thompson: Al Qaeda smoking ban pushed Iraqis to U.S.
NY DAILY NEWS ^ | September 8th 2007 | RICHARD SISK

Posted on 09/09/2007 8:52:35 PM PDT by EternalVigilance

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Freshly minted GOP White House hopeful Fred Thompson puzzled Iowans yesterday by insisting an Al Qaeda smoking ban was one reason freedom-loving Iraqis bolted to the U.S. side.

"They said, 'You gotta quit smoking,'" Thompson explained to a questioner asking about progress in Iraq during a town hall-style meeting.

Thompson said the smoking ban and terror tactics Al Qaeda used to oppress women and intimidate local leaders pushed tribes in western Anbar Province to support U.S. troops.

But Thompson's tale of a smokers' revolt baffled some in the audience of about 150 who came to decide whether the former Tennessee senator is ready for prime time.

"I don't know what that was about," said Jim Moran, 72, who had driven from nearby McCook Lake, S.D.

Iowans, several of whom told the Daily News they were intrigued by Thompson's down-home charm, got their first extended chance to press for details of his broad theme of "common-sense conservatism."

On abortion, Thompson said he would appoint judges in favor of overturning Roe vs. Wade but had reservations about a constitutional amendment banning it.

He also said he'd finish a wall along the Mexican border to stop illegal immigration: "We get to decide who comes into our home."

Thompson said "things are turning around" in Iraq and that troop reductions should not be linked to some "arbitrary time line."

His cue to stop talking came from 4-year-old daughter Hayden, who came on stage with a bow in her hair to tug on Thompson's pants leg - drawing "oohs" from the audience.

Thompson received mixed reviews from several listeners who had reservations about his late entry into the race.

Carol Perrin, 62, a retired schoolteacher, said, "I was impressed. I don't think he's selling us a bill of goods."

But Ralph Hecht, 61, a farmer and Marine Vietnam veteran whose son served two tours in Iraq with the Army, said Thompson's attempts at folksy appeal wouldn't work with him. "For me, it will be the issues stuff," Hecht said.

rsisk@nydailynews.com


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: fredthompson; iraq; rocketscientist; smoking; thompson
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1 posted on 09/09/2007 8:52:38 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: EternalVigilance

Seriously?

The Al Qaeda nutz continue to sound like Democrats. Amazing!


2 posted on 09/09/2007 8:54:20 PM PDT by Loud Mime (The Democrats next target for "resignation" is General David Petraeus! Air America started 8-28)
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To: Loud Mime

Hitler banned smoking as well.

It’s true though, one of the things that has helped our efforts is the attempted smoking ban by Al Qaeda.


3 posted on 09/09/2007 8:57:13 PM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (John Cox 2008: Because Duncan Hunter just isn't obscure enough for me!)
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To: EternalVigilance

People were puzzled by Thompson’s reference to smoking because PC forbids ever mentioning that smoking is pleasurable. And his suggestion that banning smoking is TYRANNICAL is as un-PC as you can get.


4 posted on 09/09/2007 8:58:02 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: EternalVigilance

Fredophobic Hit Piece.


5 posted on 09/09/2007 8:58:35 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Nothing is better than eternal happiness. A ham sandwich is better than nothing. Therefore...)
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To: EternalVigilance

The sentence about smoking sounds like an aside, yet the news article makes it appear as if Fred is a whacko, doesn’t it?

They are SOOOO scared of the Fred. It’s hilarious. ;-)


6 posted on 09/09/2007 9:00:05 PM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --Soccer Mom, Bible Thumper and Proud to be an American! RUN, FRED, RUN!!!)
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To: All

Links the ‘journalist’ was too lazy to google:

http://wizbangblog.com/


7 posted on 09/09/2007 9:01:00 PM PDT by AliVeritas (What have you done for America today? Elder Hunter)
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To: EternalVigilance

Thompson is absolutely correct. This link is toa June CNN story discussing Al Qeada amputating fingers and hands to enforce a smoking ban, and alienating Iraqis in the process.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/06/07/penhaul.iraq/index.html?eref=rss_topstories


8 posted on 09/09/2007 9:01:08 PM PDT by Williams
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To: EternalVigilance

A lot of people who laughed at this story on first blush ended up eating their giggles on further review.


9 posted on 09/09/2007 9:03:03 PM PDT by Petronski (Cleveland Indians: Pennant -14)
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To: Petronski

You may notice I’ve made no comment. Well, at least until now. :-)


10 posted on 09/09/2007 9:03:53 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (You want to strain gnats. I want to discuss that camel you're swallowing...)
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To: EternalVigilance

It’s a honey trap. I expect the Willardians will have the sweet tooth.


11 posted on 09/09/2007 9:06:15 PM PDT by Petronski (Cleveland Indians: Pennant -14)
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To: Williams
My brother was in Iraq with the 2nd Marine back in Desert Storm.

Brought back some Iraqi cigarettes.

Had a picture of a guy with a mustache on the paper used to hold the "pack" together, the cigarettes themselves looked like marijuana joints.

I knew then that these people were about 100 years behind us.

12 posted on 09/09/2007 9:08:00 PM PDT by Rome2000 (Peace is not an option)
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To: Williams

Just forwarded your link to Drudge’s tip line—good catch!!


13 posted on 09/09/2007 9:10:13 PM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --Soccer Mom, Bible Thumper and Proud to be an American! RUN, FRED, RUN!!!)
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To: EternalVigilance

Where’s that old Terryton Commercial when ya need it? “I’d rather fight al Qaeda than Quit!


14 posted on 09/09/2007 9:11:52 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: EternalVigilance

Seeing that confirmed smokers are almost completely unable to quit, threatening them with violence if they don’t quit is likely to make them a little cross, it would seem.


15 posted on 09/09/2007 9:12:39 PM PDT by Lucius Cornelius Sulla (IF TREASON IS THE QUESTION, THEN MOVEON.ORG IS THE ANSWER!)
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To: EternalVigilance

He is absolutely right. The smoking ban was a very important factor of the Sunni Arab revolt against Al Qaeda terrorists. It is much worse than making an alcohol ban in the US. Think what will happen if alcohol prohibition is now back in the US, there will be a new revolution, the smoking ban had 10 times the effect in Iraq.


16 posted on 09/09/2007 9:12:48 PM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush)
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To: AliVeritas
Thanks for the link. This may turn out to be a "FRed, you magnificent bast*rd" moment. :)

Security.Unity.Prosperity
The Power of FRed tm

17 posted on 09/09/2007 9:17:21 PM PDT by papasmurf (I'm for Free, Fair, and Open trade. America needs to stand by it's true Friend. Israel.)
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To: Petronski
On abortion, Thompson said he would appoint judges in favor of overturning Roe vs. Wade but had reservations about a constitutional amendment banning it.

I have three questions about this part, though:

1) Does he believe that unborn children are persons, and therefore deserving of protection in America under the Fourteenth Amendment. [Which even Justice Blackmun admitted in his majority decision in Roe would be the case if babies were persons.]

2) Does he want to keep the Reagan pro-life platform in place that makes that most important of claims.

3) Does he still consider the Reagan platform useless and "divisive," as he did when Bob Dole was running?

U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson says he seldom hears about abortion in campaign travels throughout Tennessee and hopes the issue is downplayed at the Republican National Convention. The Tennessee Republican, a pro-choice defender in a party with an anti-abortion tilt, is preparing for next week's convention in San Diego. He said the party must avoid distracting issues and focus on electing Bob Dole as president. "We need to concentrate on what brings us together and not what divides us," Thompson said in an interview with The Tennessean published Tuesday. Thompson said he opposes making early-term abortions a crime, as some Republicans would like to do with a constitutional amendment. "But I don't think you should bolt on one issue. I'm still not convinced platforms are a good idea. We know what we believe in and I don't think we need to write it all down in a document," Thompson said. (AP, 8/6/96)

18 posted on 09/09/2007 9:26:52 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (You want to strain gnats. I want to discuss that camel you're swallowing...)
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To: Petronski

An additional source on that:

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/192754.aspx


19 posted on 09/09/2007 9:27:37 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (You want to strain gnats. I want to discuss that camel you're swallowing...)
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To: EternalVigilance

If the only evidence you have that Thompson is pro-choice is the judgement of an AP writer 11 years ago, I remain dubious. As to a reason to not support a Constitutional Amendment to outlaw abortion, this was one of two competing ideas at the time, the other one being passing an Amendment to reverse Roe vs. Wade and return the issue to the states. In any case he was speaking as a Dole supporter just before the convention, and could not oppose the Dole line of ‘make no waves’ at the convention.


20 posted on 09/09/2007 9:36:23 PM PDT by Lucius Cornelius Sulla (IF TREASON IS THE QUESTION, THEN MOVEON.ORG IS THE ANSWER!)
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