Fred Thompson: First Lobbyist for President

DickMorris.com ^ | 09/10/07 | Dick Morris

[The Watcher]

OH, and BTW, Dick Morris has no INSIDE information. It’s mostly just his spin and wordings.

[WildcatClan]

Don’t dare insinuate that I am somehow nescient and am spreading myths because it isn’t what you want to believe.

I would be glad if both of them were proven incorrect but you and I both know very well they haven’t been and that the opposite is true. You might rationalize or spin that he lobbied “a little bit” but one can’t “lobby a little bit” any more than one can be a little bit pregnant.

The truth is he did lobby for both of them and whatever hours he logged or didn’t log or if only one phone call was involved does not negate the fact that he did lobby for both of them. I even believed him when he said he didn’t lobby for the family planning group, but not only did he lobby for them ,he lied to us about it.

Our country is in desperate need of conservatives like you who have strayed into the camps of the those who would have us believe they are of us, for us, and, like us. I hope you find your way back.

regards,
SW

[Pistolshot]

IB4TZ

I think you are out of here.

[mnehring]

Don’t dare insinuate that I am somehow nescient and am spreading myths because it isn’t what you want to believe.

I didn't insinuate anything, and yes, both have been proven incorrect. The billing records for the 'abortion' group was posted here, and guess what, Thompson sat in on a few conference calls. Other members of the firm also confirmed that Thompson was only brought in to define specific legal points, not to lobby.

As for the Haiti issue, Thompson was hired to look into specific trade laws after the democratically elected government was overthrown in a military coup. He was brought in one day after the coup and long before Aristide's crimes were known. That, of course is a non sequitur as Thompson was brought in to discuss withholding trade from those who overthrew the government in a coup until a democratically elected government was brought back in.

Politicalmom, ping.. I know these have been gone over in great detail time and time again, do you have a link for some of this evidence so we don't keep going in circles over stuff disproven months ago?

[org.whodat]

I don't think Americans would want to vote for a lobbyist in a general election.

I don't think anybody with any sense reads and/or believes anyone made famous for sucking whores toes. Does something to one creditability!

[Paperdoll]

Well, you certainly got me there! I had no idea Reagan lobbied for GE. I knew he was president of the screen actor’s guild, and could have represented them in Washington. But to me that is not the same as being hired by an unrelated company to lobby the government for them.

[Neu Pragmatist]

You Hunters should really consider joining the Frederation , we need your help to stop Rudy, and win the nomination , so we can beat Hillary . We can’t do it if we are divided .

Please join us !

The Thompson Revolution is here , you in ?

[mnehring]

At the time, GE was closely tied with the film industry. I believe it was officially GE he was working for when he was lobbying for and later testifying on the Taft-Hartley Act.

[papasmurf]

Let me help you with your understanding of that word:

Lobbyist

Lobbying is a concerted effort designed to achieve some result, typically from government authorities and elected officials. It can consist of the outreach of legislative members, public actions (e.g. mass demonstrations, blog postings, letters to your representative, and even editorials), or combinations of both public and private actions (e.g. encouraging constituents to contact their legislative representatives, donating monies and/or efforts).

As a professional occupation it is also known as "government affairs" or "public affairs". Practitioners may work in specialist organizations or as part of government relations or as public relations consultancies.

In other words, you are a lobbyist, I am a lobbyist, as well as paid lobbyists. So, THIS 35 years of voting experience American would, very much, VOTE for a lobbyist.

Lobbying is protected under the 1st Amendment, the right to free speech.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

I thank God that lobbying is legal and honorable.

Prosperity. Unity. Security Fred Thompson'08

[Politicalmom]

I’d have to look some up.

I do know it was a single, unpaid phone call in the Aristide case.

Ping to super-sleuth Ellery for more information.

Also, Hunter voted in support of Aristide’s government, I do believe.

[stylin19a]

this article was past the stale date the day it was released.....

[WildcatClan]

The billing records from Arent Fox show that Mr. Thompson, who charged about $250 an hour, spoke 22 times with Judith DeSarno, who was then president of the family planning group. In addition, he lobbied “administration officials” for a total of 3.3 hours, the records show, although they do not specify which officials he met with or what was said. The billing records, along with meeting minutes from the association, show that Arent Fox was hired to help overturn the ban.

His involvement was token but not negligible. He did in fact lobby for them. He doesn’t strike me as being a poor man and I believe he had the resources to walk out on principle if he felt doing this went against his core beliefs. The lady who made the initial accusations, spoke with him 22 times and I just don’t believe he doesn’t recall that, unless Nixon was right about him.

Instead of being so arrogant and flippant why did he not just say, “yes, I did lobbied for them, although minimally”?

[papasmurf]

You’re right. GE owns NBC and NBC Univeral, and it’s subsidiaries, like PAX TV, Telemundo, Bravo, and the USA Network, and Sci Fi...just to name a few.

[Jotmo]

bttt

[mnehring]

..you are doing the same thing the NYT did, translating discussions as lobbying.

Here are the billing records. You’ll notice that there is no ‘lobbying’ line items listed. They support what Arent Fox said, this was for ‘Legal Services’ not Lobbying.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/THOMPSON_DOCS/thompson_records.pdf

(Note, don’t make the mistake of looking at the ‘timekeeper’ line item. If Thompson directly worked, it is listed in the ‘Professional Services’ column- the ‘timekeeper’ line item, according to Arent Fox was for whos office BU this came from, Thompson or any of his staffers could have been doing research, not a direct indicator of who was actually attending or did any work/research.)

[SuziQ]

I don't think Americans would want to vote for a lobbyist in a general election.

Why not? At least he's been working in the private sector. I'll take a conservative lobbyist over a socialist ANY time.

[jonathanmo]

"At the time, GE was closely tied with the film industry. I believe it was officially GE he was working for when he was lobbying for and later testifying on the Taft-Hartley Act"

That would be hard to do since Reagan testified in 1947 in front of HUAC and didn't host GE Theater until 1954.

Reagan never lobbied Congress for GE. He was GE's spokesman and toured plants and promoted GE products.

[Rick_Michael]

"This cartoon about the "disunited state" of the colonies helped Franklin show how important it was for the colonies to be united. There was a superstition that a snake which had been cut into pieces would come back to life if the pieces were put together before sunset."

[SuziQ]

Reagan was a lobbyist for the tobacco industry, GE, and the SAG.

*snort* Kinda blows THAT argument against Fred out of the water, don't it?

[mnehring]

That’s what I get for trying to go by memory, I thought he was already working for GE when he was nominated for his first SAG presidency in 47 (he was an alternate in 41).