Posted on 11/04/2007 8:05:20 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Fred Thompson Defends Campaign Adviser With Criminal Record
Sunday , November 04, 2007
Fred Thompson said Sunday that he wishes he had known earlier that one of his key presidential campaign advisers pleaded guilty to drug charges but he still thinks Phil Martin is "a good man."
Martin, a businessman who has lent Thompson his Cessna to fly around the country, is one of four campaign co-chairman for the '08 Republican candidate. The Washington Post reports Sunday that Martin also posted a guilty plea in 1979 for selling 11 pounds of marijuana and a no contest plea in 1983 for cocaine trafficking and conspiracy.
Judgment was withheld on the first plea while Martin served out probation. The 1983 charges, along with a felony bookmaking charge, came while he was still serving that probation. Martin's probation was extended and he served no jail time.
Thompson, who's not the first candidate this year to be linked to a donor with a criminal past, seemed to brush off the news.
"You are talking about something that happened in his life, I guess, 25 years ago ... when he was in his 20s," Thompson said. "I wish I had known about it a little bit earlier. Phil, I am sure, knows that he should have told me about this. That he thought (it) was over and done with and forgotten about I am sure. But of course nothing is ever over and done with and forgotten about in this business."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I saw him on Meet the Press and was pretty impressed by the way he handled himself. While I had written him off a while ago...after seeing him this morning...its time to reconsider Fred. For now, I’m still firmly in the Anybody but JulieAnnie camp.
Please mention a few things specific to Thompson what would make you include him in that group. I hope you realize Ronald Reagon wouldn’t have passed your limiting factors. He was an actor.
Glad you posted this. It shows the quality of Fred’s character in not abandoning a friend because of his youthful past. Question is, do we trust that Fred’s discernment of his friend is accurate? If he is being mislead and his friend is still into criminal activity, to bad for Fred because he will be tarred with that friend’s wrongs. If Fred is knowledgable of such criminality then he doesn’t need to be elected to run as the Republican candidate (I seriously doubt this possibility!). If the friend has rehabilitated himself, Fred is right to deflect this sty digging by the media, but should caution his friend and all campaign workers that their pasts will be found out during this opposition to the Rodham-rodent slime machine. Before this is over, if Fred gets the nomination, the slimey clinton goons could sink to trying to smear Fred more condom misuse while he was single. NOTHING of lowness is below the bellies of the clintons and their slugs.
That is where are thoughts depart. And this tidbit is not trivial. It is historic.
‘er ya go!
“How is that possible? Did he give evidence against his co-conspirators?”
If you know something about him share it, I didn’t even know that he had co-conspirators.
I didn’t hear of him until this morning.
Not a clue. But how else do you explain so many felony charges and only getting probation?
I think there’s more to come on this story. The MSM may be purposely letting evidence out slowly to maximize the smear effect.
“Question is, do we trust that Fred’s discernment of his friend is accurate? If he is being mislead and his friend is still into criminal activity, to bad for Fred because he will be tarred with that friend’s wrongs.”
When I watched the interview, what I heard from Fred is that he only learned about this last night and that he would have to meet with his friend personally and then figure out what needs to be done.
Fred Thompson: “I’m not going to throw my friend under the bus for something he did, you know, 25 years ago if he’s OK now. On the other hand, I’m running for president, I—I’ve got, you know, to, to do the right thing, you know, and problems occur, and I’ll just have to figure it out.”
Of course deflecting the media from the possible Hillary lesbian affair with an aide couldn’t be reason for this ‘article’.
That’s character with a capital C. Integrity, honesty, all those virtues in short supply as far as dems are concerned.
I didn’t see the joke either, maybe you should try LOL or :) after your ‘humor’.
It could be.
Or it could be that both stories have more to come.
Time will tell.
How about him being much more of a moderate than conservative?
How about him splitting his vote on BJC’s impeachment?
How about my three things I want as POTUSA?
1) Morals, he compromises on the murder of the most helpless.
2) Make America stronger, doubtful!
3) Help Americans be more self reliant, ? in my mind.
“Not a clue. But how else do you explain so many felony charges and only getting probation?
I think there’s more to come on this story. The MSM may be purposely letting evidence out slowly to maximize the smear effect.”
All possible, but I really have no idea. This is one of those things that I will just have to see what,if anything, evolves next week.
I thought Fred’s gut response was beautiful though, it was consistent with the most glowing descriptions of his steadiness and his refusal to have an instant reaction to everything, it also showed that his first instinct is grace and loyalty.
Fred’s response was well done.
Fred’s friend should have known better than to keep something like this to himself.
>>>I think there’s more to come on this story.
Purely historically speaking, the Iran Contra affair was between, 1983-1988.
Yes, but the vote isn't for a year. I'm reading and taking into account your posts.
There are a few pings you gave me in two threads that I'm mulling over still. We have time before we all vote. :)
bump
Fred claims to know Martin, and trust Martin, but he apparently did not know his friend’s history. Given the importance of the position Thompson is campaigning for, he may wish to dig more deeply into the background of people offering him favors. I am not as ready to absolve Martin as Fred is. My first ready of Martin is that he sounds like a man who has made a career out of ingratiating himself to people with money or power.
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