Forget the rhetoric, would you trust this "man" to run the free world?
Posted on 11/23/2007 3:14:49 PM PST by ansel12
BRISTOL, N.H. (AP) — Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said Friday that New York City isn't a model for the rest of the country and that Rudy Giuliani should stop basing his stances on his time as that city's mayor.
Thompson, campaigning at a New Hampshire gun store with stuffed moose and deer overhead, told reporters that Giuliani too often turns to his time as New York mayor to explain his support for stronger gun restrictions.
"He relates everything to New York City. Well, New York City is not emblematic of the rest of the country, I don't think. I think the sentiments of those people in the rest of the country are in support of the Second Amendment — which is where I've always been and I don't think he's ever been," Thompson said.
The former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor badly trails Giuliani in New Hampshire polls, in part because Thompson has spent so little time in the state. On Friday, he planned to attend a town hall-style meeting at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall.
Thompson is trying to show differences between himself and Giuliani, who trails former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain in the latest CNN-WMUR-TV poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Giuliani polls at 16 percent, far short of Romney's 33 percent support.
Thompson, who fares relatively well in national polls, posted only 4 percent support.
Gun rights is a key issue among libertarian-leaning primary voters in New Hampshire.
"(Giuliani) simply supported just about every gun control legislation that came down the pike. I just disagree with him on that," Thompson said. "I saw he was at bill signing ceremonies with (New York Sen.) Chuck Schumer and President Clinton and others for gun control legislation over the years. Of course, he's not as outspoken about it any more."
Thompson, however, is.
"I used to have my own skeet shoot," Thompson boasted as he wandered through the gun shop and bought his children gifts. "Some of my opponents, you know, have a bad record or no records. I have a solid record. ... I'm not embarrassed to remind anybody of it."
A Giuliani spokeswoman said Thompson should be careful with his rhetoric.
"Coming from a man who lives in the Beltway, who is a Washington insider and lobbyist and who played the role Rudy Giuliani actually lived on a television series, I am not sure what to make of the senator's comments, except to say results are results," Katie Levinson said.
"Time and again as U.S. attorney, the third-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department and as mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani delivered, and no amount of political posturing will change that," she said.
Thompson also said the Democrats would do everything they could to end gun rights.
"They were against gun rights for a long time and they paid for it at the polls," he said. "I don't think Americans think taking guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens makes for a safer America. Just the opposite."
Excellent observation on Thompson’s part. Americans outside of NYC agree with him.
Rudy's basically running on two things: his success in reducing the NYC crime rate, and his performance in response to the 9/11 attacks. While I applaud him for both, his stances on abortion, gun rights, homosexual marriage, and illegal immigration make him anathema to many on the right.
A weak response from Rootys spokesperson
NYC in many ways is not even part of the US. Might as well be a foreign country.
Thompson motivation hard to pinpoint
Politico | 11/23/2007 | Jonathan Martin
"(excerpt) After a long-awaited and overly hyped debut, Thompson endured a gaffe-prone first few weeks. After suffering through lampooning so severe that it even broke through the pop culture bubble via "Saturday Night Live," Thompson has sought to bounce back by focusing on his true passion: policy and ideas. ... Even his own aides and advisers acknowledge privately that there are days when he seems disinterested in running for president at all. ... But just what sort of factor Thompson will be is as difficult to figure out as the motivations, work habits and true ambitions of the candidate himself. “It’s getting a little late for Thompson, who may have squandered an almost unprecedented opportunity,” said American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene."
Rudy Giuliani’s spokesperson ought to do a little research: Fred Thompson was also a United States Attorney (in Tennessee) and didn’t just play one on TV!!
The fact that Giuliani and Romney are both gun-grabbers is beyond arguing about.
Plus his spokesman is being less than candid about Thompson's record as an attorney.
He was a highly effective attorney litigating AGAINST the powers that be - particularly in a high profile whistleblower case.
Rudy is a little too enamoured of government power in general (including prosecutorial power) to be a fave of mine.
Forget the rhetoric, would you trust this "man" to run the free world?
Fred is not power hungry, so he isn’t interested eh?
I find his no nonsense approach refreshing.
Fred is running for America, not for power.
Fred is not business as usual
She didnt know what to say so she got snarky.
It will bite Rooty on the ass
dano1—
Here’s some Mike Huckabee facts, right back at ya!!
Mike Huckabee disses Americans, Mexicans, promotes illegal immigration
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/005609.html
Christians Need To Beware Of Mike Huckabee
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20071102.html
While Gov. of Arkansas, Huckabee was AGAINST proving citizenship in
order to register to vote. He called those who were in favor of this
“racists”..
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050218/news_lz1e18perkins.html
Huckabee fought hard to kill an Arkansas bill which would have cut off
social services for illegal aliens. Huckabee called the bill,
“anti-Christian” and “un-American”...
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html
Huckabee supported in-state tuition for illegal aliens...
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/03/11/News/318458.html
Huckabee’s opposition to the illegal aliens bill:
http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/000718.html
I guess that post means that we all need to start paying more attention to your Huckabee threads.
I hope that we all can rise up to the challenge.
I don’t agree with Rudy that gun control had anything to do with NY’s declining crime rate. His tough policing practices did.
“I don’t agree with Rudy that gun control had anything to do with NY’s declining crime rate. “
Since that is his belief, I would like to see how he applies that to the city of Washington DC.
Is that the most significant comment that you can muster? Weak, very weak.
I like Fred a lot. I’d vote for him in the primary if he’d just stop picking his nose on camera.
“Rudy’s spokesman’s response never addressed gun rights.”
Imagine that!! I’m shocked. /sarc
What a stupid thing to say. Tells us more about you than it does about Fred.
Oh Dano.
I had such high hopes for you. While you were shilling like mad for that RINO Huckabee I was pleased you were at least not acting like a Mittwitt...
Ah, tis not to be I fear..
So let me help out like I try and do for them.
This is a CONSERVATIVE website, the nmber one on the Internet. For details on what a Conservitive looks like see either Fred Thompson or Duncan Hunter’s website.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.