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Posted on 12/21/2007 10:46:15 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Like the bread in the bakery he visited, Fred Thompson insists his numbers are on the rise.
He blanched at suggestions Friday that he's among a pack of candidates hovering at around 10 percent and fighting for third-place support in Iowa.
Since the numbers were collected, Thompson has taken on an ambitious bus tour, including Friday's stop in Spencer. A tough on illegal immigration candidate has dropped out of the race and he's secured the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Steve King, the congressman serving the conservative-leaning western third of Iowa.
King accompanied Thompson on his campaign stop.
"I looked at all of these candidates, met with them in private and I asked them where they stand and what they believe in -- what do they understand about the constitution, what's their sense of America's destiny and how they're going to take us there," King said. "Will they make appointments to the Supreme Court that will defend innocent human life and marriage and will they defend our borders and our national sovereignty? When I came down to the end, there was only one man who I have confidence in doing that."
The occasional actor and former U.S. Senator from Tennessee had some coffee at Carroll's Bakery & Deli and talked about the course of the campaign:
Q: Wait a day and it seems like the climate changes in the GOP race, so tell me how you feel things are going now that you've had a chance to hit the western side of Iowa a little bit.
A: I think things are focusing now. People are paying more attention. They're going to make up their minds -- the numbers indicate a lot of people haven't made up their mind yet and we like it like that. I'm traveling here with Congressman Steve King -- he's endorsing me -- and that means a lot with me. He's just the kind of guy I want to be associated with and he's campaigning hard for me. We're getting good crowds and a good response. A lot of the commentators are saying we're kind of the wild card in this thing. It's fluid. We're picking up and we're showing pretty good but we need to show better. By Jan. 3, I think we will.
Q: What do you think that difference will be from getting that "wild card" status switched over to people actually turning out and supporting you on caucus night?
A: I think just keep on doing what we're doing. I think it is a mistake for a candidate -- especially a candidate for president -- to tailor his message to the circumstances and tailor himself to the circumstances. You've got to stick with what you believe. I've been a strong, common-sense conservative ever since I stepped foot on the national political stage and that's where I am today. That's where I am tomorrow and that's where I'll always be. That's my message: Strong on national security, strong on illegal immigration, making our country free and prosperous and kind of like we've always been in the past. That's who I am. I know who I am and what I believe.
Q: You got in later than some of the other candidates -- kind of jumping in right around State Fair time -- now that you look back on that, are you happy with the timing? Do you think you have that timed well?
A: I do. I think the timing is good. I've seen others who have spent many millions of dollars and hired numerous, numerous people to go on their payroll. We're all in the same pack, it looks to me like. It's up for grabs. I think nowadays politicians are making a mistake if they drag out these campaigns forever and ever. With modern communications being what they are today, you've got a chance to get your message out there in a reasonable fashion. Go out there in a gent's way, do your work and get your message out just like we're doing. We're on a bus tour now that's going to touch and visit 50 towns in communities in this state. People have an opportunity to do that. I don't think it is necessary to have these multi-year, $100 million campaigns. That's not who I am or what I am about.
Q: You're at about 10 percent (referring to the CNN-Opinion Research Corp. poll, conducted Dec. 14-18, and ABC News-Washington Post poll conducted Dec. 13-17)...
A: (Disagreeing) Well, now... that's kind of old news... that's a little old.
Q: Where would you like to be at (on caucus night)?
A: I'd like to be where I was when I ran in 1994 and where I was when I ran in 1996 -- and that is No. 1. I got more votes than any politician in the history of the state of Tennessee. That's where I'm used to being. I've never lost an election. I'm not used to being back in the pack in any measurable sense -- except for when I started. I started behind when I was running for the Senate. I'm expecting to do well. That's all we're counting on.
Q: Would you like to talk about immigration a little bit? That's one of Congressman King's favorite topics and with Congressman Tancredo dropping out, some of those supporters will shift a little.
A: The executive director for Congressman Tancredo and the manager for him, Bill Salier (a former U.S. Senate candidate from Nora Springs) and Angie Weaver Anderson (recently of Peterson) two leaders of his campaign have endorsed me today. It will be a mixed thing as far as Tancredo (support) is concerned. Steve King is a leader in this area. He's a guy I consulted with when I was putting together my own illegal immigration (policy) ideas and my own plan to stop illegal immigration. We've got to enforce the law and secure the borders. It is just that simple -- and make sure employers do that and make sure that we do away with sanctuary cities and cut off federal funding to sanctuary cities that won't comply. It's not right for them to telling their own local officials that they can't cooperate with federal officials in enforcing the law in term of the illegal presence of people there. Those are the things that we need to do. It's a matter of fairness and it's a matter of national security. We've arrested several thousand people in this country who originated from state sponsors of terrorism. We can't afford that in the kind of world we live in today.
Q: (From Randy Cauthron) You've been with the film and television industry, been in politics and back to films and television (most recently as New York District Attorney Arthur Branch on the NBC show Law & Order) and now you're back. What made you decide to throw your hat back in again and get back into the political arena? You seem to be having quite a bit of success in the film and T.V. industry.
A: It wasn't a matter of a lack of success. I guarantee you that. But, you know, there's a big chunk of my life that doesn't have anything to do with either the film industry or politics. I wasn't involved in either one of them for most of my career. I was a federal prosecutor. I was a counselor in the Watergate Committee, all by the age of 30. I practiced law. The reason I got into the movie business was because I took on the case of a courageous woman who was chairman of the parole board and she blew the whistle on a corrupt governor. They were selling liquor licenses, pardons, paroles and things like that in the administration. He fired her, she came to me and we sued him. We won our lawsuit. They made a movie about all of that and I wound up playing myself in the movie. It was a movie called "Marie" with Sissy Spacek. Our trial was an important part of that. After that, I started getting an offer every once in awhile -- all the time while still practicing law. Of course then I got the T.V. show. But the reason that I stepped back up again, like I did in 1994, is because I'm concerned about the country that we live in and the country that our kids are going to grow up in. I've been blessed in a lot of ways, including recently two children -- one little girl, 4 and a little boy, 1, that I am dying to get back to tomorrow. We're going to celebrate Christmas together, then we're all coming back out here to celebrate New Year's in Iowa.
FRed bump!
Sounds to me like he feels he’s on the right track.
“FRed is getting some great press coverage by the local media-which is key in a caucus like Iowa’s.”
Hopefully, people in Iowa are reading the paper.
Are the local TV stations covering this as well?
I somehow doubt Senator Thompson "blanched" at this question.
Thanks a million for posting these Thompson stories from Iowa’s local papers. These on-the-ground Iowa editors and reporters are doing a better and more thorough job than many national reporters with their pre-written, cliched campaign scripts.
Thanks again, and keep them coming!
FRED VETS, SIGN UP TODAY AT:
I agree, thanks for any local info you can get for us, we all know its not coming through the MSM.
The more Fred gets locally the better off he is going to be. Thats where it counts.
Even with the little bits and pieces we get nationally, it appears Fred is on the right move.
Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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New polling data released today shows that Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney have the highest level of core opposition among the leading Presidential candidates. Forty-seven percent (47%) are poised to vote against each of them.
I have told people around here that the “Mormon thing” would be a bigger problem for Romney than they think.
(Oh, no, I am an evil hatemonger for pointing out reality!!)
Another reason not to support Myth Romney. I hope he doesn't win the GOP nomination for the same reason that I hope Hillary wins the Dims nod.
Bigot ;-)
But, but, but, he’s pretty and self funding!!!!
Yeah and he swears he’ll be a conservative, honest!
Fred in Ceder Rapids: 
I will be happy with a Thompson-Romney combo. With Rudy as attorney general to break some eggs there.
LOL! I wonder how the writer came to the conclusion that Thompson “Blanched”, it had to have been in his own mind. Thompson doesn’t blanch at anything except maybe the idea of the beast being President, which sends all normal people into shock.
Isn't it amazing how the DBM pushed for us three dysfunctional candidates, McCain, Rudy and Mitt. Although in the case of Mitt, I think the Mormon thingy-problem is really the voters fault.
And now they push the a fourth freak candidate, Huckabee.
LOVE the Fred.
I think it’s good he is telling that story of how he became an actor. He never pursued that career, usually pursued by people who seek adoration. He was a very successful prosecutor who helped that whistle-blower, and they decided, like they often do with cops and other officials, by the way, to have a REAL prosecutor “play” the role - the one who really did it.
And he looked so good on film that they wanted him for other serious roles that called for a presence.
GO, FRED! GO!
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