"Tenn. Sen . Thompson won't seek re-election"

dow jones news | 03/08/02 | dow jones

[ElRushbo]

"Tenn. Sen . Thompson won't seek re-election

[ElRushbo]

senator thompson will not run for reelection, tenn. big neg. , easy win to open contested seat

[Catspaw]

There were rumors he wouldn't run again, but he just announced it? I hope he helps the R candidate raise money, because it's a little late to be getting out of the race.

[codebreaker]

Dang, beat me by 2 minutes!

[doug from upland]

I don't like this. Unless we take the Senate back, they will stop all but liberal Supreme Court nominees.

[JMK]

VP running mate in '04 if Cheney decides not to run?

[aristeides]

I could have sworn I heard Thompson on C-SPAN a couple of months ago announcing that he was running for reelection, despite earlier doubts and largely because of 9/11. If it is true that he changed his mind after that public announcement, I wonder what made him do it.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

This is big news. I know he stopped fundraising after his daughter passed away last month. I wonder if her death was a factor in his decision.

[drc43]

Far as I am concerned, he mismanaged the China investigation (consistantly ceding ground to John Glenn) and was a disappointment during impeachment. Originally had high hopes for him.

[Rebelbase]

mmm....he definitly has the gravitas for the job.

[codebreaker]

You win the prize for saying it first!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee will not seek re-election, White House and Senate officials said Friday,

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Thompsom will serve out his term, which expires next January. One Republican Senate official said the lawyer and former actor was resigning for personal reasons dealing with his family.

Thompson's daughter, Elizabeth, died Jan. 20 from a brain injury following a heart attack. She was 38.

Asked by a reporter Friday if he planned to seek re-election, Thompson replied: "I have nothing to say about that now." He indicated there would be a statement later.

[Republican Wildcat]

This is indeed very bad news.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

07:52 PST (AP) -- Thompson, 59, had looked hard at announcing last year that he would retire from the Senate after only one term. But he announced two weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that he would seek re-election.

"Seeing all that happen and all those people looking for ways to contribute when I had one right here before me, in my lap, so to speak, it became obvious," Thompson said then. "Now is clearly not the time to leave."

Democrats now have a one-seat edge in the Senate. Three other Senate Republicans, Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, Phil Gramm of Texas and Jesse Helms of North Carolina, also have announced that this is their last year in office.

[mountaineer]

I think his daughter's death is a factor in his decision. That's a tough blow to deal with, and I imagine it's hard to think about politics at such a time.

[codebreaker]

How about Supreme Court?

[Wphile]

Oh man, this is a bummer. I feel terrible about his daughter - I had not heard that before. However, does the GOP have someone running in his place? Egads, what if Gore decides to run?

Calling on Tennessee freepers - what's the skinny out there?

[07055]

Is he up for re-election this year?

When is the primary? Who is running already?

[plain talk]

I agree. This is a case where you see so much potential for a plain speaking tell-it-like-it-is Senator (plain talk likes that) to kick some butt. And then he does so little. What a waste of good talent. Looks good in the movies. Maybe he'll go back.

[Catspaw]

It sounds like his daughter's death had something to do with it. He must be in anguish. Children are not supposed to die before their parents, so when a child is lost, the pain is indescribable.

[PaulJ]

Maybe heading back to Hollywood? TV series, perhaps?