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

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

[JDGreen123]

You summed it up correctly! If it were not for his money pals, Alexander would probably be a Democrat.

[Wphile]

Oh, I agree. I get a bit tired of the RNC selecting candidates and they definitely messed up with Riordan.

[YaYa123]

Yes, aristeides, Thompson announced he would run, but that was before his 38 year old daughter died in January. I suspect his heart is broken, sounds like his spirit might be as well. Who can blame him? Remember how John Glenn thwarted him on the Fund Raising Hearings.

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/03/05/campaign.finance/<

Here's a Thompson quote from the article:
"..."Thompson took note of some of the pitched battles between Republicans and Democrats during the hearings. "We could revisit all of those old wounds and heartaches, and throw some more stones at each other today if we choose to do so," he said. "But I'm hopeful that now we can put both of these reports before the American people and let them be judged in light of the record that they remember ... There are some pretty important things that we do agree on."

Thompson went to Washington thinking good would triumpth over evil. John Glenn showed him different.

[Theodore R.]

YaYal23, you are absolutely right here. Edmund Burke put it this way, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Well, Burke could have said "for good men to do little." If so, he could have been forecasting the future Fred Thompson. Did you notice how Thompson seemed to have more fire in the belly against Nixon in 1973 than he ever had with the Democrats and "hero" Glenn in 1997? It was really a silly, embarrassing performance by this physical giant of a man. Fred now knows that in a vacuum like he prefers, EVIL wins every time. Ask Judge Pickering for confirmation.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Having suffered the loss of a child, I can attest that it is a life-changing event. The rough, tough Teddy Roosevelt was devastated when his son was killed in World War I and he pretty much withdrew from active life and was dead within a year.

[afuturegovernor]

Who do you believe is not a Rino?

[floriduh voter]

What happened to his daughter? Shep Smith just gave that information on a laundry list of reasons why Thompson resigned. Sounds like he's suffering from grief and political burnout.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

U.S. SENATOR FRED THOMPSON'S DAUGHTER DIES

Fred Thompson's office says the US senator's daughter died Wednesday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Doctors say Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici died from a severe brain injury resulting from cardiac arrest. She was 38 years old.

Thompson's press secretary says Panici had been sick, but declined to give details. Thompson was in Nashville to be with his daughter at the time of her death.

In a statement, the senator said the family wanted to express their "gratitude to friends who have kept Betsy in their prayers."

Besides her father, Panici is survived by her mother, husband, son and brothers.

Visitation is planned Friday at Nashville's Woodlawn Funeral Home. Services are planned for Saturday at the Brentwood United Methodist Church.

[cva66snipe]

One thing Nashville has for it's size is 4 great hospitals.

Knoxville before Sundquist ruined our health care could make the same claim. Now even it's level 1 trauma hospital's care is questionable. I saw a bad medication reaction be missed by 2 attending E.R. doctors at two different hospitals and three more after admission to the second one. What's worse is I had to show the attending doctor a pharmacutical alert written by the hospitals teaching professor.

As for Sundquist IMHO he is headed for the HCFA or equivelent when his term expires in January. Look for this jerk to be put in charge of national health care issues policy making.

As for "Not Guilty" Fred that's fine with me he's sitting it out he needs to get out of office. A man who had earlier took on and helped bring down the most corrupt southern governor in the past century didn't even try in his committee hearings. His following Not Guilty vote was the last straw for me.

[tdadams]

Yes, she supported him back then like many of us did, but he pulled a bait and switch on us and became a liberal Democrat in all but name right after being reelected. It's a much different story for Don than it was in '94-'95. He was the hope of TN Republicans after beating Ned McWerter. But now, you'd be hard pressed to find any Republican willing to cross a room to shake his hand. In fact, many would head for the nearest exit rather than see the man.

And BTW, my earlier post to you on another thread was intended as humor. Sure would have been nice if you'd taken it that way instead of calling me names.

[SuziQ]

You reckon he's going back to acting? I LOVED his part in the movie 'Clear and Present Danger': "The Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan!"

DOH!! Shame on me! That wasn't C&PD, it was 'Hunt for Red October'!! Forty lashes with a wet noodle for me!! That's the only 'Clancy' movie I don't like watching in re-runs because I can't STAND Alec Baldwin; Harrison Ford was much better in the role of Jack Ryan. BTW does anyone know when they're going to release 'Sum of All Fears'? I think I read somewhere that Ben Affleck is going to take on the role of Jack Ryan in that one. I'm not sure I'd like that, but I'll have to see the movie, the book was GREAT! But who would play the young Mrs. Ryan?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Gore is staying away from it... period. He knows a loss in a Senate race pretty much dooms his political career forever.

Remember "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore?" Nixon said that after losing the CA governorship back in '62. Six years later he was accepting Hubert Humphrey's concession.

[wardaddy]

I thought Taxquist owned a car dealership?

[Theodore R.]

I am not from TN, but I thought Sundquist beat a non-incumbent in 1994. Didn't McWherter (Sp.)have to retire after two terms? Remember McWherther dated Ann Richards at one time.

[cva66snipe]

I thought Taxquist owned a car dealership?

I'm not sure on that one. I know McWherter governor before him owned a Peterbilt dealership.

[cva66snipe]

Actually though we do have some good Congressmen that should be in line for senate. Jimmy Duncan R-Knoxville & Zack Wamp R-Chattanooga come to mind as well as Bryant. Van Hilleary would have made a good one but we need a governor.

[Reagan Man]

And BTW, my earlier post to you on another thread was intended as humor. Sure would have been nice if you'd taken it that way instead of calling me names.

So that was you. Okay.

If you don't like to be called a "hayseed", don't refer to others as a "boy", as you did to me. Okay? Outright humor and appropriate sarcasm is one thing. IMO, your remark was out of line. Fair is fair.

BTW, I don't hold any grudges. Peace? =^)

[floriduh voter]

It sounds like his daughter had a sudden illness. Remember that Olympic pretty lady, there were two Joyners. The track star who painted her long nails died suddenly. Sounds like his daughter had a clot or blockage go through her heart that ended up in her brain from what I've read here. And, since everybody seems to be flaming me tonight, let me say that I am not a doctor and I don't play one on tv.

[cmotormac44]

i agree---he started out well but sure fell behind when the going got rough--he lost his cojones during the impeachment bit and never grew any back-- let him go back to acting since that is what most of them are , anyway

[calgradconservative]

Hmmm. I couldn't tell whether he was white or black. Not that it really matters, I am just curious. It seems mixed race people turn out to be very attractive people - look at Vanessa Williams or Mariah Carey. Ford seems like a handsome guy.

I think I read somewhere awhile back that Harold Ford, Jr.'s grandmother was/is white (don't know if she's still alive)-so that may explain it. I think he's quite handsome too, despite his liberal leanings. Too bad.