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For Thompson, Delay Is Costly [Money, Support Head To Declared Candidates.....]
WSJ.COM ^

Posted on 04/08/2007 7:04:41 PM PDT by Sub-Driver

For Thompson, Delay Is Costly Money, Support Head To Declared Candidates In Run for White House By CHRISTOPHER COOPER April 9, 2007

WASHINGTON -- If Fred Thompson decides to run for president, he will have some powerful supporters: The self-described "Tennessee Mafia," a group of Republican politicians from his home state well-versed in the craft of national campaigns. What the actor and former senator may lack is the financial juice that fired the group for more than a quarter century, driving local and national campaigns with astonishing amounts of cash.

"Mafia" members include Howard Baker, a former Republican senator, ambassador and White House chief of staff, who himself ran for president in 1980; Sen. Lamar Alexander, a former two-term Tennessee governor who ran for president in 1996 and 2000; and Bill Frist, the former Senate Republican majority leader, who considered, then rejected his own run for the White House for 2008.

Egged on by a campaign to draft him and buoyed by polls that suggest he would be a serious contender even though he hasn't declared, the conservative and blunt-spoken Mr. Thompson has said he is considering jumping in and may make a decision as early as next month. But in a presidential campaign that is likely to be the most expensive yet -- three candidates have already banked over $20 million in donations -- dithering would seem to be a liability.

Mr. Thompson's deliberations have already cost him a natural ally. Ted Welch, a wealthy Nashville businessman with an uncanny knack for raising political cash, has long been the go-to guy for Republicans seeking the highest office.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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To: FredHunter08

So now he may be running for POTUS and is flip-flopping like ROmney? At least Rudy isn’t trying to pretend he never had a position opposite the far right wing of the GOP before he decided to run. I may not like his position but at least he isn’t fliping just to get elected.... if he is elected. Fred is also open borders, another position I’m not fond of in either candidate.


61 posted on 04/08/2007 8:58:56 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: Arizona Carolyn
http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp?BlogID=6017
62 posted on 04/08/2007 9:00:02 PM PDT by FredHunter08 (Guiliani! Come and Take Them!)
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To: lesser_satan

His Law and Order fame will certainly help.


63 posted on 04/08/2007 9:01:03 PM PDT by rwfromkansas (http://xanga.com/rwfromkansas)
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To: Arizona Carolyn
“So now he may be running for POTUS and is flip-flopping like ROmney? “

If he did “flip”, he did it in the mid-90s, not last week like Mitt.

“Fred is also open borders, another position I’m not fond of in either candidate.”

Is he?

64 posted on 04/08/2007 9:01:22 PM PDT by FredHunter08 (Guiliani! Come and Take Them!)
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To: FredHunter08

Well, I don’t know about you, but Romney accusing Thompson of previously being pro-choice is pretty amusing... since Romney’s record isn’t exactly clean in that regard.


65 posted on 04/08/2007 9:02:03 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: frannie
I have decided I will give only to candidates, not any party.

Bump to you frannie.

I'll never give a dime to the RNC or any other national political organization.

But I will give to candidates whose views most closely parallel mine. And it's looking more and more like that's gonna be Fred Thompson.

66 posted on 04/08/2007 9:02:16 PM PDT by upchuck (A living, breathing example of the Peter Principle. Oh, forgetful, too :)
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To: FredHunter08
Someone posted his entire record on issues here a couple of weeks ago... I may have saved it, if so I’ll link it for you. No one running is strong on borders.... except Hunter and he is only an asterisk.
67 posted on 04/08/2007 9:03:58 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn
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To: Sub-Driver

I’m saving my money. Letting it draw a little interest.


68 posted on 04/08/2007 9:06:10 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: Arizona Carolyn

And yet..

Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)


69 posted on 04/08/2007 9:06:57 PM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: Arizona Carolyn

“No one running is strong on borders.... except Hunter and he is only an asterisk.”

Not even Tancredo?

Thompson on immigration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQLFfTd2l44


70 posted on 04/08/2007 9:08:35 PM PDT by FredHunter08 (Guiliani! Come and Take Them!)
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To: traderrob6
He is indeed full of it.

The so-called ‘Tennessee Mafia’ is a deliberate smear on reputable people. Baker and other Tennesseans including FDT have a long history of fighting corruption. They are hardly the types that strong arm and extort.

The entire article is a slander on FDT and the political team that is forming behind him.

I won’t be reading the WSJ in the future.

71 posted on 04/08/2007 9:08:48 PM PDT by Hostage (Fred Thompson will be President.)
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To: Mensius

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sagvVMfAUa4&NR=1
“Fred on the issues”


72 posted on 04/08/2007 9:09:49 PM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX (Bible Thumper and Proud!))
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To: Howlin

He’s also being questioned by the Rudybots. For the very things Rudy is 100 times WORSE about!


73 posted on 04/08/2007 9:26:30 PM PDT by RockinRight (Support FREDeralism. Fred Thompson in 2008!)
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To: oceanview
“he didn’t even serve two full senate terms”.

You mean like Hillary and Obama?

74 posted on 04/08/2007 9:27:52 PM PDT by RockinRight (Support FREDeralism. Fred Thompson in 2008!)
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To: Arizona Carolyn
He never said that - it was incorrect information in a 1994 National Review article.
75 posted on 04/08/2007 9:28:43 PM PDT by RockinRight (Support FREDeralism. Fred Thompson in 2008!)
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To: Arizona Carolyn

Show me the quote.

Can you?

Or are you quoting the national review story that calls him and his foe pro choice?

And ignoring that he was endorsed by a pro life group that election?
And he has a solid pro life voting record?
And that NARAL gave him an F?

And don’t forget his opponent in that election, who was called ‘pro choice’, also went to congress as a member of the house, where he has only a 30% rating from naral.


76 posted on 04/08/2007 9:28:50 PM PDT by flashbunny (<--- Free Anti-Rino graphics! See Rudy the Rino get exposed as a liberal with his own words!)
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To: Arizona Carolyn

Fred could improve on borders, but he got a better rating from some anti-illegal organization (can’t recall which) better than everyone except Tancredo and Hunter, who are BOTH asterisks.


77 posted on 04/08/2007 9:30:32 PM PDT by RockinRight (Support FREDeralism. Fred Thompson in 2008!)
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To: Sub-Driver; jellybean; Howlin; SE Mom
My only objection is the use of the term "mafia" to describe this group.
Having lived through the days of the "Dixie Mafia" with the BCCC scandal, the Arkansas connections, and the Carter dis-administration, it has severe negative connotations.
Lets back off using it, and find another term to describe this group, eh?
78 posted on 04/08/2007 9:42:25 PM PDT by concretebob (I'm NOT pro-war, I'm ANTI - TERRORIST)
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To: Sub-Driver; jellybean; Howlin; SE Mom

I could have phrased that better. I wasn’t implying anyone here used the term mafia.


79 posted on 04/08/2007 9:45:30 PM PDT by concretebob (I'm NOT pro-war, I'm ANTI - TERRORIST)
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To: lesser_satan

You bet


80 posted on 04/08/2007 9:48:42 PM PDT by Stayfree (**********straight from the horse's mouth at www.CapitolHillComedy.tumblr.com)
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