Posted on 07/06/2007 5:33:23 PM PDT by new yorker 77
WASHINGTON (AP) - Fred Thompson, who is weighing a Republican presidential bid as a social conservative, "has no recollection" of performing lobbying work in 1991 for a family planning group that was seeking to relax an abortion counseling rule, a spokesman said Friday. The Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site that Thompson was retained by National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association to lobby the administration of President George H.W. Bush to ease a regulation that prevented clinics that received federal money from offering any abortion counseling.
At the time, Thompson, a lawyer, worked as a lobbyist at Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, a Washington firm.
"He may have been consulted by one of the firm's partners who represented this group in 1991," Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo said Friday in a statement. "As any lawyer would know, such consultations take place within law firms everyday."
The newspaper cited minutes from a meeting of the association when Thompson's work was discussed as well as the recollections of five individuals.
Judith DeSarno, the association's former president, told The Times that she had specific memories of discussing Thompson's lobbying work with him in phone conversations and during meals at Washington restaurants.
Minutes of a Sept. 14, 1991, meeting of the association, cited by the newspaper, states: "Judy (DeSarno) reported that the Association had hired Fred Thompson, Esq., as counsel to aid us in discussions with the administration." According to The Times, DeSarno said Thompson told her he discussed the abortion restriction with John Sununu, then chief of staff to Bush.
Sununu told The Times that he didn't recall Thompson ever discussing the abortion restriction with him. "In fact, I know that never happened."
"It is not unusual for one lawyer on one side of an issue to be asked to give advice to colleagues for clients who engage in conduct or activities with which they personally disagree," Corallo said.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
If true. He’s toast.
Did anyone NOT expect this?
The article shows no evidence that Thompson lobbied for anything.
Thompson was part of a huge firm and the firm did something, therefore, Thompson did it.
The AP lied.
How could he be toast if the AP lied?
Furthermore, how could Thompson be toast against a Democrat that would make it the law of the land to have partial birth abortions on demand.
Will Pro-Life voters really allow partial birth abortions to happen by rejecting Thompson over hearsay?
I missed that in bible study.
Was this before divorce? Before the death of his child? Did he get perspective from the experience (i.e., life is precious)? That is, if this piece is at all true...
I said “if true”.
Minutes of a Sept. 14, 1991, meeting of the association, cited by the newspaper, states: “Judy (DeSarno) reported that the Association had hired Fred Thompson, Esq., as counsel to aid us in discussions with the administration.”
If that is not true, then there is not a problem.
What a surprise - he was for it before he was against it! The same is true of Fred on McCain-Feingold (of which he was a co-sponsor) and “comprehensive” immigration reform.
You Fredheads sure have a lot of lipstick smearing to do with your candidate.
My favorite defense by Fred was his lone dissent of tort reform in the Senate. He used the Ron Paul defense - you know, the feds doing something not allowed under the Constitution. Call me crazy, but I don’t think Ron Paul would have ever voted for McCain-Feingold, and especially not sponsored it!
Every time you Hunter guys read an anti Fred Thompson post you get your cookies and pray he is toast. Why dont you get a life. You dont hear us Thompson people knocking Humter.
As for this story its probably a media shot in the dark put oput on the slimmest of evidenc. Somebody’s recollection of 8 or 10 years ago
If Thompson is up against Hillary, every Pro-Life voter should vote for Thompson.
If they do not, then they are actively participating in allowing abortion on demand on every level to continue.
If Pro-Life voters, like myself, think they can get away with an all or nothing approach to the issue of abortion then they might as well take all the money they give to the church and give it to Planned Parenthood.
I am tired of lazy pretend Christians who say they will not vote because this isn’t 100%.
To them I say: Good, be that way, then you support abortion by your inaction.
Thompson Lobbied for Abortion Rights (FR LIARS Create FAKE NEWS TOO)
Usually those supporting Hunter.....
Get over yourself.
Ron Paul is too busy supporting Al Qaeda.
Done and done.
Nah, I don’t pray he’s toast. Even though Fred being in the race probably does not help Hunter, Fred is my #2 guy now. But I refuse to close my eyes to his flip flops and bad votes. Pretending that he is a life long staunch conservative like Hunter does not make it so.
Who was that Larry guy from Arkansas? He said Clinton would do this.
I will get more votes in 2008 than Duncan Hunter.
If that is true, then there is not a problem.
I saw that same article Fredtronski, and I did not post it. So there.
Maybe you can run on the pro flip flop card with Rudy McRomneyson.
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