Posted on 09/20/2007 6:52:17 AM PDT by jellybean
A daily round-up of Fred news.
A Quiet Roar
Fred Thompson Not-So-Silently Storms VersaillesBy John Hood
Other than the right to bear children well into one’s 60s and unashamedly express the love of one’s own mama, former Sen. Fred Thompson and I agree on just about nothing. He’s anti-choice (and would overturn Roe v. Wade), he doubts humanity’s responsibility for global warming and he not only supported the invasion of Iraq, but wants to keep boots on the ground till the proverbial cows come home, which, hope-soaked hearings to the contrary, seems to be when the whole Middle East is turned to pasture. Granted, the man thinks “mistakes have been made,” but he also believes that “America should not have to apologize for anything.”
Guess it was the Iraqis’ fault all along.
Yet, as diametrically and intrinsically opposed as are Thompson and I, there’s something alluring about the man, so when the latest presidential candidate made the requisite Republican pilgrimage to Versailles last week, I braved the scrum of media to see if I could discover just what that certain something was.
And, to be sure, there was something, something of a scrum, anyway, a phalanx of cameras and Crack Berries from just about every news organization in the free world. In fact, the assembly was so thick that an average passerby might think Paris and Lindsay and Nicole had all come to Little Havana for “café cubano.”
But if there were more reporters than supporters there for this still-early stage of the campaign, it was only because this running man is no mere candidate — he’s a bona fide celebrity.
Best known for playing New York District Attorney Arthur Branch in NBC’s perpetually airing hit series Law & Order, Thompson has appeared in some 17 movies, including No Way Out, the Roger Donaldson-directed remake of The Black Clock (starring Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman); Roland Joffe’s Fat Man and Little Boy (with Paul Newman); John McTiernan’s The Hunt for Red October (with Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin); Tony Scott’s Days of Thunder (with Cruise, Kidman and Duvall); Renny Harlin’s Die Hard 2 (with you know who); Martin Scorcese’s Cape Fear (with DeNiro and Nolte) and Wolfgang Peterson’s The Line of Fire (with Eastwood and Malkovich).
By any estimate, he has considerable onscreen experience, and that experience is evident in his rather considerable bearing: Every word’s weighted in a homespun Hollywood baritone, every gesture visually emphasizes a point, and each look gives enough pause to the proceedings that you become sucked right into his narrative.
In other words, the cat’s got stagecraft. He can spin a story, and he can work a room. It’s not so much a studied stagecraft, though; it’s something that came to Thompson almost organically — and by accident.
See, 20 years ago, attorney Fred represented ousted Tennessee Parole Board Chair Marie Ragghianti in a wrongful termination suit against then-Gov. Ray Blanton, who’d been accused of a cash-for-clemency scheme that Ragghianti reportedly refused to be a part of. Fred (and Marie) won the case and, when Director Roger Donaldson picked up the rights to the resulting book, he asked Thompson to play himself on the big screen.
The rest, as they say, became his Hollywood history.
Still, even someone as cinematically connected as Ronald Reagan knew that a man needs more than mere celebrity if he’s to become president of the United States, and Thompson takes a great stake in the knowledge of his predecessor.
Make that steak. Thompson’s kitchen table conservatism is the kinda meat and potatoes brand of the branch best cooked on a hearth, seasoned with small-town savvy and served in heaping plates of red, white and blue. Simple food for simple folk, but far from simple-minded.
Click “principles” on Thompson’s campaign site, www.fred08.com, and a single category drops down: federalism. Yep, you heard me, federalism, that mythological system employed — and in many ways invented — by the framers of our Constitution.
Like those framers before him, Fred’s a firm believer in “free markets, rights of property and rule of law.” To Thompson, those fathers always knew best, and it’s in all of our best interests to get back to what they knew.
Yet, Thompson also firmly believes “our rights come from God, not government.” And, as a member in reportedly good standing of the Churches of Christ, a nondenominational New Testament-based group affiliated with the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement — now celebrating its 200th year — he’s duty bound to prove it.
The CoC itself is a bit of an odd sect of some 2 million members (1.3 million in the United States) who eschew musical accompaniment in their worship (hymns are sung a cappella — or else). It traces its roots back to the founding of Virginia, and its philosophy to that of John Locke.
These days, the church’s original slogan swings a little hippie dippy ("In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love"), but it’s highly unlikely its founders would get along on the Haight. These were pious folk who took the Bible’s word so literally that I’m surprised they came up with a slogan at all.
But slogan they did, and since it came about in the earliest days of the 19th century, we won’t fault Fred. The CoC’s practice of having no formally recognized headquarters, councils or hierarchal church government, though, does seem a bit strange for such an oft-committeed presidential candidate. We’ll grant, however, that the church’s overseeing by “a plurality of elders” does make a certain perfect sense.
Yet, even as popular as is the CoC in his hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., (five congregations for a population of 14,000), Fred’s gonna need more than a fervent fringe to beat even a Rudy Giuliani — he’s gonna need the heartland, he’s gonna need the hinterlands and, of course, he’s gonna need Cubans.
At Versailles, Thompson delivered the hard-line status quo roar everyone wanted to hear, and they roared back accordingly — sanctions would remain in place, as, of course, would the embargo; Radio and TV Martí would keep broadcasting; and, should Fidel Castro or his henchmen decide to try another Mariel, “he needs to be told that wouldn’t be a very good idea.” Fred was on fire there, smoldering in ire and conviction, and the crowd lapped it up.
Which, naturally, is the point — Thompson stands tall (he’s 6 feet 6 inches), he stands firm (“we won’t back down”) and he stands “imbued with a need to protect our country.” You get the feeling Fred would gladly — and single-handedly — take on the entire regime. And should Hugo Chavez or Evo Morales get any dim ideas, he’d kick their asses too.
And don’t think for a moment that Fred doesn’t have it in him to do so. The 65-year-old’s quick to remind you he’s got both a 4-year-old and a 10-month-old back at the house and a mama back in Tennessee who’s still going strong at 87. And while Thompson’s not-so-quiet storming of Versailles may have been mostly a case of converting the faithful, his off-the-cuff stump did sound presidential, and, in this sound-bitten day and age, that just might be enough.
More...Thompson defends his lobbying
Elections: On swing through Texas, he says all clients deserved help
By WAYNE SLATER / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Republican Fred Thompson opened a two-day Texas fundraising swing Wednesday, taking a subtle jab at rival Mitt Romney and fending off questions about his work as a lobbyist.
"I've represented all kinds of people as a federal prosecutor and defense lawyer, and half a dozen as lobbying clients," the GOP presidential hopeful said between campaign stops.
"I don't know anybody I ever represented who didn't deserve that representation," he said.
For over 20 years before and after serving as a senator from Tennessee, Mr. Thompson lobbied or consulted for a range of clients, including some who were controversial: two Libyan airline-bombing suspects, an abortion-rights group and toppled Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Mr. Thompson's work on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association raised concerns among some Christian conservative leaders.
In his campaign for the White House, Mr. Thompson is running as an abortion opponent. He hopes to be a bridge between the party's social conservatives and economic conservatives.
"I think I can do that," he told reporters. "I wouldn't run if I didn't think I could do that. I think you can have a good common-sense, solid conservative and appeal to a broad section of the American people."
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thanks 4 da Fred’s up!
Fred bump !
I know you are big Fred backer, but to be honest with you, so far I have been a little disappointed in his campaign. I had high hopes that he would light things up once he declared, but I think he is being outflanked by his opponeents and he doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it.
John Hood’s article has the most accurate information I’ve seen about Fred’s church in any article so far. For that one thing, it is a good article.
I’m not sure what you’ve seen, whether it is different from what I’ve seen. I think he is lighting things up in a big way. The way people react to him when they see him, the videos he does. Works with media, also goes around them. He has a number of different ways of getting his message out.
One of the things that has discouraged me about Bush #43 administration is that the media often doesn’t cover his speeches or statements that he makes. They do cover all the criticisms that they can. I wish they had put more videos of the President on the WH website. Sometimes c-span covers them and sometimes they don’t. I think Fred is being much more effective than the Bush administration in that respect. He’s working with bloggers too which the Bush administration shied away from.
I like what I see with Fred and I’m seeing what I was expecting.
review
Why? Because George Will, Robert Novak, and Dick Morris say so?
The first-hand reports on the ground differ wildly, as do the steady gains in both the national and state polls.
Who are these opponents that are ‘outflanking’ Fred Thompson? Can you give examples?
Fred Thompson On The Issues Ok! So I'm starting to get fed up with all of these whinny Fred critics who insist on saying "yeah, but where does he stand on the issues" and "That video was OK but where are the specifics" as if the man has no real stance on anything...
Wrong!
The fact is, these people don't really want to know the answers to these questions and the proof for my accusation is... with the smallest amount of research you can find numerous sites containing info on just about anything you'd like to know as it relates to Fred's policy stance! Now, to make things even easier, Fred's official site has consolidated this info on one page Fred on the issues.
I'm going to post the contents here in its entirety for those who refuse to click links and research on their own!
National Security
The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life. Today we face the urgent threat of radical Islamic terrorists. Al Qaeda is committed to attacking us here at home, and wants to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to kill millions. We must never give them that opportunity. We must defeat the terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the will to fight and win. A weakened America - or an America that appears weaker - will only encourage further attacks. We must persevere. As Commander-in-Chief, the president must ensure the United States has the means to achieve victory. Presidential leadership requires talking to the American people about these stakes, mapping out a clear vision for success, and devising a comprehensive strategy for achieving it. I am committed to:
* A larger, more capable, and more modern military that can defeat terrorists, deter adversaries, and defend the U.S. and our interests.Federal Budget and Spending/Budgetary Reform* A missile defense system that can protect the U.S. and our allies from long-range ballistic missiles.
* An enhanced intelligence community, with robust human-intelligence capabilities, focused on terrorism and proliferation.
* A robust approach to homeland security that will protect our nation from terrorists and WMD, regardless of where they come from.
* A strengthened system of global alliances to better combat terrorists, proliferators, and traditional threats to our interests.
* A judicial system that deals with the realities of terrorists and unlawful enemy combatants.
In a few short years—not a generation from now—a fiscal tsunami that could imperil our security and economic prosperity will hit our nation and place an unfair burden of debt on our children and grandchildren. The tens of trillions of dollars in debt that will be accumulated over the next few decades will do immense harm to our economy. This burden is now estimated at $170,000 per person and $440,000 per family. Time is running out to address this looming crisis. We need market-based approaches to reform that guarantee benefits for those who need them and embrace personal responsibility and cost-effectiveness without raising taxes. Given the scope and urgency of this problem, and the burden it will place on our children, reform is not only an economic necessity, it is a moral imperative that requires action now. I am committed to:
* Opening the government’s fiscal books on this looming crisis for all to see and understand.Tax Reform* Working with individuals of all political persuasions to develop a comprehensive solution to the pending fiscal crisis.
* Leading and making the hard choices necessary, to include cutting wasteful government spending, to safeguard our security, promote our prosperity, and protect our children and grandchildren from fiscal calamity.
The U.S. tax code is broken and a burden on U.S. taxpayers and businesses, large and small. Today’s tax code is particularly hostile to savings and investment, and it shows. To make matters worse, its complexity is a drag on our productivity and economic growth. Moreover, taxpayers spend billions of dollars and untold hours each year filling out complicated tax returns, just so they can send more money to Washington, much of it for wasteful programs and the pet projects of special interests. We need lower taxes, and we need to let taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned dollars—they know best where and how to spend them. And we need to make the system simpler and fairer for all. To ensure America’s long term prosperity and economic security, I am committed to:
* Fundamental tax reform built on the principles of simplicity, fairness, and growth.Healthcare* A new tax code that gets the government out of our citizens’ pocketbooks, while enhancing U.S. competitiveness abroad.
* Dissolution of the IRS as we know it.
Americans have the best healthcare in the world. Some, however, choose not be insured; others cannot afford it. Every American should be able to get health insurance coverage that is affordable, fully accessible, and portable. Coverage should meet their individual needs and put them in control. Those who propose a one-size-fits-all Washington-controlled program ignore the cost, inefficiency, and inadequate care that such a system offers. Access to affordable, portable health care can be made available for all Americans without imposing new mandates or raising taxes. Current government programs must also be streamlined and improved so that those who truly need help can get the health care they need. I am committed to a healthcare system that:
* Realigns programs and creates a system around individual consumers and patients by providing more information and more opportunities to choose affordable health care options that best meet their needs and those of their families.Government Effectiveness* Improves the individual health of all Americans by shifting to a system that promotes cost-effective prevention, chronic-care management, and personal responsibility
* Modernizes delivery and administration of care by encouraging the widespread use of clinical best practices, medical information technology, and other innovations.
* Increases competition and consumer choice while streamlining regulations through free-market solutions that benefit individuals and reduce costs for employers.
* Promotes and speeds medical research and life-sciences innovation.
Our government is outdated, inefficient, and wasteful. It is often unable to perform even the most basic tasks our citizens expect. It is no longer enough just to want limited government; the American people deserve more effective government. Given today’s challenges, we cannot afford—and shouldn’t accept—anything less than a nimble, effective, and efficient government that is able to focus its resources on the important issues facing our country. It must be able act on behalf of the American people and our national interests in a timely manner. The key to competent government is strong, committed leadership from the top. The key to good government is good people who are well-managed and put the national interest first. I am committed to:
* Attracting and rewarding the best Americans to serve in government and ensuring they have the authority and resources needed to get the job done.Building Strong Families* Fixing government accounting so tax dollars are properly spent and the American people know exactly what they are being spent on.
* Improving government performance by making agencies accountable for accomplishing their missions on time and within budget.
* Ensuring information technology systems are secure and that they give our government the capacity and effectiveness to get the job done.
Strong families are the bedrock of our nation and our culture. They are built around the sanctity of life and the institution of marriage, which is the union of a man and a woman. To counter coarseness in today’s culture that oftentimes victimizes our children and undermines the traditional values parents want to instill, we must not only protect but strengthen the institutions of family and marriage. I am committed to:
* Using the Presidency to encourage policies that promote a culture of life, strengthen the institution of marriage and traditional families, and advance freedom of religion.Immigration* Returning authority to the levels of government closest to families and communities—the states—and then protecting states from further intrusion by the federal government, the judiciary, and other states.
* Combating the spread of obscenity over TV and other media by making sure parents can better exercise their responsibilities.
The United States is a nation of immigrants. Throughout our history, legal immigrants have brought energy, ideas, strength, and diversity to our country, our economy, and our culture. This must continue. But in the post-9/11 world, immigration is more of a national security issue. A government that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter and who may not, abrogates a fundamental responsibility. I am committed to:
* Securing our borders and enforcing immigration laws. Amnesty is not an option and the toleration of “sanctuary cities” must end.Education* Reviewing our immigration laws and policies to ensure they advance our national interests.
* Uniting Americans by welcoming legal immigrants willing to learn English, assimilate into our communities, and become productive citizens.
A well-educated citizenry is vital to our security, our economy, and our democracy. Despite the tens of billions of dollars spent on education by Washington each year, and the hundreds of federal education programs now in place, our children are still falling behind, particularly in subjects crucial to the global economy in which we live. At a time when America is behind other developed countries in education excellence, the federal role in education is too intrusive and too bureaucratic, and has become part of the problem. State and local governments are closest to the parents, the kids, and the schools, and best situated to implement changes and innovations that best educate children. I am committed to:
* Giving parents more choices in education and schools less bureaucracy.Appointing Judges Faithful To Our Constitution* Reviewing federal programs for cost-effectiveness, reducing federal mandates, returning education money to the states, and empowering parents by promoting voucher programs, charter schools, and other innovations that enhance education excellence through competition and choice.
* Encouraging students and teachers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math—fields that are crucial to our security, competitiveness, and prosperity.
* Promoting transparency to assess performance, promote accountability, and share innovations in education at all levels.
Activist judges across the country seem intent on legislating from the bench to promote a culture of abortion, redefine marriage, and undermine families—in effect re-shaping the values of our entire society without the consent of the people. We need judges who recognize their role in our democracy is to interpret, not make, the law. I am committed to:
* Appointing strict constructionist judges who will interpret the law, not impose their views on us by legislating from the bench.Energy SecurityThe energy challenges our nation faces today are real and significant. Our dependence on foreign sources of oil threatens our national security and puts our economic prosperity at risk. America must rise to the challenge and take the steps necessary to become more energy independent before this becomes a crisis. No one solution will solve the energy challenges we face; all ideas must be on the table. Greater energy security will enhance our ability to pursue our foreign policy and national security objectives. Increasing our energy independence and investing in alternative energy sources will also produce a healthier environment. And while we don’t know for certain how or why climate change is occurring, it makes sense to take reasonable steps to reduce CO2 emissions without harming our economy. Overall, I am committed to:
* A balanced approach to energy security that increases domestic supplies, reduces demand for oil and gas, and promotes alternative fuels and other diverse energy sources.Second Amendment* Investing in renewable and alternative fuels to promote greater energy independence and a cleaner environment.
* An energy policy that invests in the advanced technologies of tomorrow and places more emphasis on conservation and energy efficiency.
* Conducting research and development into technologies that improve the environment, especially the reduction of CO2 emissions.
I strongly support the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Gun control is touted as a major crime-control measure. But some of the places with the strictest gun-control laws also have high violent-crime rates. Disarming law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime. The answer to violent crime is smart, effective, and aggressive law enforcement. The real effect of these gun-control measures is to place onerous restrictions on law-abiding citizens who use firearms for such legal activities as self-defense, sport-shooting, hunting, and collecting. I am committed to:
* Strictly enforcing existing laws and severely punishing violent criminals.There you have it!* Protecting the rights individual Americans enjoy under the Second Amendment.
Thompson Beating Giuliani Handily In Harris Poll, Romney And McCain Continue To Slide Interesting…
ROCHESTER, N.Y.(BUSINESS WIRE) After officially declaring his candidacy, U.S. Senator Fred Thompson moves ahead of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the race for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. One-third (32%) of those who say they will vote in a Republican primary or caucus will vote for Thompson while 28 percent will vote for Giuliani. Much further back is John McCain, who continues his downward slide with 11 percent saying they would vote for the Arizona Senator, and 9 percent who say they would vote for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. . .
One interesting difference is the support of the different generations. . .
One-third (33%) of both Echo Boomers and Generation Xers (30 to 41) will vote for Rudy Giuliani while Fred Thompson garners just 8 percent and 22 percent of these generations respectively. But, again among those generations more likely to vote, Fred Thompson is ahead. It is close among Baby Boomers (those aged 42 to 60) as one-third (33%) of this generation will vote for Giuliani and 37 percent will vote for Thompson. Among Matures, the lead is greater – 44 percent will vote for Thompson and 16 percent will vote for Giuliani. Interestingly, one in five (20%) of the youngest generation, Echo Boomers, say they will vote for the oldest candidate, John McCain.This is the first time I’ve heard the term ”echo boomers.” I guess that’s the generation I fit into, sort of…Regardless, Thompson is ahead by a strong margin overall in this poll and way, way up among those voters most likely to actually, you know, vote. What does this tell us? Well it’s one poll, and an early one at that. I think the only real conclusion to draw is that this is pretty much a two-person race now. McCain is still out of it, and Romney is out too.
Rasmussen, on the other hand, has things tightening up again. It could be a blip, but it bears watching — will the constant media attacks from all sides derail the Thompson express? Personally, I doubt it, it seems pretty clear they’ve got nothing, as it’s all recycled stuff from April/May.
I think the April/May stuff was just a test run to see what would stick. None of it did, so they’re going to try again with a larger audience. It won’t work this time either, but let these guys wear themselves out trying while Fred plods on running circles around them. :)
Can you add me to your ping list please?
Welcome aboard!! :)
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