Free Republic

When Fred Thompson officially gets into the 2008 presidential race, he’s going to have to answer certain questions on abortion more specifically. There are a few instances in the 1990’s that critics are going to concentrate on where they may try and trip him up. I don’t think it’s going to work. Here’s a small clip from an article from The Tennessean Newspaper: Imminent 2008 presidential candidate Fred Thompson is positioning himself as a new hope for social conservatives who are unhappy with the current field of 10 Republicans. But his answers on past surveys indicate he has previously taken...

1. Anti-gun terror bill (S. 735 )On June 7, 1995, the Senate passed an anti-gun terror bill (S. 735) by a vote of 91-8. This version of the terror bill included: a BATF pay increase of $100 million; a provision authorizing "roving wiretaps" allowing government officials to wiretap one's home if a person under investigation visits the home -- even if one had no knowledge the person was a suspect; a weakening of the Posse Commitatus law to give the military more authority to get involved in law enforcement in certain circumstances; a grant of power to the FBI to...

I was not writing this column during the campaign prior to the 2000 election, but I did follow the battles for the Republican nomination with some interest. I found it hard to believe after eight years of the William Jefferson Clinton circus, American people would wish for symbolic continuation of his presidency. Unfortunately, the Republican candidates on offer were a lightweight collection of Conservative no-hopers, moderate Republican establishment figures and one popular governor of a large Southern state. That governor, George W. Bush, understandably looked like the only reasonable choice, and if his conspicuously non-ideological language was suspiciously protean, it...

The race for the Republican presidential nomination has just begun, yet the so-called "top tier" candidates have all been shown to have deep flaws. John McCain is a nice guy, but he's clearly off his rocker. Mitt Romney needs to change all of his positions 180 degrees. Oh, wait. He's already done that. And Rudy Giuliani, he's already bored the public to tears with his self-appointed Sept. 11 sainthood. The next time he mentions "911," it had better be because he's getting mugged. This creates an opportunity for a good, old-fashioned conservative to enter the race. And right on cue,...

Romney among those who condemned Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff for saying homosexuality immoral JACKSONVILLE, Florida, May 25, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Officials running for public office should not discuss personal beliefs about morality says Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who also stated that his opposition to same-sex “marriage” should not be construed as intolerance of homosexuals, many of whom he appointed to his administration as Massachusetts governor. "I oppose discrimination against gay people," Romney told the Associated Press. "I am not anti-gay. I know there are some Republicans, or some people in the country who are...

Fred Thompson & the GOP's Southern Problem By Richard Baehr The inside the beltway political horse race broadcasters are abuzz about the possible (I think likely) entrance into the GOP Presidential race of former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. In his email report to subscribers, Charlie Cook summarizes two polls that show Thompson hurting current frontrunner Rudy Giuliani more than any of the other candidates, with Thompson moving into 3rd or 4th place, and the race tightened from top to bottom: [Snip]

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- "Will he announce?" asked the Lincoln Club of Orange County's publication in preparation for Fred Thompson's appearance at the organization's 45th annual dinner here Friday night. A rumor, totally unfounded, ran rampant before his speech that Thompson would declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination at the dinner lectern. In fact, he did not even hint at this prospect during a performance that was a letdown for the packed audience of conservative Republicans. "It was not Reaganesque." "No red meat." "Too low key." That was the preponderant reaction I heard to Thompson's half-hour presentation (leavened...

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- ''Will he announce?'' asked the Lincoln Club of Orange County's publication in preparation for Fred Thompson's appearance at the organization's 45th annual dinner here Friday night. A rumor, totally unfounded, ran rampant before his speech that Thompson would declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination at the dinner lectern. In fact, he did not even hint at this prospect in a performance that was a letdown for the packed audience of conservative Republicans. ''It was not Reaganesque.'' ''No red meat.'' ''Too low key.'' That was the preponderant reaction I heard to Thompson's half-hour presentation (leavened...

Project Vote Smart, which compiles voting records and other background materials on politicians, has finally put up its page on Fred Thompson (OK, maybe "finally" isn't exactly the fairest word when Mr. Thompson hasn't even announced for president — but I've been eager to see it). Anyway, it seems Mr. Thompson filled out a survey for Project Vote Smart back in 1994, when he was running for Senate. While it's mostly pretty predictable (boo foreign aid, yay low taxes), there are a few parts worth scrutinizing... (see: abortion, education, AIDS)

NEW EVIDENCE REVEALS WHY THOMPSON COMMITTEE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT EXPLORING SALE OF CLINTON TRADE MISSION SEATS TO DONORS Entergy Corporation, a Large Clinton Donor Which Put Together Joint Venture With Lippo and Communist Chinese Government on Ron Brown Trade Mission, Also Big Donor To Republicans TRADE MISSIONS CONTINUE TO BE KEY TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE SCANDAL Larry Klayman, Chairman and General Counsel of Judicial Watch, the group that sued the Clinton Commerce Department over its illegal sale of seats on foreign trade missions in exchange for political contributions to the Clinton-Gore Campaign and the Democratic National Committee, and which deposed John...

Is it just a momentary blip — or did a little of the luster come off of the burgeoning Fred Thompson campaign this weekend? Restless Republicans not enamored by the current field of the 10 men in their party actively in the race have been talking up the well-known actor and former Tennessee senator as an antidote to their current funk. The inability of any of the current candidates to dramatically break out of the pack in last week’s televised debate did little to soothe GOP concerns and set the stage nicely for Thompson's speech this weekend to an important...

Former Republican Senator (TN) Voted NO on allowing reimportation of Rx drugs from Canada. S. 812, as amended; Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act of 2002. Vote to pass a bill that would permit a single 30-month stay against Food and Drug Administration approval of a generic drug patent when a brand-name company's patent is challenged. The secretary of Health and Human Services would be authorized to announce regulations allowing pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada into the United States. Canadian pharmacies and wholesalers that provide drugs for importation would be required to register with Health and...

according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 49 per cent of respondents would support the former North Carolina senator in 2008, while 43 per cent would vote for former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. In a separate contest, Edwards holds a 14-point edge over actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson. John Edwards (D) 49% vs Rudy Giuliani (R) 43% John Edwards (D) 50% vs Fred Thompson (R) 36% Source: Rasmussen Reports Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 likely American voters, conducted on Apr. 4 and Apr. 5, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.

...Thompson has never had to show consuming energy as a candidate, never having been in a closely contested race. ... He did not seek reelection in 2002 -- not a painful sacrifice for a man who disliked the Senate: "I'm not 30 years old. I don't want to spend the rest of my life up here. I don't like spending 14- and 16-hour days voting on 'sense of the Senate' resolutions on irrelevant matters." ... As a senator he insistently advocated increasing the government's regulation of politics. One of only four senators who supported McCain's candidacy in 2000, Thompson argued...

This document is a record and analysis of all of Sen. Thompson's immigration related congressional votes, cosponsorships, and other immigration actions during his career in Congress. Immigration Profiles is the only exhaustive source for this information available in one place.

According to Bob Novak, GOP celebrity Fred Thompson is — wait for it, wait for it — “for real”! Yes: “In just three weeks, Fred Thompson has transformed the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. It is not merely that he has come from nowhere to double digits in polls. He is the talk of GOP political circles because he is filling the conservative void in the field.” The conservative void? Sure. McCain is now neither a maverick nor a conservative — at the very least, social conservatives don’t trust him. Giuliani is way too liberal on key wedge issues...

EARTH TO LAMAR:FRED LOOKING THE PART AIN'T ENOUGH (video) by Mia T, 4.3.07 Lamar Alexander on Hardball, pushing Fred Thompson for president confirms the obvious: Fred's top asset is his stage presence, followed closely by his presidential and other executive experience... on film. Fred's geography and ideology seal the deal for Lamar, the former being pure South and the latter, pure enough Right. "The power of the harasser, the abuser, the rapist depends above all on the silence of women." (Ursula K. LeGuin) VOTE SMART: A WARNING TO ALL WOMEN ABOUT HILLARY CLINTONby Mia T, 3.11.07A RESPONSE TO 'VOTE...

GALLUP NEWS SERVICEPRINCETON, NJ -- A lot of attention has been focused in recent days on the potential candidacy of former Republican senator Fred Thompson. Less than two weeks ago, Thompson indicated that he might jump into the race. When included in the late March USA Today/Gallup Poll shortly thereafter, he came in third among Republicans when asked who they support for their party's nomination -- behind Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. In addition to being a lawyer and former senator from Tennessee, Thompson is a television and movie actor starring in recent years as a tough district attorney in...

Is Fred Thompson a member of the Church of Christ? As the 64-year-old former Tennessee senator reportedly mulls a bid for president, a number of readers have e-mailed The Christian Chronicle with that question. The 106th Congressional Record listed Thompson’s religious affiliation as “Church of Christ (Stone Campbell).” In an interview with the U.S. News and World Report this week, Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo said: “Thompson is indeed a Christian. He was baptized into the Church of Christ.” Corallo did not immediately return calls from the Chronicle seeking additional information about the politician and Law and Order actor’s religious background....

Dobson: Thompson must express faith POSTED: 4:57 a.m. EDT, March 30, 2007 But a declaration of Thompson's religion will not be enough for Dobson, who is viewed as being widely influential with evangelical Christians, a key Republican voting bloc. "We were pleased to learn from his spokesperson that Sen. Thompson professes to be a believer," said Nima Reza, a Dobson spokeswoman. "Thompson hasn't clearly communicated his religious faith, and many evangelical Christians might find this a barrier to supporting him." ... Dobson has shown so far he's not a believer in any of the front-running Republican candidates. He gave Mitt...