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These are my real time thoughts on Fred's speech. I think it is safe to say that his and Romney's are the most important for this crowd to hear) He came in to the strains of Johnny Cash's "I've Been Every Where." Jerri, Fred, and the family. The crowd went wild. Then he starts speaking. He begins with a seemingly distracted aside about his daughter not wanting to get off stage. People laugh. But then he revs up. It's his usual folksy style. Now here is the interesting thing about Fred. As of now, he really hasn't put out a...

Republican presidential candidate and former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.) on Wednesday at a Club for Growth event in Washington, D.C., discussed the need to reduce the cost of Medicare and other entitlement programs, the New York Times reports (Bosman, New York Times, 10/18). Thompson said that Medicare could become insolvent without a reduction in the cost of the program.He said, "We have to address the question of whether or not we stick with the same premiums" and deductibles for higher-income Medicare beneficiaries. In a statement, Thompson said that "our country faces ever-rising and unsustainable costs related to meeting this commitment"...

Fred is the man I wanted to see speak the most. I was not disappointed. I really like the guy. He did come across as warm and knowledgeable. I think he would be a good President. The following is my notes and paraphrasing what he said… "We were blessed from the very beginning. The founding fathers reminded us of the scriptures and that man was capable to climb to great heights if inspired but also prone to error. Our rights come from God and not from any government. Our institution of federalism is a beacon of hope for the rest...

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his rivals for the Republican nomination will face a tough crowd when they address the religious conservatives at the Values Voter Summit starting Friday. “I think what we can expect is a lot of folks talking about how dissatisfied they are with the choices they have,” former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said. Giuliani’s positions on abortion and gay rights continue to dog him as he looks for support within the leadership of the religious conservative movement, and those leaders say they want to hear more from the former mayor this weekend than...

In a first, brief swing through metro Atlanta Thursday, presidential candidate Fred Thompson will press the hot button issue of illegal immigration (continued)

Last night, Fred spoke before members of New York’s Conservative Party. The New York Times wrote, Appearing publicly for the first time since his first Republican debate a week ago, former Senator Fred D. Thompson traveled to New York yesterday, to the hometown of Rudolph W. Giuliani, to challenge his rival’s credibility on issues important to conservatives. “I am the consistent conservative,” Mr. Thompson said to several dozen people at a gathering of the New York Conservative Party with former Senator Alfonse M. D’Amato at his side. “I was a conservative yesterday. I am a conservative today, and I will...

McLean, VA - Senator Fred Thompson's campaign today announced the top leadership of its operation in the State of Illinois. State Senator Bill Brady of Bloomington will serve as the Chairman of the campaign's state organization and Congressman Don Manzullo will serve as its Vice-Chairman. Senator Brady has served in the Illinois Senate since 2002 and previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2006, and he has continued to travel throughout Illinois to help build a stronger Republican Party in the state. He has...

Before Tennessee Republican Fred Thompson began running for president, the South did not have a top-tier Republican candidate in the field — even though that region is fertile political ground for that party. Thompson, an actor and former U.S. senator (1994-2003), last month formally joined a field in which the best-known Republican contenders were either from the Northeast (former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney) or from the West (Arizona Sen. John McCain). So it was not exactly shocking that a detailed campaign finance report Thompson’s campaign filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission...

Not being in the middle of it all gives me a rather unique advantage. That means I have no one to answer to for my views. I just watch things, and then I talk about them. In other words, this means I don’t have to lie about my biases in order to keep some false sense of objectivity alive for the gullible. In other words, I’m no Chris Matthews. Let me start then with the current batch of presidential hopefuls: Folks - meaning the current Republican candidates - you really need to watch out for Fred Thompson. None of you...

The great white hope, their Savior, the next Reagan, the actor, no fire in the belly, the staff turnovers, the uhs, the Guccis, the lobbying, more uhs, the too-late entrance, the ups and downs of his campaign, the constant predictions of this is it, the make it or break it debate, and yet he's still here. He's still at least second in most polls and even first in some. He has always been a top-tier candidate even prior to his official entrance into the race. But why? Why is Fred still doing so well if he hasn't started a firestorm?...

Christian conservative activist Gary Bauer compares Fred Thompson to Ronald Reagan in an e-mail to supporters of his Campaign for Working Families, declaring the "Law & Order" star acceptable to the faithful: There continues to be a lot of confusion in the media and misreporting about the faith of Senator Fred Thompson and his wife, Jeri. I am happy to help clear it up. Mrs. Thompson is a strong pro-life Christian. Senator Thompson is not a regular church attendee (neither was Ronald Reagan), but he has been very clear about his faith. He has repeatedly said in both private and...

The way to avoid a Rudy nomination is to simply bury him in the primaries. Let's examine a few key facts. 1) The current national polls have Rudy at about 30%, Thompson at 21%, McCain at 13%, Romney at 11%, and Huckabee at 6%. The other 19% are either going for a minor candidate or are undecided. 2) Rudy is mostly leading because a) he's the only pro-choice candidate against seven pro-life candidates and b) he's supported by some conservatives because he's seen as the best chance to win. 3) While McCain is listed as third here, it's pretty generally...

Let’s be honest, does Hillary Clinton really want to run against Law and Order’s District Attorney Arthur Branch? The once actor, once senator, once lawyer and once blue collar worker Fred Thompson has now turned into a presidential candidate. Thompson could now be the Republicans’ savior in the 2008 election. After announcing his candidacy for president a little more than a month ago, Thompson has gained popularity quickly. Many may think this is because of his “celebrity” status or his “trophy” wife; however, I have a different theory. If Thompson wins the primary and becomes the Republican representative for the...

If Fred Thompson is lazy, he sure didn't act it preparing for his first debate. Over two weeks, the former Tennessee senator and his aides held more than half a dozen question-and-answer sessions. Bush's first economic adviser, Larry Lindsey, was involved, as were Vice President Cheney's daughter Liz Cheney and GOP veteran Mary Matalin. There were also two full-blown rehearsals in which Liz Cheney's husband played John McCain, Rep. Adam Putnam stood in for Mitt Romney, and former New York Sen. Al D'Amato played Rudy Giuliani. To add verisimilitude to his character, D'Amato pretended to take a phone call in...

Conservative evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson admits that a third-party plan supported by pro-family leaders might unintentionally help elect democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. The influential pro-family advocate still contends, however, that he would rather vote following his values than compromise and be forced to choose between two pro-choice candidates. “We’re very, very concerned about the implications of a Hillary Clinton presidency, but you know, we have been working … for 35 years, I’ve been trying to defend the unborn child,” Dobson said on Fox’s Hannity & Colmes show Monday. “That’s been my life. That’s been my belief, along with...

On economic matters, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson stand above the rest of the Republican field both on substance and on refusal to pander to populist myths. Of the two, Giuliani is the more engaging, the more memorable, and the more clear -- but Thompson wasn’t bad at all. That’s the quick-response reaction to Tuesday’s Michigan presidential debate on economic matters. The truth is, when social issues are off the table, Giuliani is as solidly a Reaganite conservative as there is, and Thompson is not far behind. On the other hand, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is about as economically...

Fred Thompson took the stage in Michigan this afternoon in his first presidential debate. Thompson entered the race just over a month ago, announcing his candidacy on late night tv -- in an effort to upstage his opponents sparring that evening in another debate. Some political observers called this the most important performance of Thompson's life. Over the past three weeks, support for Thompson has slipped in the polls, while rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney noticed steady increases. The moderators started the debate, " Senator Thompson this is your first debate, and we kick it off with you." Answering...

All he has to do is not fall asleep. All he has to do is not throw up. All he has to do is not drool. Has there ever been a major presidential candidate with lower expectations on the eve of his first debate than Fred Thompson? Though he is second in the national polls, the reviews of his campaigning thus far have been savage. He has been portrayed as a goober, a hick and a doofus. No, I take that back. He has been portrayed as a lazy goober, hick and doofus. He has been portrayed as a guy...

There's a debate coming up. Fred has made it pretty clear in the past that these little dog and pony shows don't do much for him as far as anyone getting any REAL chance to speak up and speak out. In fact, not so far back I mentioned his quote about accepting the fact that he needed to "be a good boy and stand in line and wait for them to throw me a fish just like everybody else." He continues to field the pot-shots about being lazy...that's fine-no one seems interested enough challenge his policy positions or his general...

Jeri Thompson: The woman behind the man Naperville-raised Jeri Thompson is GOP hopeful's biggest cheerleader Recent months have seen Jeri Thompson painted a variety of ways in the press, from doting mom to trophy wife. She says she knew that would happen, but because she has granted few interviews, it can be hard to tell who she really is. The Sun had an exclusive opportunity to get to know the 41-year-old Naperville native a little better one afternoon last week. She sat down to talk before attending a major Chicago fundraiser for her husband, Fred Thompson, 65. The recently...