Fred Thompson...A man whose time has come!

h/t Air Congress

Fred Gets more Endorsements!

From here:

One of Ronald Reagan’s key advisers, Michael Deavers, has endorsed Senator Thompson. This is a great feather in Thompson’s cap. It is looking more and more like Thompson is a serious candidate.
____________

By Tim Shipman in Washington, Sunday Telegraph, UK

Ronald Reagan’s closest allies are throwing their weight behind the White House bid by the late president’s fellow actor, Fred Thompson.

The film star and former Republican senator from Tennessee will this week use a speech in the heart of Reagan country, in southern California, to woo party bigwigs in what insiders say is the next step in his coming out as a candidate.

Fred Thompson, Reagan’s men are backing - an actor

A key figure in the Reagan inner circle has now given his seal of approval to Mr Thompson, best known as a star of the television crime drama Law and Order.

America, now more than ever, needs strong leadership and an unerring moral compass.

More and more people are starting to recognize that Fred Thompson is that leader!

Reagan staffers in Thompson's corner.

Many in the conservative base of the Republican party have been searching vehemently for another Reagan-esque candidate.

Many have touted Fred Thompson as the proverbial shining light for conservative principles espoused by Ronald Reagan

Apparently, some former colleagues of Reagan concur.


Ronald Reagan's closest allies are throwing their weight behind the White House bid by the late president's fellow actor, Fred Thompson.

The film star and former Republican senator from Tennessee will this week use a speech in the heart of Reagan country, in southern California, to woo party bigwigs in what insiders say is the next step in his coming out as a candidate.

A key figure in the Reagan inner circle has now given his seal of approval to Mr Thompson, best known as a star of the television crime drama Law and Order. As deputy chief of staff, Michael Deaver was a key member of the "troika" of aides who kept the Reagan White House on track. With the chief of staff James Baker and special assistant Ed Meese, he was the master of image and presentation.

Mr Deaver sees the same raw material in Mr Thompson as was perceived in Ronald Reagan, describing him as someone "that could really make a difference". He added: "He is very popular in his party. He could change this whole thing and turn this primary system upside down.

"As Ronald Reagan used to say, after he stole a line from Al Jolson, 'Stay tuned, you ain't seen nothing yet'."

Clark Judge, a White House speechwriter for Mr Reagan, said: "Fred Thompson, like Ronald Reagan, is a man of tremendous substance. There is a sense in the party that none of the candidates is quite 'it'."

How Big is Fred's Support? As big as Texas!

So notes Elephantbiz, who cites Draft Fred Th0mpson:

The Draft Fred Thompson 2008 Committee today announced that 54 of 81 Texas State House Republicans and several Republican Texas State Senators have joined the growing effort to encourage former United States Senator Fred Thompson to seek the presidency. Texas Land Commissioner and Draft Committee leadership team member, Jerry Patterson, has spoken with each Legislator and found an increasingly strong desire to see Thompson become a candidate.

In another indication of growing support in Texas , a new independent poll conducted by Baselice & Associates shows Thompson tied for second place statewide with 19 percent of the vote. Senator John McCain also showed 19 percent and NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani led with 24 percent. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney held eight percent.

“These poll numbers reflect the enthusiasm I’m seeing in the Legislature and around the state. In Texas , the momentum in the race for president is clearly with Fred Thompson. If he enters this campaign, we can put him in the lead within 30 days”, said Patterson

Fred ahead in Georgia...

From a Poll in Georgia's 9th District:

Not bad for a yet-to-be announced candidate:

1. Fred Thompson -- 116 votes

2. Newt Gingrich -- 47 votes

3. Rudy Guiliani -- 12

4. Mitt Romney -- 7

5. Jim Gilmore -- 3

6. Huckabee, McCain and Paul -- l
vote each

7. Receiving zero votes: Sam
Brownback, Duncan Hunter, Tom
Tancredo, and Tommy Tompson

Thompson Fires Back at Ponnuru

From NRO:

On Friday, Ramesh Ponnuru penned an article called “Thompson’s Tort Trouble.” While he referenced my conservative voting record he took issue with two instances when I voted against “tort reform.” He noted my stand on federalist grounds but thinks I must have a mistaken view of federalism and that conservatives may want to ask me a few hard questions.

This hardly constitutes the stuff of a major dispute, but I would submit that the problem is not so much my mistaken view of federalism as much as it is his lack of commitment to the principle. This presents conservatives with an opportunity to have a much needed discussion.

Read the whole thing--it's a veritable lesson in Civics 101.

Unlike our current president, who nearly inexplicably has let many barbs fly past him without any responses, Fred Thompson isn't afraid to let others know where he stands. In my opinion, this will be an important quality in our next President, as it is my opinion that one of the reasons that democrats have gained so much ground in the years leading up to '06 is that many frivolous challenges to Bush and other Republicans largely went unanswered; leaving Republican party looking much like an amiable dunce, not knowing when to put up your dukes when the playground bully starts picking on you.

What I also find striking in that article is Fred Thompson's absolute commitment to principle; truth be told, the lack of also led to the shellacking of the Republican majority this past election.

Much as others may be waiting for the other shoe to drop in this case, I firmly believe that Fred is the real deal.

I'd make book on it.

Is Thompson indeed a sure candidate?

On the Fox News show Special Report with Brit Hume, the “all-star” panel commented on the possible candidacy of Fred Thompson….for US Attorney General!!!!

The subject of embattled AG Alberto Gonzales was broached amongst Hume and political pundits Fred Barnes, Mort Kondracke and Mara Liasson. Speculation of a possible replacement was how Thompson’s name was thrown into the mix. Thompson served as an assistant US attorney from 1969-1972. His legal career is most noteworthy for serving as co-chief counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee.

Alas, clumsily firing US attorneys is itself not a fireable offense. In fact, President Bush just gave Gonzales a “vote of confidence.” Combine that with the fact that no one pines for what would certainly be long, drawn out confirmation hearings for a new AG. Therefore, a vacancy in the US Attorney General’s office in the near future is unlikely.

Ah, but one cannot bring up the name Fred Thompson without commenting on a possible presidential run. Given Thompson’s continued duties as Senior Analyst for ABC radio, Barnes and Liasson expressed slight reservations about Thompson even running at all. Barnes himself also stated that he doubts Thompson has the desire for a long, grueling campaign.

Stay tuned!

Fred's Running!

Or at least the closest confirmation I've yet heard:

FRED THOMPSON IS RUNNING!:

While honing my MSM conventional-wisdom talking points at the unholy White House correspondentss dinner last night, I spotted the head of the six-foot-four would-be GOP candidate looming over the crowd and just for kicks I accosted him:

"Senator, I have three words for you," I said. "Tallest man wins."*

"I hope so!" he replied.

I declare it a confirmation.

[* OK not always--but usually!]

--Michael Crowley

Fred Thompson: Right on Gun Control!

From his own words at NRO:

Virginia, like 39 other states, allows citizens with training and legal permits to carry concealed weapons. That means that Virginians regularly sit in movie theaters and eat in restaurants among armed citizens. They walk, joke, and rub shoulders everyday with people who responsibly carry firearms — and are far safer than they would be in San Francisco, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, or Washington, D.C., where such permits are difficult or impossible to obtain.

The statistics are clear. Communities that recognize and grant Second Amendment rights to responsible adults have a significantly lower incidence of violent crime than those that do not. More to the point, incarcerated criminals tell criminologists that they consider local gun laws when they decide what sort of crime they will commit, and where they will do so.

Still, there are a lot of people who are just offended by the notion that people can carry guns around. They view everybody, or at least many of us, as potential murderers prevented only by the lack of a convenient weapon. Virginia Tech administrators overrode Virginia state law and threatened to expel or fire anybody who brings a weapon onto campus.

Read the whole thing.

Dick Morris: Run Fred, Run--NOW!

From Fox:

For everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven — even a time to declare one’s presidential candidacy. And, for Fred Thompson, the time is now!

Momentum has been building for Thompson in the past six weeks. If he announces his presidency run in the next few weeks, he will coast easily into a berth in the Republican finals against Rudy Giuliani. But if he delays — as he shows signs of wanting to do — he will miss the boat.

For many candidates, delay means that they don’t have to stand out and be targets until later in the game. But for Thompson, delay could be fatal. The major negative against the former Tennessee senator is that he lacks the heart or the fire in the belly to compete and win. With Hillary Clinton looming as the expected Democratic nominee, victory is of surpassing importance to the Republican primary electorate. Republicans will not nominate someone who they think is ambivalent about running.

I agree with Morris on this one. Fred is a strong candidate with strong values. It is my opinion that he has the wherewithall to, in Reaganesque fashion, rise above any mudslinging and be an effective candidate, and even more importantly, be an effective President!

The (Fred) Thompson juggernaut keeps on rolling

From Real Clear Politics:

First, there was Thompson's interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday in March, which generated major buzz in the conservative blogosphere; next, the series of endorsements, most of them from Thompson's home state of Tennessee; then came Thompson's interview with Neil Cavuto disclosing his cancer, which he says is in remission. Thompson told Cavuto that he was announcing his cancer publicly because he wanted to see how it affected voters. That's one way to put it. Another way is that Thompson was doing the prerequisite "airing" of possible revelations that might hurt him on the campaign trail. And finally there was Saturday's Wall Street Journal op-ed in which Thompson embraced supply-side economics.

Add to this the relative despondency in conservative circles these days with the current crop of candidates and Wamp may be right that a Thompson candidacy isn't a matter of if but when.

Not only that, but Thompson's reception by GOPers on Capitol Hill was anything but lukewarm (login: Username: OptionalBugmenot, Password: FG9KTP25):

WASHINGTON -- The welcome for Fred Thompson wasn't just warm, it was effusive. The former Tennessee senator and actor is still weighing whether to run for the GOP presidential nomination but House Republicans who met with him Wednesday gushed over the prospects of Thompson candidacy.

They called him presidential, a leader, a proven conservative, an exciting prospect and "a breath of fresh air."

[SNIP]

Some 50 House Republicans attended the private meeting arranged by Rep. Zach Wamp of Tennessee, a Republican leading a draft-Thompson campaign.

Several lawmakers who were there said Thompson indicated that while he was seriously considering a candidacy, he had not decided whether to run. They said he talked about his life and answered questions. A handful of lawmakers said they encouraged him to run and told him they'd endorse him if he officially enters the race.

"He was called presidential, and he was. He was told he was electable, and he is," Wamp said.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., said: "there was a breath of fresh air in the room today," while Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., added: "he spoke as though he was a president." Rep. David Davis, R-Tenn., said people are looking for a candidate with a proven conservative voting record and "Fred Thompson's the man."

The Grass Roots GOPers are still taking notice of Thompson:

In a Floyd County Republican Party straw poll, former senator Fred Thompson was the top choice for president — with 38.9 percent of the vote.

Thompson has not announced he is running for president.

Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker from Georgia, took second place with 30.5 percent and former New York mayor Rudy Guliani was third with 15.2 percent.

For once there appears to be a GOP Presidential candidate that both the Party machinery and its rank-and-file can agree on.

Run, Fred, Run!

Trip to D.C. signals Fred's intentions?

From McClatchy:

Why all the interest in a man who isn't even running?

"The other candidates are not getting the traction they need," Wamp said. "They've been out there already, and people are looking for an alternative. They're looking for a consistent conservative who is reliable and strong."

He said Thompson strikes a chord because he's a consistent conservative - against abortion and for tax cuts and the Pentagon. And he said Thompson has the Hollywood breeding and communications skills reminiscent of Ronald Reagan that help win elections.

Thompson has one professional and one personal hurdle to overcome before deciding to enter the race, Wamp said.

At work, he has to clear up contractual issues with the television show, which wouldn't be able to show reruns featuring him during the campaign. At home, he has to have the support of his family - a real requirement, given the reason he left politics.

But he already appears to be moving toward jumping in. Just last week, he wrote a column for The Wall Street Journal lauding tax cuts - always a popular plank in a Republican campaign. This week he meets with House Republicans. And in May, he's to give a major speech to the Lincoln Club of Orange County, California, long a bastion of California conservatism.

"There is a strong possibility he becomes a candidate," said Wamp. "This is not a flirtation. This is serious."

Not even close...

That's what you can say about all the GOP '08 Presidential hopefuls when compared with the likes of Fred Thompson:

Republican Fred Thompson, the target of several "draft Fred" for the White House campaigns, easily won a presidential poll conducted by the American Family Association.

The Alabama native was sent to the Senate after winning a 1994 special election in Tennessee to fill the unexpired term of Democrat Al Gore and was re-elected in 1996. He chose in 2002 not to seek re-election and has appeared in several Hollywood productions since.

In the new AFA poll, he collected 24,872 votes for president in a compilation taken just hours before the poll closed at midnight yesterday.

The runner-up was former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with 9,889 votes, while ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was third with 7,877.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was fourth with 6,154; John McCain fifth with 5,090; Mike Huckabee sixth with 3,179; Sam Brownback seventh with 3,051; Tom Tancredo eighth with 2,060; and Ron Paul ninth with 1,884.

The Conservatives are behind you, Fred!

You da man!

Official entry may not come until Summer.

From Robert Novak at Townhall.com:


Although revelation of his cancer history has cleared the decks for Fred Thompson to run for the Republican presidential nomination, his commitments as a television and radio performer may delay his announcement until June.

As an actor on NBC's "Law and Order," Thompson can scarcely abandon the show during the May ratings sweeps and has taped programs that will be aired then. He also has commitments to ABC as a stand-in for radio commentator Paul Harvey.

There was no reason for Thompson to make the cancer revelation if he did not plan to run for president, and this indicates he intends to join the race. However, prominent Republicans are delaying an endorsement until he actually announces his candidacy.

Fred Thompson--Right on Taxes...

Read his piece on OpinionJournal.com.

Fred Thompson a bane to the religious right?

I don't think so.

Unannounced presidential candidate Fred Thompson easily leads all announced candidates in an online poll by the American Family Association, one of the nation’s leading conservative Christian and pro-family groups.

In the ongoing poll, Thompson had collected 17,280 votes by Thursday afternoon, with another unannounced candidate, Newt Gingrich, behind at 6,857 votes.

The former Tennessee senator and actor Thompson, who disclosed on Wednesday that he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer, hasn’t yet decided if he will run for president in 2008.

Mitt Romney led the announced Republican candidates with 5,219 votes, ahead of Rudy Giuliani (4,313), John McCain (3,559) and Mike Huckabee (2,235). Sam Brownback led the other GOP candidates with 2,021 votes.

Roll on, Fred!

Fred to appear on Leno!!!

Fred Thompson is tentatively scheduled to make an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday, May 3!!

More on Fred's candidacy...

With respect to Fred's announcement today that he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2004, Bill Pascoe, who among other things worked on the Diana Irey campaign to try to unseat John Murtha, says:

"It doesn't take too much reading of the tea leaves to recognize that his acknowledgement is a house-cleaning on his part," Pascoe said. "I take that as a sign that he's gearing up to run. Why else would he choose to reveal that?" Pascoe said it's not too late for Thompson to get in the race, calling him "very Reagan-esque in a party looking for a 21st-century Reagan."

Look for much more of Fred Thompson in the not-too-distant future:

He has a slew of high-profile appearances coming up. On April 18, he is to meet privately with House Republicans interested in his candidacy. On May 4, he is slated to speak to the Lincoln Club of Orange County, Calif., one of the largest Republican organizations in the country.

The Politico has learned Thompson is likely to appear the night before the dinner on NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno." In May, HBO Films will debut "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," featuring Thompson playing President Ulysses S. Grant, complete with Oval Office scenes. The film has a large promotional budget, a source said.

And the juggernaut rolls on!

Fred Thompson diagnosed with cancer in 2004.

After revealing to Fox News' Neil Cavuto that he was diagnosed with lymphoma more than two years ago, Fred Thompson maintains a "business as usual" approach.


"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't satisfied in my own mind as to the nature of it and the fact that not only will I have an average lifespan but in the meantime I will not be affected in anyway by it," Thompson said.


In a post at "Red State" blog, Thompson expressed optimism for a full recovery.


I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My life expectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future--and with no debilitating side effects.

I am one of the lucky ones. There are many lucky ones today. And for all of our diversity, we share one thing in common--a deep appreciation for the fact that we live in the United States of America and have the best medicine and the best doctors the world has even known.

Leo adds:

Just as Thompson has been said to be able to melt steel, and that he's bald only because his hair is afraid of him, in a similar vein:

Fred Thompson--he's not in remission--even his cancer is afraid of him :o)

The good LORD is saving you for a purpose, Fred!

Run Fred, Run!

Fred Thompson's Conservative Credentials...

Mind you that this is coming from an MSM writer with extreme BDS:

Upon entering the Senate in 1994, having campaigned on a platform of campaign finance reform, term limits and lower congressional salaries and pay raises, he immediately set out to work on keeping his word to the voters. As a member of the Government Affairs Committee, he helped put into law the Congressional Accountability Act, a bill that subjected congressmen to the same labor laws as businesses, and worked unsuccessfully to enact a raft of ambitious reforms, including a constitutional amendment to establish term limits and legislation to overhaul the bloated budget process.

Although he continued to press for wide-reaching reform during the remainder of his Senate years, helping him retain the image of a commonsense, independent politician unafraid of ruffling some insider Beltway feathers to get the job done in the eyes of his constituency, when push came to shove and bills needed to be voted on, Thompson could always be counted on as a reliable vote for the Republicans. According to the non-partisan Project Vote Smart, Thompson stood toe-to-toe with a handful of colleagues on voting the Republican Party line most often, supporting Contract With America items 100 percent of the time. He did so by consistently voting to cut funding for education and welfare reform and to increase military spending, and by voting against pro-choice legislation and anti-gun bills. However, he also bucked party trends (and his supposedly reformist image) by opposing the banning of gift-giving by lobbyists and tort reform.

If you'll note the tone of Jacquot's tome, you'll see that he's actually complaining about the emboldened content of the latter paragraph. Like it's a bad thing, or something.

Other Republicans in this race have at one time or another been MSM darlings. Take McCain, or Hagel for instance, who have been "fawned over" time and time again, be it for witholding nominations for conservative judges, or parroting the dem party line on the Iraq war (of course, McCain has taken a MSM popularity hit as of late with his steadfast support of our war effort). When the MSM sycophantically labels a Republican "principled," or a "maverick," one must necessarily call to question such politicians' judgments.

But when the left complains about a Republican and his stance on issues, you know that man's gotta be doing something right!

Run Fred, Run!

And yet another glowing Fred Thompson edorsement!

This time from Missouri's Lieutenant Governor:

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Ronald Reagan did it, and one of Missouri's top elected officials believes Fred Thompson could also make the transition from actor to president.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, was formerly associate publisher of the Southeast Missourian newspaper in Cape Girardeau. He gave up that post when he was running for lieutenant governor, a race he won in 2004.

Kinder wrote in the newspaper Sunday that he is supporting Thompson, 65, for president.

"Fred Thompson is the real deal, the closest thing to a natural we've had (or are likely to see) since Reagan," Kinder wrote.

[SNIP]

Kinder cited Thompson's staunch conservatism, along with his potential mainstream appeal as an actor.

Thompson opposes abortion, gun control and gay marriage and supports President Bush's decision to increase troops in Iraq. He has said he would pardon former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice.

And the juggernaut rolls on...

Chattanooga Newspaper Endorses Fred!

And the juggernaut rolls on:

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Former Republican U-S Senator Fred Thompson has not yet said if he is a presidential candidate.

But a Chattanooga editorial page has joined a "draft Fred" movement with an endorsement of the actor and attorney 19 months before the election.

The Chattanooga Free Press published the endorsement editorial today, saying Thompson "has not declined" growing encouragement for him to run.

The editorial cited his proven experience, wisdom and character.

The editorial board at The Chattanooga Free Press, of course, being a Tennessee paper, has had ample time to follow Fred's progress, both in and out of the legislature

The fact that they have made a nearly unheard-of early endorsement speaks volumes as to the confidence that folks familiar with Fred place in him!

Fred in too late?

Just hold your horses...

Elephant Biz, with the help of Glenn Reynolds and Ted Welch, provides a convincing argument why Fred Thompson still has time to file and still come out ahead of the pack.

President-Elect Fred Thompson?

Check out Bruce Walker's post.

Thompson an advocate for stronger border security.

I have felt for some time that any presidential candidate (Democrat or Republican) who is on the right of the illegal immigration issue will garner tremendous support. As long as national security remains this country’s primary concern, there should be a sense of urgency in protecting America’s borders. The need for stronger border enforcement is even more palpable after the release of a study indicating illegal aliens are killing more Americans than the Iraq war.

Fred Thompson weighed in on this issue after President Bush’s recent trip south of the border.

Fred Thompson--a PRO LIFE candidate.

There is a hum about the blogosphere that Fred Thompson is pro-abortion. That is simply not the case.

Fred's voting record:

• 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)

Not much of a "pro-choice" (not the term I'd personally use for that, anyway) candidate, is he?

****UPDATE*****

From the American Spectator Blog:

This morning, I cited reports being promoted by the pro-Romney blog Evangelicals for Mitt suggesting that Fred Thompson ran his two campaigns for Senate in Tennessee as a pro-choicer. Not so, National Right to Life executive co-director Darla St. Martin just told me.

St. Martin said that she went down to Tennessee in 1994 to speak with Thompson personally when he first ran for Senate, and that she determined he was against abortion.

"I interviewed him and on all of the questions I asked him, he opposed abortion," St. Martin said. She told me that the group went on to support him in that election, and his record reinforced for her that their determination was correct.

"He has a consistent voting record that is pro-life," she said.

On the NRLC website, they archive their congressional ratings back to 1997, so they include six of his eight years in the Senate. Thompson took the pro-life position on every vote he cast on the abortion issue. The only reason he didn't have a 100% rating is that, as Jim pointed out, the ratings also include votes on campaign finance reform, which he supported.

Read the rest on Thompson's PRO-LIFE credentials.

More on Fred--words speak for themselves.

What the RNC has been missing:

STATESMANSHIP!

Fred Thompson and the Evangelicals.

Even though he has yet to officially declare his candidacy, Fred Thompson has already been scrutinized over not only his politics but his spiritual beliefs.


Focus on the Family founder James Dobson has dealt a potentially devastating blow to Fred Thompson’s presidential aspirations, saying the former senator is not a Christian.

"Everyone knows he’s conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for,” Dobson – considered the most politically powerful evangelical figure in the U.S. – said in a phone call to Dan Gilgoff, senior editor at U.S. News & World Report.

"[But] I don’t think he’s a Christian. At least that’s my impression.”

Thompson’s spokesman Mark Corallo took issue with the statement.

"Thompson is indeed a Christian,” he said. "He was baptized into the Church of Christ.”


Whatever the case, I don’t believe a Presidential candidate’s religious status is the most important aspect (and I say this as a Christian myself).

What should be of paramount concern to all Christian conservatives is a candidate’s aspirations to uphold the Constitution. I take great comfort in Thompson’s statement on Roe v Wade:


"I think Roe vs. Wade was bad law and bad medical science. And the way to address that is through good judges. I don't think the court ought to wake up one day and make new social policy for the country. It's contrary to what it's been the past 200 years."


What’s also very revealing in that statement is Thompson’s belief in judges who actually hand down rulings based on laws in place rather then legislating from the bench. Whomever is elected President in 2008 will likely face the prospects of nominating at least one justice to the Supreme Court of the United States (Liberal justice John Paul Stevens will be 87 in two weeks). As it stands right now, the SCOTUS seems to be evenly divided, with Justice Anthony Kennedy appearing to be the “swing vote.”

It stands to reason that a President Thompson would nominate constructionist judges in the mold of Antonin Scalia and John Roberts.

Therefore, if our Constitutional rights are protected, this would go much further in maintaining religious freedom than the Christianity of a sitting President.

Fred Thompson is blogging...

...At Red State.

Oil prices fell. The stock market rose. Video images of smiling British soldiers with Iranian President Ahmadinejad were everywhere. So were pictures of the 15 freed hostages embracing family members back home. The relief over the return of the Brits was so tremendous; you could almost hear birds singing.

Maybe it's because military action won't be needed or maybe it's just because the ordeal won't drag on and on, but the world is breathing easier now. A lot of folks are happy. The problem, as I see it, is that Ahmadinejad seems to be the happiest.

And why shouldn't he be? He has shown the world that his forces can kidnap British citizens, subject them to brutal psychological tactics to coerce phony confessions, finagle the release of a high-ranking Iranian terror coordinator in Iraq, utterly trash the Geneva conventions and suffer absolutely no consequences.

The UN Security Council summoned its vaunted multilateral greatness to issue a swift statement of sincere uneasiness. The EU, which has pressured Britain to rely on Europeans for mutual defense instead of the US, wouldn't even discuss economic sanctions that might disrupt their holidays. Even NATO was AWOL.

Please do keep reading . . .

Tony Blair doesn't appear to be in much of a mood for celebrating. I don't know how he could be, given the troubling spectacle of British soldiers shake the hand of their kidnapper as a condition of release. In the old days, they would have kissed his ring -- but wearing Iranian suits and carrying swag more appropriate to a Hollywood awards ceremony may have been as embarrassing. Ironically, Blair's options are fewer by the day as his own party moves to mothball the British fleet, once the fear of pirates and tyrants the world over.

Some in the West seem part of Iran's propaganda war; claiming that the release of the hostages was a victory that proves the Iranian dictatorship can be reasoned with. To misrepresent unpunished piracy as a victory is as Orwellian as the congressional mandate banning use of the term "the global war on terror." What are we — Reuters?

Read the rest.

Read Fred Thompson's words, and you will read what has been missing from American politics since those fateful times in 2001. Statesmanship. Calling a spade a spade.

Thompson is the kind of straight-talker we need in the White House.

h/t Michelle Malkin

A juggernaut ready to roll...

Political Roads has the story:

In a week where all the major candidates reported their fundraising success in the first quarter, the biggest news was Fred Thompson, who moved himself into Republican primary prominence in four short weeks. In the lastest survey, he jumped over the fading John McCain.

[snip]

The numbers:

REPUBLICANS: Rudy Giuliani, 29.3, Fred Thompson, 20.9, John McCain 18.2, Mitt Romney 16.6, Newt Gingrich 4.0.

Gary Gross notes that Thompson has put together a campaign staff:

Fred Thompson, the “Law & Order” actor and former senator from Tennessee, has moved beyond pondering a bid for the White House and begun assembling the nucleus of a campaign should he decide to run, according to people involved in the effort. Thompson has not yet decided to seek the Republican presidential nomination. But “he is getting more serious every day,” said an adviser familiar with Thompson’s plans.

Mr. Gross goes on to say that if Thompson throws his hat in the race, it will be a 2-man race between him and Giuliani. While I don't doubt that, given that Thompson is already #2 and hasn't even officially thrown his hat in the ring, you can look to him to rise to #1 in short order after announcing his candidacy.

Thompson gets House GOP consideration..

From Robert Nowak:

THOMPSON’S CAMPAIGN

Fred Thompson’s progress toward becoming a Republican presidential candidate will take a step with the return of Congress from its Easter break when he meets privately with a large group of Republican House members.

GOP House leaders had prepared last year to board George Allen’s campaign wagon before his defeat in Virginia for re-election to the Senate eliminated him from presidential consideration. They had been moving toward support of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, led by former Speaker Dennis Hastert’s endorsement. But many have stepped back from Romney and are looking hard at Thompson. One member of the GOP leadership who had been prepared to endorse Romney is holding his fire while he considers Thompson.

A footnote: Thompson will hit the campaign trail next month in advance of any formal announcement with a May 4 speech in Orange County, Calif. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has led GOP presidential hopefuls in lining up California support.

Compared with the "Johnny come latelies" to conservatism Romney and Giuliani, Thompson presents a clear, unabashedly conservative choice. Anyone who espouses Reaganesque conservatism would do well to take a good look at Fred Thompson.

What can happen with a Thompson candidacy?

Click to enlarge

Thompson: The alphabets are noticing...

From ABC:

April 6, 2007— The winds behind the 'Draft Fred Thompson' movement are getting stronger.

Dalton-ites have re-launched a new website in the latest effort to convince the actor-turned-politician-turned actor (and ABC News Radio host) to step out of semi-private life and back onto the political stage to make a run for the Republican presidential nomination.

The website's front page makes its pitch in bold letters: "Republicans want a presidential nominee who can bring our Nation together and who stands squarely on the conservative principles of Ronald Reagan. Fred Thompson's record is solid. He does not waffle. He knows where he stands because he is sure of what he believes.

Above and beyond that, give conservatives a true conservative candidate that they can stand behind, and they'll run through concrete walls for that candidate.

Thompson has the power to energize, and when he decides to run you'll see a flurry of energy and activity in the Republican base that has been unknown since the days of Ronaldus Magnus.

The only thing this blogger has to say is, Run Fred, Run!

Fred gearing up!

From Politico:

“The outreach to him has been so overwhelming that he is now starting to talk to people to really calibrate what it would take to run a successful campaign,’’ the adviser said. “He’s talking to some of the top unaligned strategists and fundraisers. He’s said: ‘I’m seriously considering it, and I’m happy to hear your thoughts and ideas.’”

Read more at Allahpundit.

Join the Minnesotans to draft Fred blogroll...

Send me an email at minnesotansforfred (at) fastmail (dot) fm, and I'll send you the code.

As the purpose is to get Mr. Thompson's name as much visibility as possible, we will require that you

1. Post the blogroll to your blog

2. Write at least one "draft Fred" post per week.

Thanks--let's work together to get this grassroots effort snowballing!

Draft Fred!!

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Fred Thompson's Words of Leadership; 9/16/2001