Minnesotans for Fred!!

Fred's (real) Announcement Video! (Permanently Bumped to Top)

2008-11-06T21:13:00.000-06:00

From the Fred.08 website

Now, conservatives... tell me he's not everything you look for in a candidate!

The End of the American Republic?

2008-01-20T19:52:00.000-06:00

“The American Republic will endure until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money.” -Alexis De Tocqueville

I think that politicians, especially since FDR, have long known that they can bribe the people with their own money. But since FDR, a healthy majority of the American people couldn't be bought. They loved freedom, less government, and a secure nation more than the baubles and breadcumbs that may have flowed from Washington, D.C.

The nation, on the whole, was a conservative nation.

Nothing illustrated this more than the wholesale acceptance of Ronald Wilson Reagan in 1980, and of his legacy as borne in the Contract with America that launched the Republican Congressional revolution of 1994.

And nothing spelled out the repudiation of the conservative principles on which this nation was founded than the third place finish of Fred Thompson in South Carolina.

On point after point, from immigration, to national security, to taxes and to life itself, Fred Thompson mirrored the conservative ideals that have been proven to be so effective in governing our nation since the penning of the Federalist Papers.

If there was anywhere in this nation where it couldn't have been more clear, it would have been in South Carolina; traditionally a bastion of clear thinking, small government conservatives.

Yet John McCain, in every sense a political opportunistic populist with a liberal voting record as long as the Mississippi, ran the table.

Newt Gingrich caught a lot of flack when he proclaimed that Reaganesque conservatism was in its death throes, and that politicians needed to embrace a more "centrist" approach.

He was right in the sense that South Carolina is current living proof that Reaganesque conservatism is, if anything, on life support.

Maybe Rush Limbaugh was right last week when he said that it took a Jimmy Carter to give us Ronaldus Magnus.

Perhaps 2012 will be the year of Fred... if the liberals haven't run us into the ground by then.

Fred Thompson: First Against Illegal Immigration; First in Common Sense.

2008-01-19T07:49:00.001-06:00

From Numbers, USA

(January 18) The day before South Carolina’s Republican Primary, the Rasmussen Poll of the state shows the frontrunners as McCain (24%), Huckabee (24%), Romney (18%) and Thompson (16%). Of the four, according to NumbersUSA President Roy Beck’s Presidential Grid that rates each candidate in 16 immigration categories, Fred Thompson scores the highest. And Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) scores the lowest overall. The ratings are based on how well a candidate’s immigration stances would protect American workers, taxpayers, communities, infrastructure, individual freedom and the environment.

Fred on Gitmo:

SENECA, S.C. --
(AP) -- Republican U.S. presidential candidate Fred Thompson on Friday defended the detention of foreign nationals at the U.S. Navy base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
''The last thing in the world we need is a bunch of enemy combatants over here in our court system,'' the former Tennessee senator said during a radio interview in front of a couple hundred people at a restaurant.
He said closing the detention facility would allow prisoners to demand rights given to U.S. citizens and would not help ``buy off world opinion.''
The Guantánamo remarks were a slap at Arizona Sen. John McCain, the winner of the New Hampshire primary and former Vietnam-held prisoner-of-war, who has called for the facility to be shuttered in part because it is harming the United States' global reputation.

Fred on issues:

No. Contest.

Full Speed Ahead, Fred! (c)

Rush Limbaugh and Fred Thompson

2008-01-17T19:38:00.001-06:00

Check out this great post at the National Ledger.

Fred Gets Mad...

2008-01-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

And so am I.

What do you do when you're desperate, when you know that you are lacking in substance and devoid of serious gravitas?

Why run push polls against your Republican opponent, of course:

Fred Thompson Gets Mad

By Joel Achenbach
PROSPERITY, S.C. -- You rarely see Fred Thompson get too riled about anything, but steam was near about shooting from his ears today when he heard at a campaign stop that some of his supporters had received "push poll" calls from a group supporting Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.

At a steak house in this small town west of Columbia, a man in the small crowd told Thompson that many people had gotten such calls in the past 24 hours. Thompson asked anyone who had received such a call to raise his or hand. At least a dozen hands shot up. The former senator said he'd heard of push polls accusing him of supporting partial birth abortion.

"They're taking the most outrageous, easily disproved things that they can come up with. It's amazing to me. Its so ham-handed," Thompson said. "I had a 100 percent pro-life voting record over 8 years."

Trey Taylor, 41, told The Post that he'd gotten a call in which, after he'd revealed his preference for Thompson, a recorded voice said Thompson had lobbied on behalf of a "radical" pro-abortion organization. The recording then cited Huckabee's anti-abortion record.

Speaking with reporters, Thompson looked like he was ready to strip the bark off Huckabee. He suggested that Huckabee isn't trying to "win the legitimate way" by focusing on the issues. At the most recent debate, he said, "I confronted him man to man, with regard to the issues. This is the response I get."

Not only does Huckabee govern like a democrat; he's campaigning like one.

Fred on Christian Charity...

2008-01-16T06:27:00.000-06:00

from CBS News:

Mixing theology and social issues on the campaign trail is rare for Fred Thompson, but he discussed it today answering a question from a member of the audience.

A woman asked him if he would “as a Christian, as a conservative” continue President Bush’s programs to combat global AIDS.

“Christ didn’t tell us to go to the government and pass a bill to get some of these social problems dealt with. He told us to do it,” Thompson said.

“The government has its role, but we need to keep firmly in mind the role of the government, and the role of us as individuals and as Christians on the other.”

He received a round of applause for his answer, and went on to expand on the role of government in fighting AIDS and other diseases.

h/t Glenn Reynolds

Fred's Pro-Life Credentials...

2008-01-14T20:13:00.000-06:00

The Thompson Awakening

2008-01-12T13:57:00.000-06:00

As the GOP primary season rolls on, and the issue of substance rears its head, it's becoming increasingly clear that Fred Thompson remains the only true conservative choice:

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — John and Ann Berenberk dutifully watched the umpteenth Republican presidential debate on television on Thursday night and had an epiphany. It was about the candidate they had previously referred to as the tall, silent one. Fred D. Thompson.

The last of the candidates to enter the race, Mr. Thompson, 65, a former Tennessee senator, has so far seemed to distinguish himself mainly by a laconic style that has made him almost invisible beside the others on the stage in past debates, the Berenberks said.
“But then last night — we hadn’t even been thinking about him — all of a sudden it was clear he was the one,” said Mr. Berenberk, a retired teacher. “The bluntness, the forcefulness. He was really impressive.”
Whether this was a new Fred Thompson, or just a sign of mirage-inducing campaign fatigue among voters, many people attending Mr. Thompson’s campaign rallies here on the day after the debate reported having similar revelations.

[SNIP]

Mr. Thompson has made all the same points during campaign events throughout the state, aides said. But many voters who flocked to his rallies on Friday had never heard him make them until they heard him in the latest debate on the Fox News Channel.
Jim Sickles, a retired corrections officer; Natalie Bankowski, an office manager; and Maryanne Gasper, who said she was “a waitress, with two other jobs,” were among a dozen people randomly interviewed who said they had been undecided or leaning toward other Republican candidates — mainly Mr. Huckabee — until Thursday night.

The more the campaign wears on, the more that everyday people are starting to realize that, far from being a slick re-packaged candidate that speaks in focus-group tested soundbites, Fred Thompson is a genuine man who has, and will continue to deal in true conservative principles and ideals. To Fred, they're not soundbites, nor trite platitudes. They're the core of his being.

As time goes by, epiphanies to that effect will become the norm, not the exception.

***UPDATE****

Joe Sixpack isn't the only one awakening to the merits of a Fred Thompson presidency; the major media pundits are taking note as well.

See Flopping Aces for a great compendium of thoughts around the MSM as well as the blogosphere.

Fred the Elder

2008-01-12T13:40:00.000-06:00

A clue as to who's the grown-up in this race.

Fred's smackdown of Mike Huckabee.

2008-01-12T13:14:00.000-06:00

If Fred pulls off a big “comeback”, many can say it started with the South Carolina smackdown of Mike Huckabee last week.

Check out the video.

***Leo adds****

P3WNED!

Fred on CNN

2008-01-12T12:55:00.001-06:00

Human Events Endorses Fred!

2008-01-11T09:24:00.000-06:00

Story here.

"Human Events Endorses Fred Thompson"
The Editors
Human Events
January 11, 2008

…

We begin by recalling the profound words of Ronald Reagan at the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 15, 1975: "A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromis ed to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers." We believed that then, and we believe it now. The issue for us — and for the conservative community — boils down to which of the candidates is most representative of the fundamental conservative principles we believe in. The answer is Fred Thompson.

…

We conclude that Thompson is a solid conservative whose judgment is grounded in our principles.

In his Senate years, Mr. Thompson compiled an American Conservative Union lifetime rating of 86.1, which is higher than both Sen. John McCain (82.3) and Rep. Ron Paul (82.3). The Club for Growth has praised Thompson as someone who has a strong commitment to limited government, free enterprise and federalist principles.

On the issues that matter most to conservatives, Sen. Thompson's positions benefit from their clarity. He is solidly pro-life. He sai d that he was in favor overturning Roe v. Wade because it was "bad law and bad medical science." As the National Right to Life Committee said in its endorsement of him Nov. 13, 2007, "The majority of this country is opposed to the vast majority of abortions, and Fred Thompson has shown in his consistent pro-life voting record in the U.S. Senate that he is part of the pro-life majority."

Thompson's record is solid on voting to preserve gun owners' rights, cut taxes, reduce government spending and drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has voted consistently against gay marriage.

…

We like the way Thompson unhesitatingly attacks the liberal ideologues and their activists such as MoveOn.org and the ACLU, and the way he reaches out to those we knew as the Reagan Democrats.

The question now is whether Sen. Thompson will do what he has not yet done: Take the advantages he is given by his intelligence, his principles, his polit ical skills and this endorsement and make the best use of them.

As the primaries and debates speed by, we would like to see Sen. Thompson continue to invigorate his campaign to carry him successfully through Tsunami Tuesday and to nomination at the Republican convention.

Sen. Thompson, you suffer, like most conservatives, from the built-in problem of not being a professional politician. It's precisely as Rush Limbaugh said of you: "The problem with Thompson is, and a little bit with me, is I'm a depth guy. I like depth. Television doesn't reward depth. Television rewards zingers, one-liners, cutesyisms. Fred Thompson produced a brilliant 17-minute video that was on YouTube that explains everything about every issue that he cares about. It's clear he's thought deeply about a whole lot."

…

For example, your stand on reforming th e entitlement programs that threaten to bankrupt our nation is courageous and workable.

…

We agree with Rush Limbaugh's characterization of your December 30 video speech to Iowa voters. More speeches like that one and an ad campaign demonstrating the Reaganesque inspiring optimism we know you have could create a momentum in South Carolina that would carry far beyond its borders.

…

Also, Fred is the clear winner in the debate in South Carolina (from Seattle Post Intelligencer, via Fred 08):

But it was Thompson's performance, in which he shook off the laid-back style that has defined his candidacy, which provided some of the liveliest moments of the debate.

"This is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party and its future," said Thompson, who has staked his run on a strong showing in South Carolina's Jan. 19 primary.

"On the one hand," he said, "you have the Reagan revolution, you have the Reagan coalition of limited government and strong national security. And the other hand, you have the direction that Governor Huckabee would take us in. He would be a Christian leader, but he would also bring about liberal economic policies, liberal foreign policies."

Thompson then lit into Huckabee, the former Baptist preacher and Arkansas governor who won the Iowa caucus, for wanting to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for supporting what he called "taxpayer-funded programs for illegals" and for wanting to sign a law restricting smoking.

"That's not the model of the Reagan coalition, that's the model of the Democratic Party," he said.

It's inevitable, folks... Fred's gonna do it.

From the Thompson Campaign:

2008-01-09T20:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday marked the beginning of Fred's Clear Conservative Choice--Hands Down! bus tour through South Carolina.

We had fantastic events in Greenville, Lexington, Camden and Sumter. Fred was greeted by enthusiastic crowds at each stop and took his message directly to hundreds of voters. Today he will be in Florence, Conway, and Myrtle Beach.

He's out there working hard and doing what he does best; talking directly to the people who will determine the outcome of the primary in just 10 days. Check out this footage of yesterday's events.

South Carolina has been an important component of our strategy since this race began, and we have been very focused on laying the groundwork for victory down there for a long time. Our team in the state is second to none and we have an outstanding organization of support throughout the state.

Fred is energized and focused. He's out there pounding the pavement, but he needs your help.

We are very close to meeting our goal for the Red Truck Challenge, help us get there with your contribution today! Forward on Fred's message to your friends and encourage them to join on as Friends of Fred. Log on to our 'Phone for Fred' program and help us reach voters across the state.

For the next 10 days, Fred is putting his all into a victory in South Carolina. He will win. He needs your help! Every bit counts. $10, just one dollar per day!! That's less than a cup of coffee. $25, $50 or even $100 is a small investment for a tremendous impact.

William B. Lacy
Campaign Manager

Fred last in New Hampshire, First among Conservatives...

2008-01-08T21:56:00.001-06:00

Fred's last-place finish in New Hampshire is far from the death knell of his campaign:

From Maine For Fred Thompson:

For Conservatives, the race begins in South Carolina

No conservative was ever going to win Iowa or New Hampshire, although New Hampshire will identify the most conservative Republican in the race. He will place last in New Hampshire.

So the focus for conservatives begins in South Carolina. As the race moves south and the overcrowded field of unlikely contenders thins down to the five who could actually win the nomination, Republicans will get a closer look at their five primary contenders and it is now Thompson’s time to shine.

Amen.

When it comes to pure substance, and pure, rational workable and sane thinking, there is not a candidate in the field, democrat or republican, who can hold a candle to Fred.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!!

So, what's Romney afraid of?

2008-01-06T08:08:00.000-06:00

In a "reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" moment, the story that Fred would concede and support John McCain has been proven to be a total falsehood. The rumor, which was initially reported to be coming from officials "close to the Thompson campaign" did not come from the Thompson campaign, nor anyone connected with it. The question remained, who would put out such a rumor?

From here, via The Corner:

Published reports that Fred Thompson soon will withdraw from the Republican presidential contest and endorse Sen. John McCain have been traced in part to Mitt Romney's campaign, trying to stir up strife between McCain and Thompson.

Why the dirty tricks, Mitt? Are you afraid of running on the substance of your convictions and ideas?

Oh wait. There is no substance, is there.

Carry on.

No. Contest.

2008-01-06T07:59:00.001-06:00

Fred was the clear winner in last night's debate. Romney and Giuliani may have dominated in talk time, but clearly didn't provide anything of substance, cementing the notion that one can talk and talk for hours and not say anything. Fred's clearly articulated stances on issues, including his "p3wning" Mitt Romney on the issue of health care, along with his no-nonsense approach to illegal immigration, were both intellectually and and substantively light years above anyone else's stance.

Face it folks, when it comes to substantive stances on issues, as well as workable, detailed plans, no one holds a candle to Fred Thompson. As time goes by and Americans start to pay more attention to the debate, it is clear who the only, real, conservative choice is.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!

Fred Picks Up Yet Another Pro-Life Endorsement...

2008-01-05T18:36:00.000-06:00

This time from Minnesota's own MCCL!

Maritime Sentinel has the details!

***UPDATE**** New Hampshire Citizens for Life has also endorsed Fred!

Details at My Views On Politics

Memo to Primary Voters...

2008-01-05T16:45:00.000-06:00

To those of you who think Fred can't win...

(click for full size)

Fred takes Third in Iowa...

2008-01-03T21:05:00.000-06:00

Despite what the Politico said about Fred dropping out and endorsing McCain, tonight's results couldn't be further from the truth!

Fred Thompson took third place in Iowa today. Remember, this is the same Fred Thompson who is the latest latecomer in the primary race. This is the same Fred Thompson who took campaigning to a new level of frankness, as noted in his 17-minute down-to-earth no-nonsense video.

And yes, this is the same Fred Thompson who has barely been mentioned by Fox and by the establishment media.

Not bad for a Johnny-come lately into the field.

Concede to McCain? I don't think so.

Consider Iowa a "tortoise and the hare" moment. Look for the Thompson juggernaut to gain momentum from this point on.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!!

Fred's Message to Iowa... (and the nation)

2007-12-30T23:33:00.001-06:00

A Christmas Message from Fred!

2007-12-23T19:58:00.000-06:00

Fred in the News...

2007-12-19T22:05:00.000-06:00

Fred may be a relative latecomer, but don't count him out--not even in Iowa.

Robert Novak concurs

The "X factor" in this race is former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.). Most Iowa Republicans did not even mention his name in discussing candidates they supported or opposed. He simply does not register in the minds of potential GOP caucus-goers, but when asked about him, voters have little negative to say.

Thompson has far more upside potential than any other Republican, and he is spending the entire final stretch in the Hawkeye State. Thompson has perhaps the most broadly conservative record of any candidate besides the three congressmen (see below). Many conservative Iowans currently settling for Romney, Giuliani or Huckabee (or planning a protest vote of sorts for one of the congressmen) could certainly jump on board with Thompson. If he defies his reputation as a lazy worker, he could make a spectacular surge here

Fred likes his own chances in Iowa, as evident by this upbeat interview on Hannity & Colmes.

Fred Thompson's pro-life credentials are growing, having picked up the endorsement of the North Carolina Right-to-Life PAC.

Fred's been a long time in coming to the fore, but as people begin to realize that he is the only consistently conservative choice on the GOP ticket, look for the Fred Thompson juggernaut to gain full steam!

Full Speed Ahead, Fred!

Undeniably Conservative

2007-12-18T10:43:00.002-06:00

That's the verdict rendered in this article. It's just another example of the case conservatives should be making on Fred's behalf. Here's one of the key sections of the article:

In short, Thompson holds the same conservative positions of all the other candidates combined, and has none of their flaws. In fact, any close observer of the campaign season would tell you that Thompson has been on the receiving end of barely any substantive attacks on policy issues. This is no coincidence. And it is the reason he has had to bear the brunt of shallow attacks about his demeanor, campaigning style, and laziness (whatever that means).

Thompson is a demonstrably viable candidate with solid conservative positions across the board, and unlike Mitt Romney, whose continued defense of his sometimes liberal record puts a dent in his newfound conservatism, Thompson has not budged on the issues since running for office in 1994.

Fred's conseratism doesn't change in the sense that the same underlying principles still guide his policy positions now as they did decades ago. The issues might change but the principles of unwavering federalism and fiscal freedom still guide his domestic policies.

Fred's also the only candidate that's published detailed plans for entitlement reform, immigration reform, dealing with Iraq and Iran. That's before we get to the issue of judicial nominees, where he's got the best credentials of anyone. (One of his advisors is David McIntosh, the founder of the Federalist Society.

Unlike Giuliani, Thompson is an undisputed social conservative, with the National Right to Life endorsement to prove it. And unlike Huckabee and McCain, he is an economic conservative who was given high marks by organizations such as the Club for Growth, and whose flat tax and Social Security plans were praised by editorial boards across the country. Thompson’s courageous and spot-on designation of the National Education Association as the primary obstacle to education in this country also shows a remarkable divergence with Huckabee, who was recently endorsed by the NEA’s New Hampshire affiliate.

Fred's plain-spoken policies are refreshing, even inspiring. He doesn't back away from fights. He doesn't pull his punches. He calls it as he sees it. It isn't just that he's talked the talk; he's the only candidate who's consistently walked the walk.

Finally, there's this:

Thompson’s plan emphasizing border security and opposition to amnesty also stands in stark contrast to McCain and Huckabee’s weaknesses on illegal immigration. And unlike the other candidates, most notably Huckabee, Thompson reassuringly has extensive foreign policy experience, and identifies national security as his top priority in light of the greater war against expansionist Islamic radicalism.

Fred Thompson is the most qualified candidate in the race. You'll notice that the people that criticize him for his campaigning style don't criticize his substance. That's because it's impossible to argue with his positions.

In fact, they're the type of positions that Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater would take. You can't do better than that.

UPDATE: I just noticed a comment on this post at my 'other' blog. I thought it so perfect that I had to share it with you. Here's that comment:

FRED THOMPSON is the best person to lead this country. He is a true conservative
and has been his entire life. All one has to do is check his record to see this.

During my time in the Army as am Intelligence Analyst, I served under both Presidents Carter and Reagan (as my commanders in chief). Without argument, President Reagan was the best commander-in-chief a military person could ever have served under. Fred Thompson possesses the same qualities and vision as President Reagan in that he is strong on national defense and sees a dire need to secure our borders and control immigration.

I can think of no better person to lead this country and fix the problems we have. He is the only candidate from either party who has specific and detailed plans on border
security and immigration reform; revitalization of America’s armed forces; saving and protecting Social Security; and tax relief and economic growth. These are detailed on his Web site at www.fred08.com. I challenge you to find any other candidate who has laid out specific plans to fix anything.

Fred Thompson has published his first principles, some of which are mentioned above. In addition to those, he strongly believes in individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, federalism, traditional American values, the rule of law and is a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, all concepts established during the birth of our country and documented in our Constitution.

Again, try to find any candidate who has laid out their plans to “fix” this country. You will find they all speak in vague and abstract terms on their plans.

For those who have heard Fred Thompson speak, you will usually hear him say that the Fred Thompson you see today is the same Fred Thompson you saw yesterday and is the same Fred Thompson you will see tomorrow. He stands by his principles and values and doesn’t shift his positions based on polls or public opinion; in other words, he doesn’t say what the voters want to hear just to get elected, but remains steadfast on his views and convictions.

During his time in the Senate he focused on three areas: to lower taxes, strengthen national security and expose waste in the federal government. Fred Thompson has foreign policy experience, having served as member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Intelligence committees.

As chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, he opened the investigation in 1997 on the Chinese government’s attempt to influence American policies and elections, and this investigation identified connections with the Clinton administration (documented in the committee’s report).

As a member of the Finance Committee, he worked tirelessly to enact three major tax-cut bills. Fred Thompson remains steadfast and even though a person may not agree with all his views and he understands some may disagree with him, you can count on him to be consistent and unwavering.

Don’t be fooled by his laid back approach and what critics call his “laziness.” As a former assistant U.S. attorney, he earned a reputation as a tough prosecutor and he possesses the toughness this country needs in order to tackle today’s and tomorrow’s issues.

I ask that you take a hard look at what this country needs, then take a hard look at all the other candidates’ views, policies, their records and their track record on consistency. Fred Thompson possesses integrity, loyalty, commitment, energy and decisiveness, all traits of an effective leader, and will emerge as the best person to take this country boldly forward.

Comment by Frederick Paxson
• 18Dec2007

Mr. Paxson is with Fred's campaign so it's appropriately biased, though I can say that its bias is based on history & verifiable facts.

Technorati: Fred Thompson, SCOTUS, Federalism, Immigration, National Security, Conservatism, Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, Election 2008

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

2007-12-18T10:43:00.001-06:00

Fred: The Right Stuff on Energy...

2007-12-06T22:16:00.000-06:00

From See-BS:

(AP) Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Wednesday that tapping oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) would help lower gas prices.

“We've got this silly battle going on about ANWR,” said Thompson, who voted in favor of drilling the refuge as a former Tennessee senator.

“We've got the reserves up there that can be tapped,” he told a crowd of about 50 people packed into a small café in this early voting state. “They're not going to solve our problem, but it's one step we can take.”

Thompson's remarks came a day after environmental and Native Alaskan groups asked a federal appeals court to block Royal Dutch Shell PLC's plans for exploratory oil drilling near the refuge. The U.S. Mineral Management Service decided this year to allow the energy giant to drill up to 12 exploratory oil wells in the Beaufort Sea off the northern coast of Alaska.

Thompson argued the United States can become less reliant on oil-based energy and pursue nuclear and clean coal development. The country must reduce its dependence on fuel from unstable partners in the Middle East, Russia and Venezuela, he said.

“So much of it is coming from problem areas in the world, and it's making us a hostage, in many respects,” Thompson said in response to a question from the crowd. “What we've got to do is not be so dependent on the wrong places in the world.”

Thompson also said maintaining a strong military could help global stability, which would keep oil prices consistent.

“That does more to keep oil prices under control, probably, than anything else,” he said.

C'mon folks--tell me he's not the right guy for the job!
On every important issue, Fred has commonsense, detailed plans grounded in conservative principles.

He is beyond a doubt the real article!

Fred Picks Up a Major Endorsement in S.C.!

2007-12-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

Via NYT:

COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a state where he appears locked in a three-way race, Fred D. Thompson’s campaign heralded his endorsement from a grass-roots anti-abortion group in South Carolina today.

“South Carolina Citizens for Life is confident in Senator Fred Thompson’s resolve to protect and defend the most defenseless among us: our unborn children,” said Holly Gatling, the group’s executive director. She said that the group would help his campaign in the state and run radio ads before the primary.
Mr. Thompson has previously received the endorsements of the National Right to Life Committee, with which the South Carolina group is affiliated, and the group’s West Virginia chapter. According to National Right to Life Committee policy, state affiliates may either follow suit in backing the national endorsee or stay neutral. His “100 percent pro-life” voting record is a cornerstone of his bid, as he runs against those who are seen as more moderate on social issues or newer to the cause of opposing abortion rights.

Fred remains the only top-tier candidate with a 100% pro-life record. Winning South Carolina will be a big step toward Fred achieving the top-of-the ticket status in 2008!

What to do about Iran.

2007-12-04T20:58:00.000-06:00

One of the critical issues likely to emerge in the ’08 Presidential race would be the candidates’ plans on dealing with Iran. It’s become even more of an intriguing issue in light of recent intelligence findings.

A new assessment by American intelligence agencies made public Monday concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains on hold, contradicting an assessment two years ago that Tehran was working inexorably toward building a bomb.

The report seems likely to weaken international support for tougher sanctions against Iran and raise new questions about the credibility of the beleaguered American intelligence agencies, while reshaping the final year of the Bush administration, which has made halting Iran's nuclear program a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

Appearing on The Laura Ingraham Show this morning, Michael Ledeen, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, contends that Iran is indeed still enriching uranium. That would seem to indicate that Iran could restart its nuclear program at any time.

Ledeen has also been very outspoken in dealing with the Iran and their killing of American citizens. However, no sitting US President in the last thirty years has considered anything outside of failed diplomatic efforts.

From the hostage seizure in Tehran in 1979 to the bombing of the American Embassy and U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon in the early 1980s, to the attack against Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia a decade later, and the terror war waged against us and our friends and allies in Afghanistan and Iraq in the first years of this century, Iran has attacked America, killed Americans, and taken American hostages.

No American president has responded in kind to this ongoing war. Indeed, every president since Jimmy Carter has convinced himself that it is possible to negotiate our “differences” with Iran. Accordingly -– despite the conventional wisdom to the contrary — we have been negotiating with the mullahs ever since the 1979 revolution that brought to power the Islamic Fascist regime of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In the intervening 28 years, we have participated in countless face-to-face encounters, myriad “demarches” sent through diplomatic channels, and meetings –- some on the fringes of international conferences — involving “unofficial” representatives of one government or the other. The lack of any tangible result is obvious, yet the advocates of negotiation act as if none of this ever happened.

As a result, Ledeen has been a strong advocate of regime change in Iran.

This campaign would range from radio broadcasts (especially conversations with participants in successful non-violent revolutions in other countries), to working with trade unions to build a strike fund for Iranian workers, to providing communications tools (cell phones, satellite phones, phone cards, servers, laptops and anti-blocking software) to the dissidents.

It may not succeed, to be sure, but there is every reason to be optimistic. It has worked in the past, it obviously frightens the mullahs (who inveigh against “soft revolution” at every opportunity), and it would be the morally and politically right thing to do, even if Iran were not at war with us, and even if there were no nuclear program. Under the circumstances, it is not only good policy, but an urgently needed one.

Out of the current crop of Presidential candidates, only one I know of has gone on the record in echoing those sentiments – Fred Thompson. Back in April, Thompson indicated he was in favor of helping the Iranian people overthrow their current government.

(Thompson) accused Tehran of "playing a larger part in killing our soldiers" in neighboring Iraq.

Many Iranians don't like their government, "and I think we ought to capitalize on that," Thompson told The Associated Press. "There is a chance they may mobilize themselves, and we need to assist them if that happens."

Even though US Intelligence agencies and the UN have concurred that Iran has, for now, suspended its nuclear program, the current regime still remains a threat. Thus far Thompson is the only Presidential candidate who has taken a hard line approach in dealing with the Iran issue.

UPDATE 12/5/07: Thompson also skeptical of new intelligence report on Iran.

Fred's Plan for Social Security

2007-11-12T19:23:00.000-06:00

From CBS News:

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson outlined Friday a plan to overhaul Social Security that he says would keep the program solvent, but, studies say, could also significantly lower benefits relative to the current system.

Thompson is the first of the major candidates to outline a plan for preserving the entitlement program, which he says will go bankrupt by 2041 if no changes are made. “The ugly truth is that we’re going to lose it as we know it if we don’t do something about it,” Thompson said. “Our current path is unsustainable.”

Under his plan, which the former senator unveiled in Washington, workers would be able to contribute two percent of pre-tax income into a personal savings account, with contributions matched by the government - a proposal not unlike that put forward by President Bush early in his second term that failed to gain traction in Congress.

Benefits under Thompson's plan would be indexed to inflation, not wages as they are now. Because inflation rises at a smaller rate than wages, the practical effect of this change would be a reduction in benefits when compared to the current system - a difference of nearly 50 percent, according to some studies.

“It’s idealistic and does not have a huge political upside,” Thompson said. “But we need avoid pitting one generation against each other.”

However, the plan would preserve benefits for those over 57 years old, a move that could make the proposal more acceptable to elderly Americans, who tend to vote in large numbers.

While admitting his plan would cut benefits to future retirees, Thompson said he believes it is better to solve the Social Security problem now than waiting until the system collapses. “Personal retirement accounts and economic growth cannot solve this problem, even though my opponents say it can,” he said.

In an era of politics when everyone is afraid of their own shadow, it's refreshing to see a statesman tackle a "third rail issue" like social security!

Fred Thompson's not afraid to tackle the tough issues, and to assess them realistically.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!

Fred Thompson endorsed by Pro Life Group!

2007-11-12T18:22:00.000-06:00

Look here:

Nat'l Right to Life to endorse Thompson
Fred Thompson will pick up the support of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) tomorrow, according to two Republicans familar with the decision.

For a candidate who came up empty-handed last week when three prominent Christian conservatives endorsed GOP hopefuls and is falling in both national and early state polls, the move comes at a critical time.

NRLC is the most prominent anti-abortion group in the country, with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters.

Some critics are poo-poo-ing the endorsement due to Fred's federalist stance on the abortion issue; but in my mind, leaving the power to the States to decide is the quickest, most efficient means to save the most lives in the shortest possible time!

Congrats to Fred for receiving this important endorsement!

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED@!

Col. Joe Repya to Stump for Fred!

2007-11-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

Colonel Joe Repya, Iraq war veteran, republican activist, and head of the "Vets for Bush" campaign in 2004, has taken a similar position with the Fred Thompson Campaign!

"GOP Joe" is a discerning conservative, who doesn't take kindly to RINOs.

Andy at Residual Forces has the details.

Fred on the Right to Life

2007-11-04T17:07:00.001-06:00

Essentially, it would appear that Fred wants to take us back to pre- Roe v. Wade days:

Fred essentially wants to turn the power over to the states. This I can agree with. To the best of my knowledge, there are no Federal murder laws, outside of those that take place on Federal property. The states, then, would be the rightful stewards of the abortion issue and legislation pertaining to abortion.

Note that Fred would not support any federal funding for abortion, whether domestically or overseas.

Jay, over at Stop the ACLU, says this:

One admirable trait of Fred’s is that he has never pretended to be on both sides of any issue during this election. He has always claimed a federalist view on social issues, and he’s been consistent. I am one of the most social conservative bloggers around, and I agree that most of the solution is with the people. I agree that these decisions should be made by the families and the State representing the views of its majority. Most likely, the only way abortion will ever diminish is if Roe Vs. Wade is overturned. Fred Thompson agrees that this Supreme Court decision was a bad one. It was this decision that put the issue of abortion in the Federal government hands in the first place. Liberals should remember this the next time they complain that the Federal government is trying to “trample on women’s rights’”. Whether its abortion or homosexual marraige it is best left at the State levels.

Fred and Phil Martin

2007-11-04T16:51:00.000-06:00

It's all over the place right now that one of Fred's key advisors has a criminal record--from over 20 years ago:

Fred Thompson said Sunday that he wishes he had known earlier that one of his key presidential campaign advisers pleaded guilty to drug charges but he still thinks Phil Martin is "a good man."

Martin, a businessman who has lent Thompson his Cessna to fly around the country, is one of four campaign co-chairman for the '08 Republican candidate. The Washington Post reports Sunday that Martin also posted a guilty plea in 1979 for selling 11 pounds of marijuana and a no contest plea in 1983 for cocaine trafficking and conspiracy.

Judgment was withheld on the first plea while Martin served out probation. The 1983 charges, along with a felony bookmaking charge, came while he was still serving that probation. Martin's probation was extended and he served no jail time.

If this is the worst dirt that one can dig up on Fred, I'd say, have at it.

Martin has turned his life around and has obviously made something of himself. He has given ample time to prove himself in society and has done so.

When Fred himself, or his associates, start engaging in real criminal behavior, let me know.

Until then, yaaaaaaaaaaawwwwnnn....

At the very least, Fred isn't taking money from terrorists.

****UPDATE*****

Martin has voluntarily resigned.

Fred's Views on the Second Amendment

2007-11-03T21:18:00.000-06:00

...along with his seriousness in protecting our Second Amendment rights can be fairly well summarized in this article.

When Fred says something, damn it, he means it!

Media Event...

2007-11-03T19:31:00.000-06:00

Set your TiVos for tomorrow morning, as Fred Thompson will be on Meet the Press as it nears its 60th anniversary. Meet the Press will air at its usual time of 10 am central, 9 am eastern (except in New York City, when it will air at 8am due to coverage of the Boston Marathon.

FredNews of the Day...

2007-10-31T19:35:00.000-06:00

The Politico reports Fred's reaction to the Licenses for Illegals:

"Under the federal 'Motor Voter' law (the National Voter Registration Act of 1993), states must provide applicants for drivers licenses with the opportunity to register to vote," Thompson wrote. "Giving legal drivers licenses to illegal immigrants is wrong and would."

And..Also today -- at a press avail before a fundraiser in California -- Thompson asked, "Why aren’t they being apprehended and sent home if they come in and announce that they’re illegal?"

"We’ve either got to be serious enforcing our laws or not. I don’t think we can afford to be selective in that regard."So much common sense... so little time.

Meanwhile, Fred '08 has this video of Fred's interview on a Sacramento TV news program:

And finally, Marc Ambinder reports that Fred will be on Meet the Press this Sunday:

WHAT: Fred Thompson Appears Live on Meet the Press with Tim Russert
WHEN: Check your local listings

Note: Due to the New York Marathon, Meet the Press will be airing live in New York at 8:00 am ET and at the regular local time in all other markets.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!!!

Sorry for the lite posting lately...

2007-10-31T19:34:00.001-06:00

I have lots of irons in the fire, but I'll try to get back in the swing of things here.

Do note that there is updated Fred News everyday on the sidebar, as well as Fred Thompson videos!

Fred distinguishes self from Rudy...

2007-10-15T22:32:00.001-05:00

And speaks of the importance, relevance, and righteousness of running on, not away from conservative principles:

"Some think the way to beat the Democrats in November is to be more like them. I could not disagree more," the one-time Tennessee senator says in remarks he was delivering Monday to the Conservative Party of New York. "I believe that conservatives beat liberals only when we challenge their outdated positions, not embrace them. This is not a time for philosophical flexibility, it is a time to stand up for what we believe in."

Thompson does not mention Giuliani in excerpts made available to The Associated Press, but he is clearly trying to draw a contrast with the rival leads in national Republican polls. Unlike Thompson, Giuliani backs abortion and gay rights. And, the ex-mayor's central argument for Republicans to nominate him is that he has the best chance to win in the general election.

Thompson was more direct in an interview on Fox News Channel before the speech.

"I don't think that the mayor has ever claimed to be a conservative," he said before rattling off Giuliani's history.
He noted that Giuliani, who ran as a Republican, sought and won the Liberal Party's endorsement in his first mayoral race in 1989, and that as mayor, he broke from the Republican Party and endorsed Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo in an unsuccessful race for a fourth term.

"So I don't know that he's ever claimed to be anything else," Thompson said, suggesting Giuliani was more a liberal than a conservative.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!! (c)

Did I say 8 million?

2007-10-04T20:29:00.000-05:00

Make that twelve:

McLean, VA - The Thompson for President campaign will show total donations of more than $12.7 million in its first report to be filed this month with the Federal Election Commission. Sen. Thompson has received donations from more than 80,000 supporters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and has $7 million cash on hand.

"The financial support Sen. Thompson has received from more than 80,000 donors demonstrates his huge grassroots appeal for Republicans who've been waiting for an authentic conservative to enter the race for president," said campaign manager Bill Lacy. "We feel great about future fundraising, knowing there's a big well of support to go back to, since people who've given once are likely to give again."

The average dollar donation to the campaign is $176, with 22,000 donors contributing online and 200,000 Friends of Fred signing up online to support the campaign.

The total raised for the third quarter filing (July 1^st - September 30^th) is $9.3 million. Since Sen. Thompson officially declared his candidacy on September 5^th, the campaign has raised an average of $200,000 per day.

Despite the naysayers, Fred remains strong:

"Some of the other campaigns have spent tens of millions of dollars so far, only to lose support among voters; yet, Fred is running strong in most of the early primary states without having spent a dime on advertising," noted Lacy. "We are on plan and will have the funding we need to get Fred's message to voters."

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!!!(c)

Fred Still Ahead!

2007-10-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

So says Rasmussen:

For the seven days ending September 30, 2007 show that Fred Thompson earns 25% of the vote while Rudy Giuliani attracts 23%. Mitt Romney has moved back into third place, supported by 13%. John McCain is now the favorite for just 10% and Mike Huckabee is at 6%. Four other candidates split 4% of the vote while 19% are undecided (review history of weekly results).

The seven day results typically include interviews with more than 1,000 Likely Republican Primary Voters. This includes both Republicans and those independents likely to vote in a Republicans Primary. In some state primaries, independent voters are allowed to participate in party primaries while in others they are excluded. The margin of sampling error for the weekly update is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

During the short period since his announcement, Thompson has garnered 8 million dollars in donations. Check the link on the sidebar of this blog to put your money where your mouth is and support Fred!

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!! (c)

Fred Finds a niche.

2007-09-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

Running on the Revolution:

When Fred Thompson hits the campaign trail in Iowa next week, he'll be offering a new theme for his candidacy: a return to the revolution. The newest GOP hopeful will emphasize his roots in the so-called Republican Revolution in 1994, when the party swept to power and took control of both houses of Congress for the first time in decades.

Thompson was in the class of 1994 that handed the Clintons a major defeat with a message of small government. His aides will also emphasize that the same year Thompson was calling for taking power away from the federal government and shifting it to states, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was endorsing New York's Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was moving left in his unsuccessful first foray into politics, when he ran against Ted Kennedy for the Senate. "It's only a fair question to ask every candidate in the race what were you fighting for in 1994," said Todd Harris, Thompson's communications director. "This nomination will be won by the candidate who best articulates those conservative principles."

This is a wise strategy, indeed. Much of the increasing disaffection with the Republican party as of the last five years has been due to the steady straying away from the principles that bulldozed them into power in 1994; principles first articulated by the master conservative, Ronaldus Magnus.

The strategy of running as "democrat lite" has proven disastrous, and further treading down that road to hell can only produce exponentially more mayhem. Conservative roots are what have won Republicans elections; articulating and applying true conservative principles will again be the panacea that lifts republicans out of their current electoral woes.

Yet another evangelical's take on Fred

2007-09-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

A lot has been made with regard to James Dobson's apparent refusal to support Fred during the primaries; but this evangelical takes a different stand:

Southern Baptist Leader Defends Fred Thompson

September 25, 2007

Richard Land, the President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (which is part of the influential Southern Baptist Convention), tells The Brody File that the criticism leveled at Fred Thompson by James Dobson and others is a tad bit over the top. Recently, Dr. Dobson, Founder of Focus on the Family, said he wouldn’t support Thompson for a number of reasons including Thompson’s stance against a one size fits all marriage amendment. Read more on that here. As for Dr. Land’s comments, here’s what he told me:

“I’ve received phone calls and emails from Southern Baptists about Senator Thompson. They are all furious at Doctor Dobson. They just feel that first of all there was a mischaracterizing of his positions. Do I wish that he supported the marriage protection amendment? Of course I do. To say that he is for 50 different views of marriage in 50 different states is a gross mischaracterization of his position. Secondly, do I wish that he attended church every Sunday? As a Baptist pastor, of course I do. But does that make him a person of unbelief? That’s harsh and unwarranted.”

The split between Dobson and Land on Thompson is a microcosm of what’s going on right now within the Evangelical movement. There are those who think Thompson is the guy and others who don’t.

Dr. Land and Dr. Dobson both believe that there should be a federal marriage amendment to the constitution that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Plain and simple. Fred Thompson agrees but argues that if a state legislature passes a gay marriage law and the Governor signs it, then gay couples should be allowed to marry. So how does Dr. Land reconcile his position that seems to differ from Thompson’s?

“David, the problem with these cotton picking conviction politicians is that they follow their convictions and Fred Thompson has been for a long long time a very staunch federalist and it’s hard to convince conviction politicians to change their minds.”

“It’s (Thompson’s marriage amendment position) a problem. I think Southern Baptists have an ethical issue in which they need to deal. They may face a situation where they have a choice of three candidates. One they agree with 95% of the time, one they agree with 80 percent of the time and one they agree with 10% of the time. It may come to pass that they’re faced with a choice.”

In the end though, Land is still a Thompson supporter. I asked him what it is about Thompson that appeals to him and many other Evangelicals.

“Fred Thompson grew up in a very modest means in a small town in America just like Ronald Reagan grew up in very modest means in a small town in Illinois. You acquire not only an understanding of but a respect for everyday folk when you come from the background that you don’t get otherwise and people sense it. That this is a guy who respects me, a guy who understands that we are the backbone of this country, we are the salt of the Earth and he not only understands us, he’s one of us. He’s a successful one of us but he’s one of us and they trust a guy like that. They give a guy like that a larger margin of error. Nobody gets everything right but its core values. My assessment is that this guy is a whole much like Reagan including his Teflon quality. The press has been beating up with him for these types of gaffes and he continues to climb in the polls.”

Amen, Rev.!

Fred Thompson--out and about

2007-09-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

There have been a lot of doomsayers out and about saying that Fred Thompson's campaign for President was "dead in the water" before it started, that Fred is a political lightweight, and that Fred was doomed to be a flash in the pan, among others.

But there is one important fact that all the nattering naybobs continue to ignore:

The voters aren't listening to them:

Over the past four months, Rasmussen Reports polling has consistently shown Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani holding the top two slots in the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination. During that time, the weekly poll results have shown Thompson’s support ranging from a low of 20% to a high of 28%. Giuliani’s range has been similar, from 19% to 27%. Although Thompson and Giuliani are the frontrunners, both men still have plenty of detractors who say they can’t possibly win the nomination.

For the week ending September 23, it’s Thompson 26% and Giuliani 22%.

Occupying a precarious niche somewhere between the frontrunners and the also-rans are John McCain and Mitt Romney. Both men were early favorites of Washington pundits but haven’t done as well among Republican primary voters. During the past four months, McCain’s support has ranged from 11% to 14%. Romney’s range has been from 11% to 15%.

Also, despite claims that Thompson won't be well-received by core conservative voters, the NRA gave Thompson no less than three standing ovations during his stump speech at their convention (more on Thompson's success over at National Review).

Despite continued attacks by the conservative establishment on Fred's character and ability to win, Fred and the voters continue to prove them wrong.

So, if the nattering naybobs of the conservative establishment continue to downplay Fred Thompson's effectiveness as a candidate, they continue to do so at the peril of their own credibility.

Get used to it, folks.

Fred has hit the trail running, and he's not looking back.

Full Speed Ahead, Fred! ©

Crazy like a fox?

2007-09-12T23:43:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, I had my moments of misgiving about Fred's timing in jumping in the Presidential race. But all along, too, I felt that Fred's support would continue to be strong and even skyrocket once he finally committed.

Turns out that hunch was right:

• CNN.com -- Giuliani & Thompson neck-and-neck in new poll: "Days after he officially jumped into the Republican race for the White House, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson finds himself in a statistical dead heat with Rudy Giuliani, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday. The former New York mayor garners 28% nationally among registered Republicans, while Thompson is one point behind at 27% -- well within the poll's 5 percentage point margin of error. In a similar poll taken in August, Giuliani registered 29%, while Thompson, then not an official candidate, was at 22%.

• The Washington Post -- "Dramatic erosion" in Giuliani's lead: "Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani continues to lead the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but he has seen a dramatic erosion in his support, which now stands at its lowest point of the year, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Giuliani's support dropped from 37% in a July poll to 28% in the latest (national) survey, and his decline from February has been even more sharp. Then, he had the backing of 53% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents and had a better than 2 to 1 advantage over his closest rival. Former senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.), who formally entered the race last week after months of exploration, now stands in second place in the GOP field, with 19%. That is nearly double the support he received in an April poll taken as he began to express serious interest in running."

Full Speed Ahead, Fred!!

Fred: What Global Warming???

2007-09-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

With regard to Rev. Algore's church of global warming, Fred Thompson takes it with a grain of salt.

Rather, Fred takes a no-nonsense approach:

By Kevin Mooney
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
September 06, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - Free market advocates in search of a champion who will take a firm stand against draconian global warming laws, might have one in former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), who announced his run for the presidency Wednesday on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

This vote of confidence comes from a Senate colleague, James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who believes the weight of scientific evidence has shifted decisively against the notion of human-induced global warming in recent years.

Unfortunately, many Republican and Democratic leaders, as well as leading presidential contenders continue to push for legislation that would "shut down America" in the name of "misguided alarmism," Inhofe told Cybercast News Service.

"The Republicans will need a nominee for president who is willing to tell the truth, and so far the one out there with the most courage is Fred Thompson," said Inhofe. "He is aware of all the issues I've raised on global warming, and right now he's the only one I see who is willing to take this on."

Unlike many of his fellow Republicans, Thompson has demonstrated a willingness to confront elite opinion, Inhofe said. While Thompson is sure to antagonize the news media with his stand on global warming, Inhofe thinks he will find a receptive audience among average Americans.

SNIP

"...it is evident the Tennessee Republican's broadsides against "elite opinion" are beginning to attract attention. "Thompson seems to have taken particular pleasure in mocking global warming," a July 27 Washington Post story asserted.

Back in March, during a radio broadcast, Thompson took issue with those who claim there is a scientific consensus in favor of human-induced global warming.

"Some people think that our planet is suffering from a fever," he said. "Now scientists are telling us that Mars is experiencing its own planetary warming. It seems scientists have noticed recently that quite a few planets in our solar system seem to be heating up a bit, including Pluto."

I mean--come on folks--what's there not to like?

Full Speed Ahead, Fred!!

More of Fred on the Issues:

2007-09-06T00:24:00.000-05:00

BREAKING NEWS--FRED TO ANNOUNCE TONIGHT!

2007-09-05T21:09:00.000-05:00

The conventional wisdom had Fred officially announcing his candidacy tomorrow on his web site, followed by an appearance on Leno tomorrow night.

But Fred is just full of surprises!

From here:

Fred Thompson makes candidacy for president official on 'The Tonight Show?

30 minutes ago

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Fred Thompson, a veteran actor and former Republican senator, launched his bid for the presidency Hollywood style.
"I'm running for president of the United States," Thompson told Jay Leno in a taped appearance on NBC's "Tonight Show" airing Wednesday.
Thompson also is calling attention to his candidacy with a 30-second ad being broadcast during a Republican debate in New Hampshire that he is not participating in. He also will explain the rationale for his candidacy during a 15-minute webcast on his website just after midnight.

"FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!"

***UPDATE***

Watch Fred's Formal Announcement Video, now up at Fred '08.com!

Listen closely. Yep. He's the REAL article!

Fred Thompson's Teaser...

2007-09-05T19:44:00.001-05:00

As you know, Fred Thompson, who is to announce for his bid for the Presidency tomorrow, opted to do a television ad, instead of being a participant in the New Hampshire debates tonight.

Here is the ad that Fred will run:

Looking forward to tomorrow!!!

Full Speed Ahead, Fred!

Don't Believe It!!

2007-09-01T01:09:00.000-05:00

Some mind-numbed and ethically-challenged Ron Paul "truthers" have taken a movie clip from a "white supremacist role" that Fred Thompson played, and are trying to pass it off as his "leaked" presidential announcement video.

Reprising a movie clip of Fred Thompson in an acting role is hardly an “announcement video”

I guess Ron Paul activists have lost any sense of decorum, and will stop at nothing to advance their candidate, whether based on truth or not.

Pretty shameful behavior, don’t you think?

Pretty sorry when you have to resort to smear tactics against fellow Republicans.

But I guess there's no other recourse when your guy offers nothing of substance, eh?

The Latest on Fred's Announcement

2007-08-30T20:38:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

On September 6, 2007, Fred Thompson will be announcing his intention to run for President of the United States with a webcast available to millions at www.imwithfred.com. The launch of the video will be followed by a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. On the evening of the 6th, there will also be a National House Party, during which there will be a conference call with Fred.

We enter this campaign in a strong position. Fred is consistently near the top in the polls, and conservatives across the country have put together the closest thing to a draft in recent presidential campaign history in an effort to bring about this day. The next few weeks will only serve to build upon those efforts, with house parties, visits to the early primary states, and a homecoming in Lawrenceburg, TN on the 15th. To view the dates and locations of Fred's bus tour, please click here, and check back soon for more information on attending one of these events.

By announcing via webcast, Fred is able to take his consistently mainstream conservative message directly to the voters, who are already responding to that message with a strong upwelling of grassroots support. The webcast and the following campaign tour will play to Fred’s strengths, a consistent record of conservatism, his ability to clearly spread his message, and his ability to work with and connect with Americans from all walks of life. Be apart of this historic occasion by signing up to host or attend a house party today.

Sincerely,

Bill Lacy
Manager, Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.

FULL SPEED AHEAD, FRED!

Great Interview with Captain Ed...

2007-08-30T18:02:00.000-05:00

Read the Transcript at Captain's Quarters!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! (*UPDATED)

2007-08-30T16:35:00.001-05:00

And now, what we've all been waiting for:

Fred Dalton Thompson will tell his supporters that he is running for president today in a 4 p.m. conference call with 800 to 1,000 elected and party officials from around the country, a source close to the campaign said today.

On the call, Thompson will detail his plans for the future, which are expected to include an appearance on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" on Wednesday night -- even as his rivals debate on Fox -- and could be followed by a formal announcement the next day.

The confirmation of Thompson's plans end a months-long flirtation with the public about whether the former senator and Hollywood actor would seek the Republican nomination for the presidency.

UPDATE: Campaign officials now say there will not be a 4:30 conference call for the media. Rather, the campaign will put out information for the press in a statement. Stay tuned for details later this afternoon.

Leo Adds: It would appear that Thompson will be formally announcing one week from today (Thursday, Sept 6th)

The former Republican senator and “Law & Order” actor will release an announcement video on Thompson’s Web site, in the morning and then follow up the big news with a five-day tour of early primary states. The Associated Press is reporting that the tour will conclude with a big homecoming event in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., on Sept. 15.

The Sept. 6, announcement comes the day after the rest of the Republican field is participating in a debate in New Hampshire. Mr. Thompson is to appear on NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” that night instead.

Full speed ahead, Fred!

My Impatience paying off?

2007-08-25T08:40:00.000-05:00

I made a post out of frustration yesterday, asking Fred to "Shit or Get off the Pot."

I was rightly admonished by a fellow Fred Head, but was still a bit discouraged.

No more:

A round of applause, please, for former Virginia Sen. George Allen, who finally got likely GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson to hint when he plans his big announcement. Filling in for Richmond's WRVA morning host Jimmy Barrett, Allen just came out with it, asking the Law & Order star what's up.
Said the Fred, who's been testing the political waters: "Well, the water is pretty warm. I like the temperature a lot." He also told Allen, "It won't be very many more days" before he declares.
During the five-minute chat, Thompson addressed the complaints that he is taking too long to make up his mind.
"This is not an attempt to be cute or game the system," he promised. Thompson said instead that he's just working on more of an old school schedule, when candidates didn't announce until the fall before the election year.
And he said that running for president isn't something he's planned all his life. "I'm doing in a few months what people have taken a long, long time period to do," he said.

Okay.

Full Speed Ahead, Fred!

****UPDATE****

Fred will have a speech carried live on C-Span tonight at 6:00pm Central.

There is scuttlebutt afoot that he may just announce. Others with some amount of cred say that he will do so by video.

Stay tuned.

Fred Thompson to be at the Minnesota State Fair

2007-08-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

From Marty Seifert:

Greetings!

It's my honor to host a State Fair visit by former Tennessee Senator, actor, and - possible - presidential candidate Fred Thompson at the Minnesota State Fair. Fred will be making the rounds with me and you can catch up with us at 11:45 at the Minnesota Republican booth.

As you may have heard, hundreds of Republican activists gathered at the St. Paul River Center to cast ballots in a non-binding Presidential Preference Straw Poll on Wednesday. Thompson won a narrow victory, although his name was not even on the ballot. As Thompson is not an officially announced candidate, voters had to physically write in his name as their preferred candidate.

Click here to view the Straw Poll results.

It was an exciting event and the margins were close. This shows that the opinions of the Republican Presidential candidates in Minnesota are mixed and up for grabs.

Please join us at the State Fair on Monday if you can!

Date : 8/27/2007
Time : 11:00:00 AM 1:00:00 PM
Location : MN GOP Booth (Link)

Thank you again,

Marty Seifert
Republican Leader
House Republican Campaign Committee

Fred, it's time to shit or get off the pot.

2007-08-24T12:43:00.000-05:00

Dear Mr. Thompson,

As you can see by the fact that I am the originator of this blog, I am a huge supporter of yours. Your ideas on Federalism, on Pro-Life Issues, on Second Amendment Rights, and the War on Terror, including Iraq, suggests that your ideas are a near--hell no--a perfect fit with what I value.

The problem sir, with all due respect, is that your coyness in declaring your candidacy is leading many who support you (including myself) to be a bit skiddish. While your hesitancy to declare may have paid dividends in the drone that was this past summer's Presidential scene, I fear that the law of diminishing returns on your strategy may have a way of catching up to you with a vengeance if you do not declare your candidacy soon.

Make no mistake, Mr. Thompson. You're still my guy. But I want my guy to make a difference. I want my guy to win.

With all due respect, don't blow it.

Thompson to shake up the status quo

2007-08-16T11:27:00.000-05:00

David Broder had the chance for a two hour conversation with Fred, and had this to say:

The approach Thompson says he's contemplating is one that will step on many sensitive political toes. When he says "we're getting a free ride" fighting a necessary war in Iraq with an undersized military establishment, "wearing out our people and equipment," it sounds like a criticism of the president and the Pentagon.

When he says he would have opposed adding the prescription drug benefit to Medicare, "a $17 trillion add-on to a program that's going bankrupt," he is fighting the bipartisan judgment of the last Congress.

When he says the FBI is perhaps incapable of morphing itself into the smart domestic security agency the country needs, he is attacking another sacred cow.

Thompson repeatedly cites two texts as fueling his concern about the country's future. One is "Government at the Brink," a two-volume report he issued as chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee at the start of the Bush administration in 2001 and handed to the new president's budget director as a checklist of urgent management problems.

The difficulties outlined in federal procurement, personnel, finances and information technology remain, Thompson said, and increasingly "threaten national security."

His second sourcebook contains the scary reports from Comptroller General David Walker, the head of the Government Accountability Office, on the long-term fiscal crisis spawned by the aging of the American population and the runaway costs of health care. Walker labels the current patterns of federal spending "unsustainable" and warns that unless action is taken soon to improve both sides of the government's fiscal ledger -- spending and revenue -- the next generation will suffer.

"Nobody in Congress or on either side in the presidential race wants to deal with it," Thompson said. "So we just rock along and try to maintain the status quo. Republicans say keep the tax cuts; Democrats say keep the entitlements. And we become a less unified country in the process, with a tax code that has become an unholy mess, and all we do is tinker around the edges."

Thompson readily concedes that he does not know "where all those chips are going to fall" when he starts challenging members of various interest groups to look beyond their individual agendas and weigh the sacrifices that could ensure a better future for their children.

But these issues -- national security and the fiscal crisis of an aging society with runaway heath-care costs -- "are worth a portion of a man's life. If I can't get elected talking that way, I probably don't deserve to be elected."

Thompson says he feels "free to do it" his own way, and that freedom may just be enough to shake up the presidential race.

Should be an interesting ride, to say the least.

Go get 'em, Fred!

A big reason to support Fred!!

2007-08-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

As in "Fair Tax"

(CNSNews.com) - Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee -- the not-quite-yet Republican presidential candidate -- says the next president "should enact a fundamental overhaul of the tax code that makes it fairer, simpler, and more pro-growth."

Thompson mentioned that there are a "number of ways to do that," and he said the "principles and ideas found in the Fair Tax are a good place to start."

Just in case you haven't heard of the Fair Tax, click here for more. If you read the plan, you'll know that the Fair Tax is a way out of the current utilization of the tax code for social engineering purposes.

Fred Thompson is on the right side of so many things...

It will be a great day indeed when he formally announces his candidacy!

Fred and the question of money...

2007-08-01T00:13:00.000-05:00

Many in the leftosphere and in the "Ron-Paul" osphere have been proclaiming the Fred Thompson campaign dead in the water, due to Thompson's raising "only" 3.5 million during the month of June.

But given that Fred is not yet an official candidate, was that amount really that deficient?

Not so, says the Arkansas Republican:

(1) In his first exploratory month, Thompson raised well over $3.5 million - more than 10 times what Giuliani did in his first month and about 3 times what McCain raised. Here’s the comparison to the other top three Republican candidates during the initial exploratory month (from the time they started taking money):
· Giuliani - total raised in first month (Nov. 15-Dec. 15): $258,660
· McCain - total raised in first month (Nov. 14-Dec. 14): $1,130,351
· Romney - raised more money in his first month, but largely because he organized his big-dollar donors ahead of time to give himself a bit splash and he loaned his committee at least $850,000 weeks before filing his statement of candidacy on Jan. 3.

(2) Under FEC rules, a candidate is not allowed to raise funds “in excess of what could reasonably be expected to be used for exploratory activities”. Thompson has raised an appropriate amount for an exploratory phase. Considering these rules, it is interesting that . . .
· One month ago, the DNC attacked Thompson (in the Politico) for potentially raising more money than he’d need for the exploratory period and said they’d “argue aggressively” against him. The DNC rolled out the hit piece at Daily Kos claiming that Thompson was “Raising Funds Beyond What You Need To "Explore"” and the liberal activist outlet CREW said Thompson “appears to have raised far more money than necessary…”
· After being attacked for raising “too much” money, Thompson is now being attacked for not spending his entire Exploratory focus on raising money.

(3) An inquiry to the Fred Thompson campaign revealed that they have not even used any direct mail or telephone fundraising and their expenditures have been very low meaning that an estimated 80% of funds will be available for the primary.

So, Ron-Paul-ites and DNC-- don't be so quick to turn out the lights, cause the Fred Thompson party is far from over.

As a matter of fact, it's only just begun.

Fred Still Leads the Pack!

2007-07-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

By Rasmussen, via Blogs for Fred Thompson:

Rasmussen is reporting that Fred Thompson is still leading the pack in their Daily Polls.

Date: Thomp. Giul Romn McCain

7/23 26% 22% 12% 10%

And the juggernaut continues!

Forbes: Fred the Big Winner!

2007-07-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

From the July '08 Tracker:

The big winner in July's Forbes '08 Tracker presidential poll is Fred Thompson. After his arrival on the list last month in second place in the overall "appeals" rating, a point behind former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Thompson leapfrogged Giuliani this month. He is the first candidate to have achieved a total appeal number above 50%.

The category of total appeal is a solid indication of how attractive a candidate is as a presidential contender. In this monthly study, 46 different attributes are examined by Forbes.com and its partner, California-based ePoll Market Research. This month, in addition to Thompson's gain, the poll showed Giuliani fading six percentage points, dropping to 43% from 49% in June. At the same time, the leading Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, slid four points to 41%, while Sen. Hillary Clinton slid two points to 29%.

And the juggernaut continues!

Thompson Entering Race Soon

2007-07-17T14:29:00.000-05:00

The long-anticipated announcement that Fred Thompson is entering the GOP presidential race appears all but over according to this quote from Zach Wamp in today's Hill Magazine:

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) said Monday that he expects former Sen. Fred Thompson, (R-TN), to soon join the race for the White House. "My view is that he’ll enter the race at some point just in the coming days," said Wamp, a key supporter of Thompson.

When Sen. Thompson officially enters the race, it essentially trims the field down to him and Rudy. I've said before that Mitt Romney has the finances to stay in the race but he doesn't have the definitive message to win voters over. Fred Thompson's announcement should be likened to a great white shark entering the swimming area at a beach because he's the candidate that will clear the waters of the second tier candidates.

Thompson has long been expected to join the race and the Law & Order star has traveled the country and raised millions. He will take part in a large fundraising event in Washington, D.C. on July 29, but Wamp did not say when a formal announcement would come. The lawmaker said, however, that "a couple dozen members" of the House would publicly support Thompson at the event.

It'll be interesting in seeing which GOP House members join Sen. Thompson at this event. It's just a hunch but I'm betting that Mike Pence, Jeb Hensarling and Eric Cantor might be part of that contingent.

"I’ve talked to quite a few of McCain’s supporters in the House of Representatives, a couple in the United States Senate, that are concerned about McCain’s standing right now and the fact that he's lost his momentum," Wamp said on MSNBC. He added that Thompson is the second choice of many McCain supporters.

McCain ever had momentum? Who knew?

"I feel like Giuliani’s running on 9/11 fumes and those fumes are slowly evaporating because there’s got to be the substance and the policy," Wamp said. "And [Giuliani] doesn’t connect with the base of our party."

With all due respect to Rep. Wamp, that's some of the finest spin I've read in awhile. Considering Giuliani's announcement of his legal advisory team yesterday, I'm not smelling the same fumes that Rep. Wamp reportedly is.

Technorati: Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Zach Wamp, Mike Pence, Jeb Hensarling, Eric Cantor, Election 2008

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

NOTA?*

2007-07-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

*None of the Above?

WASHINGTON - A new poll reveals a clear leader in the Republican presidential race: nobody.

The AP-Ipsos survey shows nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back any of the top candidates -- Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney. And no one has emerged as the front-runner among evangelicals.

Zogby, long reputed to be one of the more accurate and reliable pollsters, has a much different story:

On the Republican side, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, as yet a non-candidate, has climbed to the top of the GOP leaderboard, winning 22 percent support, compared to 21 percent for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney remains in third place with 11 percent. Arizona Sen. John McCain continues his dramatic slide, from second place in late May to fourth place now, supported by 9 percent of likely Republican voters nationwide.

As far as evangelicals go,

Thompson’s strongest appeal comes from those who consider themselves to be "very conservative,” as 35 percent in that group said they favored the former Tennessee Senator-turned-actor. Giuliani finished a distant third in that group, followed by Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. McCain finishes fifth among very conservative voters.

And even among "mainline" conservative voters, the yet-to-be-declared Fred Thompson is still making a fantastic showing:

Among mainline conservatives - the largest subgroup of GOP voters - Giuliani wins 21 percent, compared to 20 percent for Thompson, 13 percent for Romney, and 12 percent for McCain.

All this, without needing to spend a dime of campaign funds.

Despite what MSNBC and others would assert, the voters do have a choice! Fred Thompson isn't just a candidate we can "settle for," Fred is a candidate we can support!

Fred takes Florida by storm!

2007-07-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

From St. Petersburg Times:

In the most unpredictable Republican presidential primary Florida has seen in ages, Fred Thompson is adding a giant extra dose of uncertainty. And just to dramatize the mystery of his strength as a candidate, when campaign finance reports are released on Sunday, Thompson's fundraising figures won't be among them because he has yet to formally enter the race.
Despite that, the Law & Order actor and former Tennessee senator is in second place in Florida polls. Giuliani, who is making Florida's Jan. 29 primary the linchpin of his strategy to win the nomination, has seen his lead shrink in Florida polls from as high as 20 points in March to as low as 6 points in June.
Without even laying out a platform, Thompson, 64, has won more legislative endorsements in Florida than any other Republican. And to ensure no more slips like missing the Jacksonville meeting, Thompson's "testing the waters" committee has hired a respected veteran GOP strategist, Randy Enwright, to help navigate Florida. Enwright also is expected to play a role in the national campaign.
"You had a lot of people who were searching and looking for a candidate and feeling like they were going to have to settle for someone. You don't have to settle with Fred Thompson. Fred Thompson is a candidate you can be excited about," said Rep. Jeff Miller, a Panhandle Republican who recently hosted a fundraising reception for Thompson in Pensacola.
His fans, including Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow, the third-highest ranking Republican in Congress, see Thompson as the only consistently conservative candidate among the leading Republican contenders. They see a charismatic lawyer with a comforting bourbon-tinged drawl.
"The support for Thompson in this county is really something," said Pasco GOP chairman Bill Bunting, who has a Thompson sticker on his car. "He's a true conservative who really represents the party's values more than anyone else."

Of course, there are the usual cadre of naysayers:

"His support is a complete and total reflection of his name ID. He's the flavor of the month," Sally Bradshaw, a senior adviser to Romney, said of Thompson.

Truth is, once Fred gets in the race, Romney is toast.

The way this blogger sees it, look for a two-way race between Fred & Rudy, with Fred coming out head and shoulders (literally and figuratively) from the pack by September of '08!

New URLs for Minnesotans for Fred!!

2007-07-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

Now there will be a lot of roads to get your latest Fred Thompson updates:

Four different URLs now point to this site:

Our blogger URL
http://minnesotansforthompson.blogspot.com

And now three new URLs:

http://www.MN4Fred.com
http://www.MN4Fred.info, and
http://www.MN4Fred.us....

Pick your favorite URL and check back often!

Fred Bounces Back...

2007-07-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

In reaction to the charges that he lobbied for pro-abortion groups, Fred Thompson himself had this to say:

"The easiest and most generally used tactic when running against a lawyer is to trade off a general perception that most people dislike lawyers. Goodness knows that a lot of lawyers have earned disfavor but, as it turns out, folks understand our system better than a lot of politicians think they do. In my first run for the Senate, my opponent tried the old demagoguery route – “He has even represented criminals!” – to no avail.

A first cousin of this ploy is to associate the lawyer with the views of his client. Now-United States Chief Justice John Roberts addressed this notion during his confirmation hearings. “… [I]t’s a tradition of the American Bar that goes back before the founding of the country that lawyers are not identified with the positions of their clients. The most famous example probably was John Adams, who represented the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre.”

Roberts pointed out that Adams was actually vindicating the rule of law. Every person, unpopular or not, is entitled to representation. He further said, “That principle that you don’t identify the lawyer with the particular views of the client or the views that the lawyer advances on behalf of the client, is critical to the fair administration of justice.”

Like Adams, the views of attorney Abe Lincoln would have been a little hard to discern from looking at the positions he took as a lawyer. He represented the big railroad companies and on other occasions represented farmers and small land owners against the railroads.

Likewise during the Roberts confirmation, the New York Times reported on August 5, 2005 that as an appellate lawyer in the mid-1990s, Roberts gave advice to a gay-rights group that helped them win a 1996 anti-discrimination suit. Chief Justice Roberts had no direct hand in the suit. Rather, colleagues at his firm were handling the case and sought advice from a number of partners, him included. The group said that Chief Justice Roberts provided “invaluable strategic guidance” formulating legal theories.

I’ve experienced another gambit of those schooled in the creative uses of law and politics: dredging up clients – or another lawyer’s clients – that I may have represented or consulted with, and then using the media to get me into a public debate as to what I may have done for them or said to them 15 or 20 years ago. Even if my memory serves me correctly, it would not be appropriate for a lawyer to make such comments.

This situation does however bring to mind my many years in the law, and the nature of law practice in a country such as ours that prizes independence and individual rights. Of course, these values could not be protected without lawyer-client confidentiality or if lawyers were identified with the positions of their clients.

As an idealistic teen-ager I could think of nothing more inspiring than the notion of representing a just cause against the most powerful forces in the country, including the government. I’ve had a chance to do some of that. It’s fair to say that not all of my clients have been so praiseworthy. Some were, in deed, accused of crimes. Some were convicted against my best efforts.

The practice of law is a business as well as a profession. It’s the way you support your family. And if a client has a legal and ethical right to take a position, then you may appropriately represent him as long as he does not lie or otherwise conduct himself improperly while you are representing him. In almost 30 years of practicing law I must have had hundreds of clients and thousands of conversations about legal matters. Like any good lawyer, I would always try to give my best, objective, and professional opinion on any legal question presented to me.

I’ve had great personal and professional satisfaction because of my decision to become a lawyer. I made a decent living, served the rule of law, and I believe I did some good. I’ve had the opportunity to help small farmers in Tennessee, the Chief Justice of the United States, previously mentioned, and several folks in between, as well as a half dozen or so lobbying clients.

I was a federal prosecutor at the age of 27, Watergate Counsel at the age of 30, and served as special counsel to both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. In Tennessee, I served on the Appellate Court Nominating Committee and, of course, I was elected twice to the United States Senate.

I went on to do other things, too. Before election to the Senate, I appeared in several movies. The movie work was always an avocation for me and I continued to practice law throughout my “movie days” while continuing to live in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

Actually, my legal career led to my movie career. I took the case of a woman who was Chairman of the Tennessee Pardons and Parole Board. She stood up to the then Governor of Tennessee, we sued him and ultimately it was determined that he was corrupt. He, his legal counsel, and others went to jail. A book was written, and a movie was made about my client and our case and I was offered the opportunity to play myself in the movie, which led to other roles.

I’m certainly not surprised that such a diverse career is being mined by others. As we get further into this political season we will undoubtedly see the further intersection of law, politics and the mainstream media. However I intend to keep in mind the appropriate distinction and separation between law and politics, and I do not intend to get sucked in to doing a disservice to either of them or to myself."

A Good Day!

2007-06-29T03:48:00.000-05:00

Especially with regard to the hopefully-never-to-be- resuscitated immigration bill:

This has been a good day for America.

For a while, it didn’t look like Washington was going to listen to us regarding real immigration reform. Thankfully, we’ve been spared a serious mistake, but I wonder if things would have turned out the way they did without the work done by the bloggers, talk radio and the American people. Rush, Hannity, Laura Ingraham, RedState, Powerline, Pajamas Media and a lot of others have done a great job. Take that, Fairness Doctrine.

Make sure to read the rest of Fred's post. And note what Fred says... "For a while it didn't look like Washington was going to listen to us..." and, "Take that, Fairness Doctrine."

Fred knows that grassroots America has found its voice on the internet and on talk radio, and Fred understands its value!

In the post, also note Fred's stance on Cuba:

While the communist dictatorship has been a tragedy for Cuba, America has been in some ways, at least, the beneficiary.
One of those benefits is the presence of the great Cuban-American artist, Gloria Estefan. She co-wrote a song called “No hay mal que por bien no venga” which I understand translates something like — there’s no bad that doesn’t bring some good. The bad that is Castro’s tyranny has given America one of the greatest communities in the Western Hemisphere.

And no one knows better than that community that the Castro regime remains dedicated to infiltrating American institutions to spread his ideology of tyranny. Castro admitted it himself in an interview with CNN in 1998.

This is why the Cuban government rightfully remains on the State Department’s terrorist list for its continued support of terrorism. It’s also why we must oppose the illegal immigration of Castro’s agents into the United States while welcoming the vast majority who immigrate legally and with legal intentions.

It seems to me that few Americans understand the threat that the illegal entry by Cuban spies represents to our country, though Cuban-Americans have never forgotten or stopped pointing it out. Ambassador Otto Reich, the former Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere has called Castro’s efforts to penetrate U.S. intelligence networks “relentless.”
The best-known incident involving Cuban espionage, which many believe may have provided U.S. secrets to hostile Middle Eastern regimes, is probably that of former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst Ana Belen Montes — convicted of espionage in 2002.

and...

Our national security is too important an issue to let folks twist words around for a one-day headline. Cuban-Americans are among the staunchest opponents of illegal immigration, and especially so when it’s sponsored by the Castro regime. We know we have a porous southern border in which they can currently slip through easily. Our enemies know it too.

All of us should be rightfully concerned about Castro and his ideological pal Chavez sending agents and provocateurs into the United States through Mexico. I’m sure that Cuban-Americans share this concern as well.

Why the Fred Thompson appeal? Is it because he's an actor? I doubt it. Sean Penn is an actor, and I sure as hell wouldn't want him for President.

It's much larger than that. Fred understands and speaks with the heart of America, pure and simple. No putting on airs, no gobbledygook. What you see and hear is what you get. As Christopher Adamo at Chron Watch put it:

Meanwhile, the greatest challenge Thompson faces (and it may not be a difficult one for him) is simply to remain true to the conservative principles which he has consistently presented as sincere and heartfelt. He is not prone to backtracking or apologizing, and need not do so now.

As the other candidates bob and weave, attempting to capture the allegiance of one constituency group without alienating another, Fred Thompson only needs to keep being Fred Thompson.

It is my sincere belief that Fred will be just that.

You can take that to the bank.

Fred Thompson Strikes Back!!

2007-06-27T22:57:00.000-05:00

From Captain's Quarters
(Click to play)

One thing is for sure, Fred is no wallflower. When Fred is attacked, he will respond!

Good on you, Fred!

Should the MSM figure into "Campaign Finance Reform"?

2007-06-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

Why not, since they act as an unpaid political arm of the democrat party, and in effect create millions of dollars in free advertising of their talking points.

Newsbusters notes:

Such was identified by Steve Hill of Target Rich Environment who brilliantly outlined the similarities between an e-mail message he received Friday from the Democratic National Committee chairman (complete text with timestamp and e-mail address to follow) with an Associated Press article published Tuesday at CNN.com (emphasis added throughout):

1. DNC talking point: “In his most recent stint in Washington, Thompson worked for a London company lobbying Congress to limit liability claims for asbestos-related illnesses. Over the past three years he’s made $760,000 fighting for the interests of his corporate clients.
“AP/CNN talking point: ”More recently, while Frist led the Senate, Thompson earned more than $750,000 lobbying for a British reinsurance company that wanted to limit its liability from asbestos lawsuits.
2. DNC Talking Point: “And just this month, as part of his role as the ultimate Washington insider, Thompson offered to host yet another fundraising event for Scooter Libby’s legal defense fund. Thompson has been vocal in his support of Libby, saying that he would “absolutely” pardon him.”
AP/CNN Talking Point: “Thompson also helped run the Scooter Libby Legal Defense Fund Trust, an organization that set out to raise more than $5 million to help finance the legal defense of Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, who was convicted in March of lying and obstructing Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation into the leak of a CIA operative’s identity.”
3. DNC Talking Point: “For years, acting wasn’t the Law & Order star’s profession — it was a hobby. In the real world, Thompson has made a fortune in a decades-long career as a Washington lobbyist.”
AP/CNN Talking Point: “Republican Fred Thompson, who likes to cast himself in the role of Washington outsider, has a long history as a political insider who earned more than $1 million lobbying the federal government.”
4. DNC Talking Point: “Although the folksy-sounding Tennessean recently told USA TODAY that he would run an outsider, just as he did while campaigning as a “country lawyer” in a red pickup during his 1994 U.S. Senate race, his résumé is that of a longtime Washington operative who has crossed ideological lines to represent corporate and foreign clients.”
AP/CNN Talking Point: “That history as a Washington insider is at odds with the image Thompson has sought to convey to voters. When he first ran for the Senate in 1993, Thompson cast himself in the part of the gruff, plainspoken everyman, leased a red pickup truck and drove around Tennessee in his shirt sleeves.”

Now, go to Newsbusters and check out the accompanying DNC email correspondences.

The democrats and the MSM seem to be expending a lot of effort to pre-emptively smear a yet-to-be announced candidate.

Why is it, you suppose, that this is the case?

Could it be because they know that Fred can win?

Fred Thompson--Media savvy? You bet!

2007-06-26T15:01:00.000-05:00

An interesting, and spot-on-take:

Potential Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson has a website that should be a model for anyone aspiring to political office.

Well over a year remains before the 2008 Presidential election takes place. Candidates like Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, and John McCain have been staking out spots online, with the aid of their campaign machines, in the hopes of engaging voters.

At this early date, money remains the first, second, third, and probably twenty-fourth most significant concern for White House aspirants. The Thompson website, I'm With Fred, features links to donate and raise funds should the actor/Senator pursue a bid for the Presidency, just as the other candidates do.

His organization has opted for a slightly different approach to the Web. Thompson's website doesn't have the dizzying array of content blocks the other candidates we mentioned have posted. His main content section is a blog, kept up to date by an administrator at times when the candidate himself isn't posting.

The important concept Thompson's people seem to get is the need to have their supporters engage traditional media. His site features specific links to encourage people to write to newspaper editors or call talk radio.

Those two sections allow the visitor to pick a state followed by a media market. A results page shows the options available for contacting the media outlet of choice.

Make no mistake, folks. Fred Thompson does know how to win.

h/t: Gary Gross.

No skeletons in this closet....

2007-06-26T09:54:00.001-05:00

When looking for mud to sling, democrats can often count on ex-lovers and wives to dredge up dirt on their opponents.

When it comes to Fred Thompson, however, the democrats will have to look in another closet:

Republican Thompson endorsed by ex-girlfriends

By Steve Holland
Reuters
Monday, June 25, 2007; 6:46 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Things must be going well for prospective presidential candidate Fred Thompson because even his ex-wife and former girlfriends are endorsing him.
One-by-one they've said the Tennessee Republican is their man -- at least for president, according to London's Sunday Times newspaper.

Will he or won't he...

2007-06-25T19:19:00.001-05:00

I guess tomorrow we'll find out for sure (whether he announces or not).

We'll definitely be there when he does!

The Big Announcement set for next week!

2007-06-23T11:06:00.000-05:00

The long awaited announcement of Fred's candidacy may finally take place:

A source close to the campaign planning tells WSMV that that Thompson planned to announce his candidacy on the steps of the historic Fall School Building Tuesday, but Thompson campaign officials deny that Tuesday's announcement is an official run for the White House.

The source tells WSMV report says that the Thompson campaign has obtained the lease for that building to turn it into a national campaign office.

"Everything's in place for Tuesday," the source told WSMV. "There are three major events built around his announcement." But Bob Davis, the Tennessee Republican Party Chairman, and Thompson's former Chief of Staff says "There will not be an annoucement Tuesday."

CAIR: Fred Gets it!

2007-06-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

From the Fred Thompson Report:

I've talked before about the Council on American-Islamic Relations -- most recently because it filed that lawsuit against Americans who reported suspicious behavior by Muslims on a U.S. Airways flight. Better known just as CAIR, the lobbying group has come under a lot of scrutiny lately for its connections to terror-supporting groups.

This time, though, The Washington Times has uncovered some very good news about the group.

For years, CAIR has claimed to represent millions of American Muslims. In fact, they claim to represent more Muslim in American than ... there are in America. This has alarmed Americans in general as the group often seems to be more aligned with our enemies than us -- which isn't surprising as it spun off from a group funded by Hamas. As you know, Hamas has been waging a terrorist war against Israel and calls for its total destruction. It also promises to see America destroyed. Nowadays, Hamas is busy murdering its Palestinian political rivals.

Even with this history, and CAIR's conspicuous failure to condemn Hamas by name, it has been treated as if represents Muslim Americans by our own government. The good news is that the financial support CAIR claims to have among American Muslims is a myth. We know this because The Washington Times got hold of the group's IRS tax records.CAIR's dues-paying membership has shrunk 90 percent since 9/11 -- from 29,000 in 2000 to only 1,700 last year. CAIR's annual income from dues plunged from $733,000 to $59,000. Clearly, America's Muslims are not supporting this group -- and I'm happy to hear about it.

Of course, every silver lining seems to have a cloud; and this cloud is that CAIR's spending is running about $3 million a year. They’ve opened 25 new chapters in major cities across the country even as their dues shrank to a pittance. The question is; who’s funding CAIR?CAIR's not saying. The New York Times earlier this year reported that the backing is from "wealthy Persian Gulf governments" including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Obviously, we have a bigger problem here than the one with CAIR.

(h/t Not Ready for My Burqqa)

D'Amato endorses Fred!

2007-06-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

From Newsday:

In his presidential campaign, Giuliani is trying to make Republicans forget his many liberal policies and proclamations while mayor of New York City, and convince them he's really a true believer. Last week, his announced 12 commitments for the American people had a certain conservative flair. But about half - those on immigration, government spending, taxes, abortion, judicial appointments and the global economy - required policy shifts from Giuliani's past.

Yet D'Amato, the Long Islander and former senator who often was loose on political principles, apparently does not appreciate Giuliani's political flexibility. Instead, D'Amato last week broke with many of his fellow New York Republicans who are backing Giuliani and endorsed Fred Thompson for president. D'Amato said, "Voters are tired of the rhetoric and are thirsting for leadership. Fred Thompson is the kind of candidate our party can unify behind and support wholeheartedly." Amazingly, D'Amato could be right.

And right D'Amato is:

Thompson, who served for eight years as a senator from Tennessee, possesses a far more principled record than any of the top Republicans vying for the party's nomination, including Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain. Even though he is not yet officially in the race, Thompson vaulted ahead of McCain and Romney in a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll of GOP primary voters. Thompson is within striking distance of Giuliani.

Giuliani presents a challenge for some Republican voters: Do they abandon their principles and go for his celebrity? Thompson, though, counters with his own star power as an actor in many films since 1985, and as a regular on television's "Law & Order."

Since he's a Tennessean, the South is home territory for Thompson. The liberal Giuliani from the Northeast could have difficulty keeping together the Southern bloc of states that has been a key for Republican success in presidential elections.

But the big plus for Thompson is on substance, namely his conservative track record. He's been solidly pro-growth on economic issues, for example, including tax relief and reform, deregulation and free trade.

Read the rest of Keating's piece to see his well-laid out reasoning on why Fred Thompson is no fluke.

He is the real thing, folks!

Thompson on top!

2007-06-19T12:02:00.000-05:00

The heretofore undeclared candidate has now topped the field.

There’s change at the top in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson earning support from 28% of Likely Republican Primary Voters. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attracts support from 27%. While Thompson’s one-point edge is statistically insignificant, it is the first time all year that anybody but Giuliani has been on top in Rasmussen Reports polling. A week ago, Thompson and Giuliani were tied at 24%.

It remains an open question as to how Thompson will hold up once he actually enters the campaign and has to compete directly with other candidates. To date, he retains the allure of the new kid in town while GOP voters already know the things they don’t like about the others. Still, Thompson’s rise to the top provides a telling measure of how the other GOP hopefuls have failed to capture the imagination of the party they hope to lead.

Thompson's genius is inherent in the fact that he has chosen to sit out the formal process enough to get his message out in a clear manner, that stood out from the din of the current field of 10 candidates. Thompson's solo appearance on Hannity & Colmes on a night when 10 other Republican hopefuls were duking it out for their literal 15 seconds of fame, when you come to think of it, was a sheer stroke of genius.

Of course, Fred will sooner or later need to declare. But you can bet that he'll remain head and shoulders above the rest, literally and figuratively, when he does.

Fred Thompson solidly in 2nd place...

2007-06-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

From here...

REPUBLICAN LEADERS ADULTS "WOULD CONSIDER VOTING FOR" FOR
PRESIDENT

"Although the U.S. presidential election is not until
November, 2008, there are a number of people who may run
for president. If you were to vote and had
to select from the following candidates, for which of
the following people would you consider voting?"

Base: All adults

Base: All adults


              Feb   Mar  Apr  May  June  Republican
                %     %    %    %     %           %    
Rudy Giuliani  29    35   32   30    30          55    
Colin Powell   32    30   29   29    28          45   
John McCain    26    26   24   23    21          38     
Fred Thompson N/A   N/A   15   17    19          38       
Condoleezza
   Rice        19    18   17   16    15          33     
Mitt Romney     7     9   14   12    14          32    
Newt Gingrich  11    11   12   10    11          27    
Mike Huckabee   3     4    3    3     5          12     
Tommy Thompson  4   N/A    4    5     4          10    
Tom Tancredo    3     3    3    3     4           9   
Ron Paul      N/A   N/A    2    2     4           4    
Duncan Hunter   2     2    2    3     3           7   
Sam Brownback   2     2    2    2     3           8     
Chuck Hagel     3     3    3    2     2           4    
Jim Gilmore   N/A   N/A    1    1     2           4   

Note: Multiple-response question
*Less than 0.5%
N/A not applicable

REPUBLICAN VOTERS FIRST CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT
"There are many different people who are, or who may
become, candidates for president in the Republican
primaries starting in January, 2008. Based on all that
you know or have heard up to now about the people listed
below, for which one person would you be most likely to
vote?

Base: Those who would vote in Republican primary or
caucus


                          April        May         June

                            %           %           %
Rudy Giuliani              39          38          30
Fred Thompson              13          18          22
John McCain                18          18          18
Mitt Romney                14           8          11
Newt Gingrich               9           9           8
Tom Tancredo                1           2           3
Sam Brownback               2           1           2
Ron Paul                    1           1           2
Mike Huckabee               1           1           2
Duncan Hunter               1           1           1
Jim Gilmore                 *           1           1
Tommy Thompson              1           2           1
Chuck Hagel                 *           1           1

As you can see, with the voters, at the grass-roots level,
Thompson's showing is strong, and is gaining momentum.

To say that Fred Thompson would be a viable candidate at
the top of the GOP '08 ticket would be an understatement
of gargantuan proportions!

Frontrunner Fred?

2007-06-13T19:57:00.000-05:00

From Rolling Stone:

6/12/07, 12:45 pm EST

Fred Thompson, Frontrunner?

The latest Rasmussen poll has Hollywood Fred in a first-place tie with Mr. 9/11 at 24 percent. That’s pretty stunning — and Thompson deserves credit. His quietly confident above-the-fray campaign has left the actor as a clean receptacle for much of the strong-brewed, none-of-the-above sentiment that’s fueling the GOP base right now.
But clearly the “Thompson epiphany” as some top conservatives are calling it, springs less of love for the Law & Order Republican, and more out of a sense of desperation among base voters who see the former Tennessee senator as the lesser of four evils....

If only it were that simple to explain away.

Thompson is:

A communicator.
Pro-border security.
Anti illegal immigration
Pro Life
Pro-War-on-Terror/Victory in Iraq

Now what's a conservative not to like about Fred Thompson?

Fred On Hannity...

2007-06-13T19:55:00.000-05:00

From June 5th...

Fred: The Juggernaut gains in the sunshine state!

2007-06-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

From Townhall:

OF INTEREST:
In Florida, whose Jan. 29 primary will be one of the nation's first presidential contests, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., has gained steam since his 5 percent showing in April, even though he's not yet a declared candidate. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, and McCain, an Arizona GOP senator, have seen slight erosion since then. The Democratic contest has remained stable.
THE NUMBERS _ REPUBLICANS
Rudy Giuliani, 31 percent
Fred Thompson, 14 percent
John McCain, 10 percent
Mitt Romney, 8 percent

When Fred formally announces in July, look for his numbers to go astronomical.

On another note, there are those who think that a Fred Thompson candidacy will "steal votes" away from other candidates.

The truth is, no one really knows from whom Fred Thompson will steal votes once he enters the presidential race. And we're especially clueless about the second-degree effects of his candidacy.

Thompson's polling firm, McLaughlin and Associates, finds that Thompson wins the support of 18 percent of the Republican primary electorate today, stealing almost all of his votes from Rudy Giuliani.

Truth is, Fred Thompson "steals" votes from no one. They are there for the taking, and anyone who's looking for a pro-life, pro-gun, pro-security, pro-Iraq winning candidate, with the gravitas to sell the message, need only look to Fred Thompson. There is no other candidate in the field who fits that bill.

When the Republican National Convention comes to Minneapolis in 2008, I definitely want to be there to see Fred give his acceptance speech!

___

Why Fred Thompson Appeals

2007-06-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

"By Craig A. Hammond

Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson appeals to many Republican voters who have no clear favorite in the current crop of GOP candidates for one overriding reason:

Simply, put, they think Thompson can win the whole shooting match next November.

The other GOP candidates have their merits and may even have individual strengths which override Thompson on a given issue. For example, former NYC Mayor Giuliani is the only Presidential candidate who can lay claim to leading the effort at Ground Zero from day one at 9/11. That's impressive.

John McCain had his mettle tested over six years as a P.O.W. in Vietnam and has managed to not only recover but flourish as a multi-term U.S. Senator from Arizona. His independent spirit is attractive in many ways.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and U.S. Senator Sam Brownback articulate clearly the values shared not only by social conservatives in the Republican Party but many other Americans who watch with concern as their children are exposed to more violence and gratuitous sex on the public airwaves. We need their continued passion for a better society.

And Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts and "the man who saved the Salt Lake City Olympic Games" has an impressive resume as a manager of budgets and people.

However, none of them can communicate the big picture to the people like Fred Thompson can. Whether this comes from his family upbringing in the South, his careers in government service and acting, or just his own individual personality, Thompson conveys strength in that singular way only some leaders can.

People seem to actually derive strength and even energy from Thompson's own presentations, from his deeply-held belief in America and Americans. No one else has that going for them.

That is why the comparison with Ronald Reagan is so often made. Sure, both were actors and involved in politics, but it is the chords they strike with the electorate that makes them soul brothers."

Read the rest!

Fred Launches a Website!

2007-06-05T22:40:00.000-05:00

Check out "I'mwithFred.com"

Fred Thompson's Speech

2007-06-05T17:19:00.000-05:00

Fred Thompson delivered a great speech in Richmond, Virginia Saturday night. Here’s the YouTube video of it, broken down into 4 parts:

The Ron Paul "non-factor" factor...

2007-06-05T16:54:00.000-05:00

Elephant Biz points us to this post, claiming that Fred Thompson's potential candidacy is "...a desperate move by Republican leaders to offer what they consider a viable contender."

A desperate move? By Republican leaders? First of all, if "Republican Leaders" were pushing for Fred, they'd have to think long and hard before doing so, since it just so happens that, unlike "Republican leaders" Mr. Thompson is against the so-called "bipartisan" immigration reform bill. The article goes on to say,

Yet Ron Paul (R-Tex), congressman and republican candidate for president has been seen by Internet observers as doing well both in debates and in terms of public sentiment. His message is one of minimalist government, low taxes and a non-aggressive military policy.

Not to mention that the guy is absolute loony-toons and a truther:

Face it, the only place where Ron Paul could effectively lead a nation is within the expanse of his more-than-vivid imagination.

It's as simple as this: Give me a guy who wants to be President, who believes that 9/11 was our fault, that President Bush had something to do with the towers coming down, that the JFK assassination was a conspiracy, that we need to cut and run from Iraq, and that we need to listen to terrorists' concerns--and I'll give you Ron Paul.

Give me a guy who wants to be President, who believes that the government is too big, that we need to stand up to terrorists, that we need to prevail over them in Iraq, and that we need to secure our borders, and I'll give you Fred Thompson.

Given their stances on things, just who do you think is the more "desperate" candidate?

Given their stances on things, just who do you thing should be the more "desperate" candidate?

I thought so.

The Fred Thompson Juggernaut and the Effects of Gravity

2007-06-05T06:34:00.000-05:00

Fred Thompson's imminent run for the Presidency is attracting some heavyweight support:

Mary Matalin, the former counselor to Vice President Cheney, says she will be advising Thompson. A campaign source says she will be an unpaid adviser. Matalin is friends with Thompson and his wife, Jeri, and her involvement began informally, the source says.

Advisers say the head of economic policy for Thompson's fledgling team will be Lawrence B. Lindsey, who was President Bush's first economic policy adviser and an architect of his tax cuts. Lindsey was chief economic adviser to Bush's first presidential campaign and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Lindsey will also have a hand in the campaign's broader policy formulation, sources say.

The head of domestic policy is to be David M. McIntosh, a lawyer and former congressman from Indiana who was an official in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, according to the sources. The chief foreign policy adviser will be chosen soon, the sources say.

Adding to the Bush-Cheney ties, the campaign has said that the chief operating officer will be Thomas J. Collamore, a former aide to the older Bush when he was vice president and also an official in the Reagan administration.

And Michael Turk, e-campaign director for George W. Bush's reelection campaign, will take a leave of absence from his current job with the National Cable & Telecommunications Association to assist in getting the Thompson website off the ground. He may continue in a webmaster capacity for the campaign.

As is evident here, the Thompson campaign is making some serious headway, and will be a force to be reckoned with, not only in the upcoming primaries, but in the '08 election itself.

A Q&A with Fred.

2007-06-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

Fred Thompson in an AP "Q&A" interview.

Watch video here.

Fred Thompson and the Power of a Message

2007-06-01T19:47:00.000-05:00

From Townhall:

"Well, he's done it. Hugo Chavez was already systematically silencing criticism of his autocratic rule through threats and intimidation. Journalists have been threatened, beaten and even killed. Now he's shut down the last opposition television networks in Venezuela and arrested nearly 200 protesters – mostly students. It’s a monumental tragedy and the Venezuelan people will pay the price for decades to come. Americans are also at risk as he funds anti-American candidates and radicals all over Latin America.
It’s equally tragic that the U.S. is in no position to provide the victims of this emerging dictator with the truth. There was a time, though, when Americans were on the front lines of pro-freedom movements all over the world. I'm talking about the “surrogate” broadcast network that included Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, often called "the Radios."
When Ronald Reagan was elected, he greatly empowered the private, congressionally funded effort and handpicked the Radios’ top staff to bring freedom to the Soviet Union. Steve Forbes led the group.
Cynics still say that the USSR fell of its own weight, and that President Reagan’s efforts to bring it down were irrelevant, but Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev say differently. Both have said that, without the Radios, the USSR wouldn't have fallen. The Radios were not some bland public relations effort, attracting audiences only with American pop music. They engaged the intellectual and influential populations behind the Iron Curtain with accurate news and smart programming about freedom and democracy. They had sources and networks within those countries that sometimes outperformed the CIA. When Soviet hardliners and reformers were facing off, and crowds and tanks were on the streets of Moscow and Bucharest, the radios were sending real-time information to the people, including the military, and reminding them of what was at stake.
Then we won the Cold War. The USSR collapsed in 1991, and America relaxed. Military downsizing began and the Radios began to reduce broadcast air time to target countries.
Now, of course, we know that the Islamofascists, many trained by the old Soviets, were making plans and plots of their own. Unfortunately, the plans to broadcast a pro-freedom message into Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Kurdistan and Ukraine were shelved or diluted. Reagan's ideological audacity was replaced with a more "diplomatic" tone.
And see where it's got us? Not only has Islamic totalitarianism spread without a true ideological challenge, many of the freed Soviet bloc countries are slipping back into repression. Russia is making the same old threats and even protecting Iran's efforts to build nukes.
We'll never know if Afghanistan might have rejected al Qaeda if America had actively engaged that country as we did those Eastern Europeans. We can't know if Venezuelans would have chosen liberty over the false security of authoritarianism if they had been challenged to face the issues. I do know, though, that it's time for a new generation of Americans to stand up for freedom -- like others before us. And this time, we’ll have a whole new set of media technologies."

In the tradition of the "Great Communicator," Fred Thompson knows the the driving force of a powerful message of truth, powerfully delivered. Web savvy, as well as Hollywood savvy, Thompson has the ability and the wherewithal to articulate the Conservative message with brevity, clarity and forthrightness, without pretense.

Fred Thompson is just the kind of "Great Communicator" that this country desperately needs, in a time when the message of hope that is true conservatism is otherwise under-articulated in a sea of prevarication and liberal doublespeak.

Fred on Israel...

2007-06-01T19:24:00.000-05:00

Tell me... just tell me that this guy doesn't make sense:

“Let me ask you a hypothetical question. What do you think America would do if Canadian soldiers were firing dozens of missiles every day into Buffalo, N.Y.? What do you think our response would be if Mexican troops for two years had launched daily rocket attacks on San Diego — and bragged about it?”

“I can tell you, our response would look nothing like Israel’s restrained and pinpoint reactions to daily missile attacks from Gaza. We would use whatever means necessary to win the war. There would likely be numerous casualties on our enemy’s side, but we would rightfully hold those who attacked us responsible.”

“More than 1,300 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza since Palestinians were given control two years ago. Israelis, however, have gone to incredible lengths to stop the war against them without harming Palestinian non-combatants. But make no mistake, Israel is at war. The elected Hamas government regularly repeats its official promise to destroy Israel entirely and replace it with an Islamic state. Hamas openly took credit for killing one woman and wounding dozens more last week alone.”

“The Palestinian strategy is to purposely target and kill Israeli civilians. Then, when Israel goes after those launching the attacks, Palestinians claim to be the victims. If Palestinian civilians aren’t hurt in the Israeli attacks, they stage injuries and deaths.”

Talk about a "straight-talk express."

h/t DeMediacratic Nation

Novak on Thompson

2007-05-31T18:34:00.000-05:00

From here:

Thompson implied at Stamford that Republicans, along with Democrats, are responsible for making Americans cynical. While so far not spelling this out publicly, he deplores ethical abuses, profligate spending and incompetent management of the Iraq war. He becomes incandescent when considering abysmal CIA and Justice Department performance under the Bush administration. He is enraged by Justice's actions in decisions leading to Scooter Libby's prison sentence.
In his Senate voting record and his public utterances, Thompson is more conservative than Giuliani, McCain or Romney. He takes a hard line on the War on Terror and worries about immigration policy creating a permanent American underclass. Beyond ideology, Thompson envisions a 21st-century campaign, utilizing the Internet more and spending less money than his opponents. When speaking to a friendly audience or ruminating off the record, the 6-foot-7 actor-politician does not look or sound like the GOP's announced candidates for President. His challenge will be to convey that impression when he appears with opponents on the same stage in the immediate future.

One step closer.

2007-05-31T06:47:00.000-05:00

This is what they mean by "clearing the decks".

Fred Thompson is giving up his post as D.A. on NBC's "Law & Order."

Thompson, a former Republican senator from Tennessee who has flirted with the idea of running for president but has yet to announce his candidacy, played District Attorney Arthur Branch on the long-running crime drama for the past five seasons.

"I've spoken to Fred today, and although he told me he has not made a firm decision about his political future, he felt that given the creative and scheduling constraints of the upcoming season, he asked to be released from his responsibilities to the show," "Law & Order" creator/executive producer Dick Wolf said Wednesday. "I will sincerely miss working with him on a regular basis, and I obviously wish him the best of luck with whatever the future holds."

The statement came hours after news reports indicated that Thompson will form a presidential committee this week.

Fred's raising funds!

2007-05-30T06:53:00.000-05:00

So reports the USA Today:

Former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson hasn't formally announced he'll run for the Republican presidential nomination -- but today he did begin raising money for a prospective bid, USA TODAY Washington bureau chief Susan Page writes. She continues:
In a conference call with about 100 people -- many of whom have urged him to jump in the race -- Thompson asked for their help in raising funds for a testing-the-waters committee, which is likely to be formed next week. That money could be used for a campaign when and if he's ready to run.

"I'm not saying anything against any of the candidates, but I think he can fill the vacuum that has not been filled yet on the Republican side," Mack Mattingly, a former U.S. senator from Georgia who was on the call, says of Thompson. He predicts the actor and former senator "will be just like a magnet" who can attract conservative Democrats and Republicans.

As Expected...

2007-05-24T18:47:00.001-05:00

Undeclared candidate Fred Thompson is creaming all the declared candidates.

With Thompson's stand on illegal immigration, who can blame them?

You can cast your vote here, yourself.

The juggernaut solidifies...

2007-05-22T18:22:00.001-05:00

From The Fix:

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) is growing more and more serious about a run for president, installing a former aide to President George H.W. Bush as his "campaign manager in waiting."

Tom Collamore, a former vice president of public affairs at Altria, has been leading the behind-the scenes organization efforts for a Thompson presidential candidacy and will be intimately involved when (not if) the former senator decides to announce a bid.

Collamore joined the Reagan administration in 1981 as special assistant to Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige. He was named staff secretary to Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1985 and was part of Bush's transition team when he won the White House in 1988. Collamore was then named assistant secretary of Commerce in 1989. In 1992, Collamore joined Philip Morris Cos., which became Altria in 2003.

The decision to put Collamore atop the Thompson campaign reflects a desire to have a learned Washington hand at the tiller -- even as Thompson is positioning himself as a conservative outsider in this contest. It also shows that Thompson will not seek simply to replicate the political network of former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). While Frist is an informal adviser to Thompson, his campaign people have largely been kept out of the loop as Thompson prepares to make a run.

And that run will come none too soon:

...The buzz continues to grow that Thompson will indeed join the race sometime before the end of June. At last week's Republican debate in South Carolina, flyers were handed out in the media filing center that had a glossy picture of Thompson and touted endorsements from the likes of Reps. Gresham Barrett (SC.), Jeff Miller (Fla.), Don Manzullo (Ill.) and Steve Buyer (Ind.). The flyer was sponsored by the Draft Thompson effort.

Fred Thompson: Right on Immigration!

2007-05-17T21:13:00.001-05:00

Fred on the ~~Amnesty~~ illegal immigration act currently sailing through Congress without a peep of debate:

Scrap This Bill

By Fred Thompson

With this bill, the American people are going to think they are being sold the same bill of goods as before on border security. We should scrap this bill and the whole debate until we can convince the American people that we have secured the borders or at least have made great headway.

Which other viable GOP candidate is right on this issue?

The way I see it is:

This is illegal immigration:

And this is illegal immigration, after Fred gets done with it:

Any questions?

The non-candidate candidate...

2007-05-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

...took 2nd place in a recent Harris poll:

Fred Thompson, the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee and TV and movie star, is now tied with Senator John McCain for second place as the Republicans' first choice for President in the 2008 elections. However, they are both a long way behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is preferred by fully 38 percent of those who believe they will vote in the Republican primaries or caucuses.

The current wide field of candidates will soon thin, with the cream rising to the top. Giuliani's complete dissing of the pro-life movement within the Republican party will not do him any favors as the primaries draw near. Fred Thompson's upcoming break from his TV career suggests that he is more than serious about running; and this and other polls around the nation suggests that he has more than adequate support.

Close Circuit to Michael Moore...

2007-05-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

Never bring a pea shooter to a gunfight.

That is all.

Moore challenges Thompson to debate.

2007-05-15T17:17:00.000-05:00

~~Propagandist~~ Filmmaker Michael Moore has responded to Thompson’s criticism of his trip to Cuba.

In your May 2, 2007 National Review article, "Paradise Island," you specifically raised concerns about whether my trip to Cuba with 9/11 heroes, who have suffered serious health problems as a result of their exposure to toxic substances at Ground Zero that have gone untreated was somehow going to support Castro and the Cuban government.

Moore blathered on and then ended his letter to Thompson by challenging him to a debate.

Thompson responded via video.

First things First!

2007-05-14T23:20:00.000-05:00

Thompson at NRO:

One thing about folks knowing you are going to speak at the Council for National Policy, you get lots of advice as to what to say. A lot of good advice. Good talking points. In fact enough for several speeches. Also, some of your friends, knowing that you are thinking about running for President, urge you to give a rousing campaign speech.

Hopefully there will be an opportunity to do all of those things but tonight instead of all of that, I want to talk a little about what should be the origin of all those talking points. This would be the principles on which they are based — first principles. The principles you have been defending since 1981.

For Americans, these are found in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. They include a recognition of God and the fact there are certain rights that come from Him and not the government. They are based upon a respect for the wisdom of the ages, and a belief that human beings are prone to err; that too much power must never rest in too few hands. The result is a system of checks and balances and a separation of powers that flow from our guiding documents and from the rule of law.

Finally, if we want to change or alter these concepts or any provision in the Constitution, we are given a specific method to do that — by Constitutional Amendment.

So how are we doing as a nation in upholding these first principles? The answer is we could be doing better … a lot better.

I want to tell you a couple of short stories from my own personal experience. Each story is about a man. They are both public figures and I was blessed with the opportunity to be of some small assistance to each of them. Their circumstances have to do with these first principles.

First, an observation. Our nation is based upon the proposition that our statutes, common law and the Constitution will not only be applied fairly between litigants, but will also be observed by the government. People will be able to rely upon the rules, usually long established, and their consistent application. This engenders respect for the law. It is a sad irony that a nation that is so dedicated to the rule of law is doing so much to undermine the respect for it.

Our founders established an independent federal judiciary to decide cases, not social policy. Yet more and more that is exactly what it is doing. Roe v. Wade is a classic example. And nowhere is it more apparent than with regard to the issue of church and state.

Many federal judges seem intent on eliminating God from the public schools and the public square in ways that would astound our founding fathers. We never know when a five to four Supreme Court decision will uphold them. They ignore the fact that the founders were protecting the church from the state and not the other way around. Instead of having the basic rules of society changed in the way clearly set forth in the Constitution by two-thirds votes of both Houses and by three-fourths of the states, the entire process is reversed by the stroke of a pen and supporters of the rule of law have the burden placed upon them, which is usually insurmountable.

We have always held our federal judiciary in high esteem, even at a time when most of our institutions are under assault. However, if judges continue to act like politicians they will get the respect currently given to politicians. It is already rapidly headed in that direction. The antidote for this, of course, is good judges. And presidents who know one when they see one … one like John Roberts.

John Roberts is the first of the individuals I referred to earlier. The President asked me to help Judge Roberts through the Senate confirmation process. Certain things were apparent at the outset — he was a Conservative, he believed deeply in first principles, including the rule of law and, lastly, his opponents would do everything they could to defeat his nomination.

Judge Roberts’s character, intellect, and devotion to the law were unassailable. Of course for a conservative this is just the beginning of the discussion, not the end. The usual liberal outside groups mounted their horses and charged, but we fought the battle and won. However, we were reminded once again of several things during this process.

· What a steep price even the best Conservative nominee has to pay. The Washington Post “Style” section criticized the way his small children were dressed. The New York Times was caught trying to get the adoption records of his children unsealed.

· We were reminded how desperate the liberal community is to keep the deck stacked in their favor.

· And most importantly, we were reminded that the quality of an individual can overcome all obstacles. So he is now Chief Justice John Roberts.

I kept wondering throughout all of this, why would politicians want this to be the last experience a man would have before he assumed the role of Chief Justice of the United States?

This also brought home again the importance of elections of a President and the Senate. It is ironic indeed that any President’s legacy could well be formed on the basis of something that is usually very far from the public’s consciousness — the nomination of federal judges. And on this nomination and that of Justice Alito this President can be proud and our entire nation can be grateful.

The other man is in a less lofty position. After years of sacrifice and service to his country, he sits at home with his wife and two children awaiting a prison sentence. His name is Scooter Libby.

As you may recall, for some inexplicable reason, the CIA sent the husband of one of its employees to Niger on a sensitive mission. She had suggested it. He came back to the U.S. and proceeded to publicly blast the administration. Naturally, everyone wanted to know “who is this guy?” and “why was he sent to Niger?” Just as naturally, the fact that he was married to Valerie Plame at the CIA was leaked.

Having virtually guaranteed that Ms. Plame’s identity would be ultimately disclosed by using her, shall we say, “politically active” husband, the CIA then demanded that this leak of her name be investigated by the Justice Department for a possible violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

The Justice Department, bowing to political and media pressure, appointed a Special Counsel to investigate the leak and promised that the Justice Department would exercise no supervision over him whatsoever — a status even the Attorney General does not have.

The only problem with this little scenario was that there was no violation of the law, by anyone, and everybody — the CIA, the Justice Department and the Special Counsel knew it. Ms. Plame was not a “covered person” under the statute and it was obvious from the outset.

Furthermore, Justice and the Special Counsel knew who leaked Plames’s name and it wasn’t Scooter Libby. But the Beltway machinery was well oiled and geared up so the Special Counsel spent the next two years moving heaven and earth to come up with something, anything. Finally he came up with some inconsistent recollections by Scooter Libby, who had been up to his ears studying National Intelligence Estimates. But he worked for Dick Cheney, so that apparently was enough for the special counsel.

I didn’t know Scooter Libby, but I did know something about this intersection of law, politics, special counsels and intelligence. And it was obvious to me that what was happening was not right. So I called him to see what I could do to help, and along the way we became friends. You know the rest of the story: a D.C. jury convicted him.

In our system all citizens are guaranteed equal protection. And when we appropriate unlimited resources and give unlimited power and direct it all toward one individual, there had better be extraordinary circumstances. There were none here. Just a case of public officials without the courage to do the right thing and stop this farce before it began. In no other prosecutor’s office in the country would a case like this one have been brought.

Incidentally, this was shortly after Sandy Berger, the National Security Advisor to President Bill Clinton, received a slap on the wrist by the Justice Department for lying about and then confessing that he stole and destroyed what we think were classified documents. We’ll never know, because he destroyed them. But we do know that he didn’t want the 9-11 Commission to see them. But nobody was clamoring for his head. Back to Libby.

I have called for a pardon for Scooter Libby. When you rectify an injustice using the provisions of the law, just as when you reverse an erroneous court decision, you are not disregarding the rule of law, you are enforcing and protecting it.

The Roberts nomination shows us that we can win against those who would use the Constitution for their own ends, even though it is always a fight.

Libby’s prosecution demonstrates how injustices can occur when public officials lack the courage to go against the public clamor and to do the right thing, thereby perverting the rule of law.

All this of course, reminds us of what Washington has become and why more good people are not coming into public service. Add to that the bitter divisiveness on Capitol Hill with regard to all things large and small, and you can almost see Americans throwing up their hands. They’ve got to be wondering, how are today’s leaders going to lead us with regard to all these difficult issues if they can’t even agree on fundamentals — things that are supposed to bind us together.

Some of you may think that this is not a very optimistic outlook. I’m reminded of something my Daddy used to say: A man who walks around smiling all the time can’t possibly know what’s going on. However, I am optimistic. I think we all are. But as Americans, our optimism comes not from an analysis of how things are, but from our belief that we can change what we see for the better.

We have road maps — at least two of them in fact — the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution — to guide us. How can we look at the world without thinking about inalienable rights, and doing everything necessary to protect our country? How can we think of fiscal policy or even health-care policy without remembering the limitations appropriately placed upon government and the importance of individual freedom?

This is a message that needs to be delivered. The people in this room have been delivering it for a long time. We must rededicate ourselves to this commitment and to the magnificent legacy we have been given. And I am honored to join you in this effort. Thank you.

Oh yeah... he's running!

2007-05-14T18:11:00.000-05:00

There are many out there who have speculated that Fred Thompson won't give up a lucrative gig on "Law & Order" to run for President.

It just so happens that NBC execs beg to differ:

Does Fred Thompson have a future on "Law & Order"? Unlikely.

"It's pretty clear Fred will be leaving the cast," Kevin Reilly, president of NBC Entertainment, told TV reporters Monday.

Questioned some more, Reilly revised the comment: "It's highly likely that Fred won't be back this year."

Hmmm. I think Thompson is outta there. Thompson is considering a run for president.

Umm hmm...

The Countdown continues...

2007-05-14T17:38:00.000-05:00

Many have wondered why Fred Thompson has waited so long to enter the 2008 Presidential race.

In retrospect, it looks to have been the smart move. Rudy Giuliani has hung himself with the conservative base by reiterating his pro-abortion stance. And Mitt Romney has not garnered the trust of many evangelicals. It isn’t because of his Mormon religion so much as it is his “about face” on the life issue just within the past couple of years. And John McCain is…well, John McCain.

Since many evangelical Christians opted to stay home during the 2006 elections, it appears they are still waiting to be dazzled by the 2008 prospects.

Enter Thompson.

Several leading Christian conservatives say they will rally to former Sen. Fred Thompson, who they expect to announce "in a matter of weeks" that he will seek the Republican nomination for president next year.

"It's not 'if' but 'when,' he will announce," one Protestant evangelical leader says of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering for position in the 2008 race.

A prominent Roman Catholic social conservative says the three Republicans who have raised the most money and have led the polls -- former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- fall short of social conservatives' expectations, but Mr. Thompson doesn't. "He's right on the issues ... He's better than all of the above."

Both the Protestant and Catholic activist, like other Christian conservatives, spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity.

You had better speak anonymously. Otherwise you might get CREW coming after you.

But I digress.

Come on aboard, Mr. Thompson!!

Fred on Tenet...

2007-05-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

A great piece by Fred Thompson over at NRO. Among the highlights:

On the issue of weapons of mass destruction, although Iraq undoubtedly had such weapons in the past, Tenet acknowledges that everybody got it wrong as to whether they would have them at the time of the invasion. On the nuclear issue, he said that the CIA thought that Saddam was five to seven years away from a nuclear capability — unless he was able to obtain fissile material from another source.

A couple of things occur to me here. In the first place, is five to seven years that far away? Since four years have passed since the invasion, that would be only a year from now if we had not invaded. If he had been able to obtain fissile materials, the time could have been much shorter. There are over 40 countries in the world with fissile material sufficient to make a nuclear bomb and much of it is unguarded.

The CIA could have been on the short side or on the long side of the estimate. They have underestimated the capabilities of hostile nations before, such as North Korea’s missile technologies. Also, Tenet acknowledged that before the Gulf War, the CIA had underestimated how far along Saddam was on his nuclear program.

All of this hardly fits with the notion that Saddam posed no threat. As Tenet made the media rounds, he may have helped the administration as much as hurt it, but he was in no danger of having that fact highlighted by his interviewers.

Regarding Grasping at Straws...

2007-05-08T18:13:00.000-05:00

The left must be really afraid of Fred Thompson. Not yet a declared candidate, yet that doesn't stop the leftist media from pulling out all the stops. And I mean all the stops.

While he has benefited in polls of Republican voters because of his role as a no-nonsense prosecutor on the hit show Law & Order, potential presidential candidate Fred Thompson probably doesn't want to be known for a smaller role in his acting career.

Mistake no 1: Misattribution of popularity. Fred Thompson isn't popular merely because of his role as Arthur Branch. His popularity among conservatives stems largely from three simple facts:

1. Fred Thompson is a conservative.
2. Fred Thompson articulates the conservative message well.
3. Fred Thompson is principled.

Now, on with this clueless drivel:

Thompson played a charismatic racist named Knox Pooley in a small arc of the CBS show "Wiseguy" in 1988, the Los Angeles Times reported this week. The Times Tina Daun noted that the former Republican senator portrayed a "white supremacist, spewing anti-Semitic comments and fondling an autographed copy of 'Mein Kampf' on a television drama 19 years ago," and that it may mark a "new era" in "the long relationship between Hollywood and politics," by combining "an actor's dream and a candidate's nightmare — a world where nothing you ever said is forgotten."

If that's the best the left can do against Fred Thompson, I'd say he's more than electable. If they have to scrape that low to get any perceived dirt on him, I'd say it's a fair bet that Thompson has few, if any skeletons in his closet. After all, he's been in the public eye in one manner or form since the 1970s, and has managed to eschew the Hollywood self-destruct mindset, as well as the slings and arrows sent his way by the loyal opposition that was and is the democrat party.

Cheap shots like this, friends, is good news!