Human Events Endorses Fred!

Story here.

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

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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.

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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.

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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."

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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

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!

Fred Thompson endorsed by Pro Life Group!

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@!

Yet another evangelical's take on Fred

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.!

D'Amato endorses Fred!

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!

The Fred Thompson Juggernaut and the Effects of Gravity

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.

Fred Gets more Endorsements!

From here:

One of Ronald Reagan’s key advisers, Michael Deavers, has endorsed Senator Thompson. This is a great feather in Thompson’s cap. It is looking more and more like Thompson is a serious candidate.
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By Tim Shipman in Washington, Sunday Telegraph, UK

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reagan staffers in Thompson's corner.

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

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

Apparently, some former colleagues of Reagan concur.


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

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

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

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

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

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

The (Fred) Thompson juggernaut keeps on rolling

From Real Clear Politics:

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

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

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

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

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

[SNIP]

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

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

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

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

The Grass Roots GOPers are still taking notice of Thompson:

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

Thompson has not announced he is running for president.

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

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

Run, Fred, Run!

And yet another glowing Fred Thompson edorsement!

This time from Missouri's Lieutenant Governor:

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

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

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

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

[SNIP]

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

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

And the juggernaut rolls on...

Chattanooga Newspaper Endorses Fred!

And the juggernaut rolls on:

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

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

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

The editorial cited his proven experience, wisdom and character.

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

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