What Is Right About Fred Thompson, The Series

As I noted here, Fred Thompson’s supporters and campaign are missing golden opportunity after golden opportunity while they focus on tearing down other candidates instead of building Fred up. Fred continues to put forth a very conservative agenda and no one is hearing about it because Fredheads aren’t telling them. I’ll try to help them again, gratis.

Take, for instance, Fred’s skepticism of the latest National Intelligence Estimate, the one that contradicts the idea that Iran is working on nuclear weapons.

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Tuesday he’s skeptical of a new report that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago and questioned the United States’ ability to gather intelligence.

“I hope that they are accurate with this assessment, but right now, I don’t have the confidence in our own intelligence capabilities to make that assessment,” the former Tennessee senator said after speaking to dozens of supporters at a gun shop in this early voting state. “One thing that crosses my mind is that this is information that the Iranians have put out, that they want us to kind of relax a little bit.”

That, my friends, is great stuff. Best I can tell, no other candidate has said anything approaching that level of skepticism. Wouldn’t you want your friends and neighbors to know about that instead of your latest opinion about how bad another guy is? He continues:

Thompson’s remarks seemed to echo President Bush, who said Iran remained dangerous and the report should be a warning sign that the nation had a weapons program.

“Nowadays they can have a peaceful nuclear program and it’s very, very easy once they get to that level to turn a screw or two and make it into a weapons program. It’s a thin line,” Thompson said.

He also said the U.S. needed to strengthen the military, even during peace time, and not wait for another terrorist attack.

“After Iraq and Afghanistan are in our rearview mirrors, we’re still going to have the necessity of having a very strong military,” he said. “We don’t have to wait until they’re on the coast of South Carolina or somewhere to get our attention.”

Dang skippy, we can’t wait for them to get our attention. Fredheads, listen up! You can’t wait for people to start believing your fantasies about other candidates being evil! Tell them about your guy!

Issue One: Prosecuting the War...

What experience can Thompson draw upon to better enable him to conduct his mission as C-IN-C?

With regard to experience, I can offer you this:

-As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Thompson focused on the threat of nuclear proliferation and technology transfers that could damage American industrial and national security.

-While a vocal supporter of free trade, Thompson has also fought to link free trade to our national security interests. For example, when voting to grant full-trading status to China, Senator Thompson fought unsuccessfully to include an amendment in the bill that would have required the president to impose sanctions against China if it violated nuclear-nonproliferation agreements.

-Thompson also served on the Intelligence Committee at a time when it examined the failings in intelligence and analysis leading into the September 11th terrorist attacks, as well as the reforms needed to better prepare for future threats.

His plans for the future:

Revitalizing America's Armed Forces
Fred Thompson's Plan to Strengthen the Long Term Security of the United States

The threats to the United States today are more complex, dispersed, and opportunistic than ever before. Terrorists and terror states observe no rules and have no restraints of conscience. The enemy understands only the language of power. While the central front in the war against Islamic extremism is in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is clear that our enemies extend far beyond those borders. The gravest danger is terrorists or terrorist states acquiring weapons of mass destruction. But other, more traditional, more conventional challenges await us as well. To overcome these dangers, we need a clear and consistent strategy to address them, and the means to be successful.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, many falsely assumed that unquestioned American military superiority was unneeded. Indeed, many Democrats saw the 1990s as an opportunity to take a holiday from history, and as a consequence, our government began one of the largest unilateral reductions of military power in history. Our Armed Forces were cut 30 percent on average. Army combat power was reduced by nearly half, the Air Force down-sized considerably, and the Navy could not maintain 300 ships, much less the 600-ship Navy that President Reagan once envisioned. We are still feeling the effect of these reductions today.

No one will ever doubt the quality of those who serve our nation in the Armed Forces. The brave men and women who comprise our military have answered every call to duty and defended our freedom with honor. During my days in the Senate, I had the privilege to spend time with them as I traveled abroad to meet with world leaders, visit global hotspots, and gain a better understanding of events on the ground in far-away places. Whether at an outpost in Kosovo with U.S. Army troops; watching flight operations with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aboard an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean; meeting at a darkened Afghan airfield with special operations forces shortly after 9/11; or flying aboard a cargo aircraft with the U.S. Air Force in South America and South Asia. I am always inspired by the courage, competence, and commitment of our men and women in uniform.

But we are fighting a war in two theaters today, against an enemy not bound by borders, using 20th century equipment in a 21st century war. And our material support for our troops has not matched the demands we have placed on them. Their readiness and capabilities could soon be in doubt. We simply have been asking too few troops to do too much for too long.

It is time for real change, not half measures. As we consider the threats we face today, and the ones we may need to confront tomorrow, we must re-evaluate how we look at our priorities. The first responsibility of the federal government must be the security of the American people and the defense of our nation. This should be reflected in everything we do in the federal government, including, most importantly, the budget. Defense spending declined significantly at the end of the Cold War to levels approaching 3% of GDP, despite the fact that America has historically spent well over 5% of GDP on defense. Over the last several decades our economy has proven strong enough to enable 5.1% spending during the Gulf War, over 6% during the Reagan build up, and over 8% during the late 1960s. As a nation, we must be prepared to spend more on defense than what we do today - and have done in the past 15 years - in order to revitalize the military and develop the capabilities necessary to promote peace, security and stability for future generations of Americans.

To address the problems and challenges faced by our Armed Forces today, the following initiatives will put us on the path to revitalizing our all-volunteer military over the coming years, enable the United States to advance its interests abroad, and ensure the long-term security of our nation for decades:

Be prepared to increase the core defense budget up to 4.5% of GDP to support the expansion, modernization, and increased readiness of U.S. military forces
- We must be prepared to increase defense spending, phased in over time, in order to build the forces and develop the capabilities outlined in this plan.
- Spending increases would be calibrated to economic conditions, the nation's ability to access additional troops and modernize the military's equipment, and the Armed Force's ability to absorb these capabilities in the most effective manner.
Build a "Million-Member"ground force capable of handling peacetime and wartime tasks without wearing out the troops and increasing U.S. vulnerability.
- Increase Army end strength to 775,000 organized into 64 Brigade Combat Teams.
- Increase Marine Corps end strength to 225,000.
- Provide for the rotational, readiness, basing, and training needs of an expanded force.
- Modernize training, tactics, doctrine, and organizations to meet future challenges.

Increase the pay and benefits of our Military Personnel, and the care of our Veterans, to enhance recruitment, retention, and quality of life.
- Improve healthcare and housing for service members and their families.
- Pass a modern GI Bill that provides service members with ample educational assistance to help recruit and retain our nation's finest.
- Ensure that returning wounded veterans have the best healthcare available, that their families are fully supported, and that bureaucratic red-tape is eliminated
- Improve the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense systems by implementing many of the recommendations of the Dole-Shalala Commission and the Veteran's Disability Benefits Commission.
Enhance the capabilities of America's Special Operations Forces (SOF) to conduct counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, and other "special" operations
- Enhance SOF's command, control, and force projection capabilities as the lead for the nation's irregular warfare and special operations efforts.
- Expand SOF endstrength as necessary, without compromising standards.
- Improve Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs capabilities.
Increase the U.S. Navy fleet to at least 325 ships to increase mission capability across the full spectrum of operations and maintain the ability to project power globally.
- Add a carrier strike group to sustain forward presence in key areas' Persian Gulf and East Asia - to promote stability and deter conflict.
- Improve the Navy's ability to conduct coastal and riverine operations.
- Increase the number and capabilities of our submarine fleet.

Complete the modernization of the U.S. Air Force to ensure continued tactical air dominance over all potential adversaries and the ability to project power globally.
- Ensure tactical and strategic air/space superiority over every battlefield and the U.S.
- Develop new long-range tanker capabilities that can support U.S. military operations worldwide, 24/7.
- Invest in new technologies and systems to support advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, long-range strike capabilities, and extended global coverage.
- Upgrade the full spectrum of lift capabilities to improve the mobility of U.S. forces.
Develop robust Missile Defenses to protect the homeland, deployed forces, and allies against ballistic missiles of all ranges in all phases of flight.
- Field a layered, multi-tiered missile defense architecture that includes land-, sea-, and space-based components.
- Support the development and testing of advanced missile defense technologies to address the complexity of foreign ballistic missile inventories.
- Promote international collaboration in all missile defense efforts, to include cooperation in joint development and production with friends and allies.

Increase U.S. intelligence capabilities to ensure the nation's leaders, and our Armed Forces, have the best information possible in a timely and accurate manner.
- Improve intelligence collection, especially human intelligence.
- Ensure analysis is comprehensive, exhaustive, and properly "red-teamed."
- Continue to improve intelligence sharing and coordination across the government.
- Increase the Intelligence Community's focus on terrorism and proliferation.
Enhance Counter-Proliferation, Counter-Terrorism, and Cyber Security efforts
- Develop new tactics and technologies in each of these areas.
- Bolster targeted intelligence and law enforcement resources and work closely with the private sector to ensure national advanced technology assets are protected by state-of-the-art warning and response systems.
- Safeguard the security of our network centric and information technology driven weapons and systems as a top priority.

Maintain U.S. leadership and dominance in Space
- Make investments necessary to ensure the nation has assured access to space.
- Develop advanced satellites for surveillance and communications.
- Be able to defend our space-based assets from radiation, cyber, or direct attack.
- Integrate space-based systems with our ballistic missile defense system.
- Develop the capability to swiftly defeat the offensive space capabilities of potential adversaries.
Ensure the U.S. maintains a safe, effective, and credible strategic deterrent
- Maintain complementary land-, sea-, and air-based weapons delivery platforms to ensure the survivability of our nuclear deterrent.
- Modernize our existing nuclear weapons capabilities, as appropriate, to deal with 21st Century threats and challenges.
- Maintain the lowest level of nuclear capabilities compatible with our national security needs and our international commitments.
- Revitalize the nuclear weapons complex so that it is responsive and adaptable to unanticipated threats.

The U.S. military is at a strategic crossroads. Years of neglect, conflict, and long deployments are reducing the readiness, effectiveness and flexibility of the greatest military force in history. It is time to restore President Reagan's promise of "peace through strength" by making the investments and hard decisions necessary to safeguard the nation's long-term security. The fact is, we can and must do this.

The world - friends and foes alike - is watching. We cannot afford to allow our forces to wither and risk conflict. The latter is far more expensive in the long run and much more dangerous. The weaker we become, or appear to become, the more our enemies will be tempted to challenge us and our allies. These are risks we cannot afford to take. Whether we act in time to prevent the worst from happening will be the final measure of America's leadership in the world for years to come. With 9/11 still fresh in our memory, it is for America to shape events, and not be left at their mercy. Wherever dangers appear, we must be prepared to meet them with clarity and resolve. Doing so will take leadership, vision, and a commitment to restore our nation's military strength.

Thompson stated unequivocally in an interview with Charlie Rose:

I'm telling you, as President, if the lives of a bunch of American citizens were at stake and I thought that there was a good chance that an individual had information and could impart information that would help save those lives, I'm just saying, that I would do whatever is necessary to get that information from that person. I would authorize that. Whatever is necessary to save a number of American lives (emphatically).

Issue Two: Fiscal Responsibility...

What political capital is he willing to spend, for such programs as the Permanent Tax Cuts, holding the line on spending (I realistically do NOT expend cuts in spending)?

Here is some info on his record:

-As Chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, Thompson enacted a law that required federal agencies to calculate and report the cost of regulations on taxpayers and businesses.

-Press reports stated: “He put heat on federal agencies by holding hearings on mismanagement and by asking them to tote up the improper payments they made each year.” That added up to about $20 billion in taxpayer dollars. His efforts saved taxpayers more than $2 billion in 2005-06 alone at the Department of Health and Human Services.

-He published a report, “Government on the Brink,” (Volume 1 and Volume 2) detailing the waste, fraud, and abuse of federal agencies as well as the management challenges facing the incoming Bush Administration. Paul Light, a New York University professor and leading expert on government, said, “I consider him to be one of the most dedicated overseers of the executive branch of the last 25 years.”

-In his eight years, Thompson, who served on the Finance Committee, supported and worked to enact three major tax-cut bills, reducing the federal tax burden on all of us.

The National Taxpayer's Union gives him a lifetime rating of A (88%).

His plan to reform the tax code:

Thompson Plan for Tax Relief and New Economic Growth

In today's competitive global economy, a fair, simple, and pro-growth tax system is essential for America's success. America must be the best place in the world to invest and create high-paying jobs.

Fred Thompson's Plan for Tax Relief and Economic Growth promotes fairness and simplicity in the tax code and will create greater growth in the economy. It is based on a fundamental assumption that keeping tax rates low increases economic growth and enhances American competitiveness in the global economy. Increased economic growth will lead to higher wages and higher levels of employment in America. Equally important, lower taxes enhance the personal and economic freedom of all Americans by allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. Allowing Americans to control their own financial future has been integral to our nation's economic success and strength since its founding, and is the key to our future.

The economic proposals offered by Democrats will move us in the wrong direction -- their plan for higher taxes, in particular, will reduce America's competitiveness, push investment and jobs overseas, and send more of workers' and families' income to Washington. The conservative approach is to reduce government spending and return more money to America's families.

The following elements of the Thompson Plan for Tax Relief and Economic Growth will spur economic growth and move the nation towards a fairer, simpler tax system on the way to Fred Thompson's ultimate goal of fundamental tax reform.

Permanently Extend the 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts. Tax relief enacted in 2001 and 2003 has proved critical to generating a strong economy that has experienced growth despite the war on terror, the collapse in the housing market, and other economic challenges over the last six years. Unless action is taken, every American taxpayer will see a massive tax increase after December 31, 2010. Allowing this tax hike will impose an enormous financial burden on American families, slow economic growth, cost America jobs, and make it more difficult to address the country's long-term budget, economic, and security challenges. The Thompson plan ensures the following:
- Reduced individual income tax rates, saving every tax-paying family a minimum of $600.
- Preserving the $1000 child tax credit, which was doubled from $500 per child.
- Protecting Marriage penalty relief.
- Retaining Education tax incentives, including Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 529 college savingsplans, and deductions for higher education expenses.
- Reduced tax rates on capital gains and qualified dividends.
- Increased expensing of investment for small businesses.
Permanently Repeal the Death Tax. Current law provides death tax relief, but only through 2010. The death tax is inherently unfair. Under the Thompson Plan, the death tax would be permanently repealed, thus protecting millions of American families, including small business owners and family farmers, from double taxation at rates ranging as high as 55 percent.
Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax. The AMT is a separate tax system that was intended to ensure that a few high income Americans could not use deductions and credits to eliminate their tax liability. However, because the AMT is not indexed to inflation, it is penalizing Americans it was never intended to affect. While in the U.S. Senate, Fred Thompson authored legislation that would have repealed the AMT. Consistent with that earlier proposal, the Thompson plan will eliminate the AMT as part of broader tax and spending reform. Until comprehensive reform is feasible, the Thompson plan would index the exemption amounts annually so that millions of middle class families will not become subject to this tax.
Reduce the Corporate Tax Rate. The United States has one of the highest rates of tax on businesses of the industrialized nations, second only to Japan. EvenJapan is currently considering reducing its corporate tax rate. Economic studies suggest that the U.S. Treasury is actually losing tax revenue by keeping the corporate tax rate so high. In order to increase the competitiveness of U.S. companies in the global marketplace, the Thompson plan would reduce the U.S. top corporate tax rate (including the corporate capital gains tax rate) from 35 percent to no more than 27 percent, which is the approximate average of the world's leading economiesâ€”the nations of the Organization on Economic Cooperation and Development. This tax reduction will promote U.S. competitiveness, encourage companies to keep their operations (and jobs) in the U.S., and spur continued economic expansion and growth.
Permanently Extend Small Business Expensing. Small businesses create two-thirds of all new jobs in America, and employ nearly 59 million Americans -- more than half of the nation's private-sector workforce. Women own a quarter of all small businesses, minorities are nearing the 20% mark, and Hispanic Americans are opening their own businesses at a rate three times the national average. Current law allows small businesses to write-off purchases of equipment of up to $125,000 per year, rather than depreciating those assets over time. Making expensing of equipment and other small business items permanent will encourage greater investment and growth.
Update and Simplify Depreciation Schedules. The current depreciation schedules are outdated and in many cases do not reflect the realistic useful life of an asset. This is particularly true for investments in high technology. For example, computers must be depreciated over three years, even though they become obsolete in half that time. The Thompson plan would simplify and update these schedules to allow American businesses to make the investments they need to compete and create more high-quality jobs.
Expand Taxpayer Choice. The Thompson plan would give Americans greater choice about how to pay their federal taxes. This plan is based on a proposal developed by the House of Representatives Republican Study Committee that would provide taxpayers the option of remaining under the current, complex tax code or opting for a simplified, flat tax code. The simplified tax code would contain two tax rates: 10% for joint filers on income of up to $100,000 ($50,000 for singles) and 25% on income above these amounts. The standard deduction would be more than doubled to $25,000 for joint filers and $12,500 for singles. The personal exemption amount would be increased to $3,500. Therefore, a family of 4 would be exempt from income tax on the first $39,000 of income. The simplified tax code would contain no other tax credits or deductions. It would also retain the 15% tax rate on capital gains and dividends. This approach would dramatically simplify taxes for tens of millions of Americans. In addition, the larger standard deduction and personal exemption amounts will still provide significant tax relief to families with children. This proposal would serve as a stepping-stone to fundamental tax reform.

America 's economic future depends on our nation's ability to maintain its competitive and innovative spirit. Solutions to challenges in our economy are found in the homes and small businesses of ordinary Americans, not in the halls of Washington. Fred Thompson's goal is to allow Americans to retain greater control of their own money.

To do that, Fred Thompson believes we need a more limited, more effective federal government. Currently, government spending is projected to grow at nearly twice the rate of inflation over the next several years. This spending path is unsustainable and will hamper our economy unless fiscal discipline is imposed. It is critical that we address the problem of government spending, especially for entitlement programs, if the U.S. economy is grow and thrive in the coming decades.

The Thompson Plan for Tax Relief and Economic Growth provides commonsense solutions to increase American competitiveness in the 21st century. These solutions will allow Americans to keep more of their money and encourage companies and entrepreneurs to invest and create jobs in the United States. Enhancing the choices of taxpayers, permanently reducing taxes, encouraging investment in America's corporations and small businesses, and restraining government spending are all steps in the right direction. America's economy has endured several challenges over the last several years -- it is time to move forward and enter a new era of economic security and prosperity.

Issue Three: Homeland Invasion (aka Immigration)...

Has he put forth any steps to be followed in regards to stemming the tide and dealing with the conditions which bring about the Reconquista?

Border Security and Immigration Reform Plan

In the post-9/11 world, immigration is much more of a national security issue. A government that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter and who may not, fails in a fundamental responsibility.Â As we take steps to secure our borders and enforce our laws, we must also ensure that our immigration laws and policies advance our national interests in a variety of areas, and that the immigration process itself is as fair, efficient, and effective as possible.

Securing the Border and Enforcing the Law

A fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to secure the nation's borders and enforce the law. The following policies and initiatives will put the nation on a path to success:

No Amnesty. Do not provide legal status to illegal aliens. Amnesty undermines U.S. law and policy, rewards bad behavior, and is unfair to the millions of immigrants who follow the law and are awaiting legal entry into the United States. In some cases, those law-abiding and aspiring immigrants have been waiting for several years.
Attrition through Enforcement . Reduce the number of illegal aliens through increased enforcement against unauthorized alien workers and their employers. Without illegal employment opportunities available, fewer illegal aliens will attempt to enter the country, and many of those illegally in the country now likely will return home. Self-deportation can also be maximized by stepping up the enforcement levels of other existing immigration laws. This course of action offers a reasonable alternative to the false choices currently proposed to deal with the 12 million or more aliens already in the U.S. illegally: either arrest and deport them all, or give them all amnesty. Attrition through enforcement is a more reasonable and achievable solution, but this approach requires additional resources for enforcement and border security:
1. Doubling ICE agents handling interior enforcement, increasing the Border Patrol to at least 25,000 agents, and increasing detention space to incarcerate illegal aliens we arrest rather than letting them go with a promise to show up later for legal proceedings against them.
2. Adding resources for the Department of Justice to prosecute alien smugglers, people involved in trafficking in false identification documents, and previously deported felons.
3. Maximizing efforts to prosecute and convict members of criminal alien gangs, such as MS-13 and affiliated gangs. These gangs have brought unusual levels of violence to more than 30 U.S. states and have also become very active in drug-smuggling, gun-smuggling, and alien-smuggling.
4. Implementing fully and making greater use of the expedited removal process already allowed under federal law.
5. Enabling the Social Security Administration to share relevant information with immigration and law enforcement personnel in a manner that will support effective interior enforcement efforts.
Enforce Existing Federal Laws. Enforce the laws Congress has already enacted to prevent illegal aliens from unlawfully benefiting from their presence in the country:
1. End Sanctuary Cities by cutting off discretionary federal grant funds as appropriate to any community that, by law, ordinance, executive order, or other formal policy directs its public officials not to comply with the provisions of 8 USC 1373 and 8 USC 1644, which prohibit any state or local government from restricting in any way communications with the Department of Homeland Security "regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an alien in the United States."
2. Deny discretionary Federal education grants as appropriate to public universities that violate federal law by offering in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens without also offering identical benefits to United States citizens, regardless of whether or not they live in the state, as required by 8 USC 1623.
3. Deny discretionary Federal grants as appropriate to states and local governments that violate federal law by offering public benefits to illegal aliens, as prohibited by 8 USC 1621(a).
Reduce the Jobs Incentive. Ensure employee verification by requiring that all U.S. employers use the Department of Homeland Security's electronic database (the E-Verify system) to confirm that a prospective employee is authorized to work in the U.S. Now that the technology is proven, provide sufficient resources to make the system as thorough, fast, accurate, and easy-to-use as possible.
Add to the Cost of Hiring Illegal Aliens. Deny a tax deduction to employers for the wages they pay to illegal aliens, thereby dramatically increasing the real cost of employing illegal aliens. Businesses that do not play by the rules should not be rewarded under our tax system.
Bolster Border Security. Finish building the 854-mile wall along the border by 2010 as required by 8 USC 1103. Extend the wall beyond that as appropriate and deploy new technologies and additional resources to enhance detection and rapid apprehension along our borders by 2012.
Increased Prosecution. Deploy the additional assets outlined above to prosecute alien smugglers ("coyotes"), alien gang members, previously deported felons, and aliens who have repeatedly violated our immigration laws much more vigorously.
Rigorous Entry/Exit Tracking. Complete the implementation of a system to track visa entrants and exits, as has been required by federal law for more than ten years, and connect it to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), in order to curb visa overstays and permit more effective enforcement.

Improving the Legal Immigration Process
The United States is a nation of immigrants. We must continue to welcome immigrants and foreign workers who come to our country legally, giving priority to those who can advance the nation's interests and common good. Immigrants and foreign workers who play by the rules need to be rewarded with faster and less burdensome service, not delays that last years. Advancing the following initiatives will require close cooperation between all levels of government, the business community, and concerned citizens:

Maximize Program Efficiency. Reduce the backlogs and streamline the process for immigrants and employers who seek to follow the law. Also, simplify and expedite the application processes for temporary visas. This can be accomplished by hiring more personnel at Citizenship and Immigration Services and the FBI. Caps for any category of temporary work visa would be increased as appropriate, if it could be demonstrated that there are no Americans capable and willing to do the jobs.
Enhanced Reporting. Improve reporting to the government by businesses that rely on temporary workers so that the government can track whether the visa holder remains employed.
Modernize Immigration Law/Policy. Change the nature of our legal immigration system to welcome immigrants who can be economic contributors to our country, are willing to learn the English language, and want to assimilate.
1. Reduce the scope of chain migration by giving family preference in the allocation of lawful permanent resident status only to spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens, and no one else (no siblings, no parents, no adult children, etc.).
2. Eliminate the diversity visa lottery.

English As Official Language. Make English the official language of the United States to promote assimilation and legal immigrants' success, and require English proficiency in order for any foreign person to be granted lawful permanent resident status.
Freedom from Political Oppression. Preserve U.S. laws and policies to ensure that the United States remains a beacon and a haven for persons fleeing political oppression, while assuring appropriate admission standards are maintained.
Service to Country. Place those foreign persons who are lawfully present in the country and who serve honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States on a faster, surer track to U.S. citizenship.

Roy Beck of Numbers USA on Fred's immigration plan:

When Fred Thompson came out with a detailed immigration policy this fall, I knew it was very good but was too busy leading the fight against amnesties in the Senate to give thorough attention.

Reading Thompson’s full proposed immigration policy this afternoon, I am blown away by its depth, its breadth and at how it would so fundamentally change Americans’ future for the better.

It's true that Numbers USA has been critical of Thompson in the past (mostly over LEGAL immigration issues, as they want a reduction in immigration overall), however Mr. Beck went further in his analysis:

As a Senator from Tennessee in the 1990s, Thompson had a mixed record on immigration. I've studied that record and believe it reflects the problem that we saw even in some of this year's Senate heroes who also were mediocre in the 1990s -- most of them just weren't paying much attention to this issue in the 1990s (just like a lot of you have only become active on this during the last couple of years).

NumbersUSA always gives ample credit to politicians who turn from bad or mediocre records and decide to become our champions. But less-than-stellar past records require us to look for signs of sincerity and assurance that they will follow through on their promises.

With Thompson, we will be watching closely for these signs. One strong point for him is that he finished his Senate career with an A-minus performance in 01/02 term after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. And since coming out with his official stance, he has not been equivocating when asked about immigration in media appearances or in strong immigration ads.

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Revitalizing America's Armed ForcesFred Thompson's Plan to Strengthen the Long Term Security of the United States

Border Security and Immigration Reform Plan

Revitalizing America's Armed Forces
Fred Thompson's Plan to Strengthen the Long Term Security of the United States