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How conservative is Fred Thompson?
Washington Times ^ | 06/23/2007 | Editiorial

Posted on 06/23/2007 7:19:15 AM PDT by etradervic

After John East, a stalwart conservative from North Carolina, entered the U.S. Senate in 1981, wags began referring to Jesse Helms as "the liberal senator from the Tar Heel state." We are reminded of this tale as Republican activists rush to encourage, if not yet fully embrace, the presidential candidacy of Fred Thompson, the former senator from Tennessee. The Republican base is evidently unimpressed or uninspired (or both) by the conservative credentials of the top three Republicans (John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani) seeking the 2008 presidential nomination. Mr. Thompson's most-oft-cited conservative credential is his 86.1 percent lifetime (1995-2002) Senate vote rating compiled by the American Conservative Union (ACU), the organization that many rightly consider a leading arbiter of conservatism. In the same relative sense that Mr. Helms could be considered North Carolina's "liberal senator," Mr. Thompson's ACU rating would qualify him to be "the liberal senator from Tennessee" during his eight-year stint. Bill Frist, who defeated Democratic incumbent Jim Sasser, was elected to the Senate from Tennessee the same year (1994) as Mr. Thompson, who won the seat vacated in 1993 by then-Vice President Gore. During the eight years they represented Tennessee together, Mr. Frist compiled an ACU rating of 89.3 percent, making Mr. Thompson "the liberal senator from the Volunteer state."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona; US: Massachusetts; US: New York; US: North Carolina; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: bushlegacy; conservatism; duncanhunter; election2008; electionpresident; elections; fredheads; fredthompson; gop; hunterites; johnmccain; juanmccainez; mittromney; reaganlegacy; republicans; rfr; rightforourtimes; romney; rudygiuliani; rudymcromney; runfredrun; thompson; thompsonbolton2008
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To: RasterMaster

Why don’t you post the links to those votes and exactly what the votes were? (ie- Were they stand alone bills or buried in some appropriations bill), instead of just posting your conclusory statements? If this is your strategy for lifting Duncan Hunter above .25 in the polls, it is not going to work.


21 posted on 06/23/2007 7:55:40 AM PDT by Brices Crossroads
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To: LoneStarLegend78
I agree with you. But a close examination and lots of questions are good things. Fred has to earn this.

Oh, and I am not saying Hunter can't win yet. He can't win if we write him off before he has even withdrawn from the race. I think we should stop the early calls on who can and can't win. Let's start by picking the best candidates and give people a chance to get to know them.

22 posted on 06/23/2007 7:55:54 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Brices Crossroads

Do your own research....phoney polls don’t elect a President.


23 posted on 06/23/2007 7:57:31 AM PDT by RasterMaster (Rudy, Romney & McCain = KENNEDY wing of the Republican Party - Duncan Hunter, President 2008)
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To: Brices Crossroads

http://www.numbersusa.com/index


24 posted on 06/23/2007 7:58:48 AM PDT by RasterMaster (Rudy, Romney & McCain = KENNEDY wing of the Republican Party - Duncan Hunter, President 2008)
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To: RasterMaster

Nicaraguans and Cubans are very different than most other illegal immigrants, because the majority of them are political refugees.


25 posted on 06/23/2007 8:01:03 AM PDT by Seven Minute Maniac
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

He can’t win. I wish it weren’t so, but it is. He and Tancredo need to throw their support behind Thompson so we can sew this thing up.


26 posted on 06/23/2007 8:01:21 AM PDT by FremontLives (If I must choose between righteousness and peace, I choose righteousness- Theodore Roosevelt)
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To: FremontLives

I am not writing off the lower tier of candidates yet. the election isn’t tomorrow. We should take our time and select the best candidate. If everyone did that I wonder how different the results would look.


27 posted on 06/23/2007 8:03:47 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Seven Minute Maniac

Fred doesn’t believe in sending illegals home....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCgdo0zpQZE


28 posted on 06/23/2007 8:04:08 AM PDT by RasterMaster (Rudy, Romney & McCain = KENNEDY wing of the Republican Party - Duncan Hunter, President 2008)
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To: etradervic

You folks are forgetting the bottom line!

None of our candidates are perfect. Fred Thompson is not perfect - However - if I agree with Fred 86% of the time and he has the best chance of beating Hillary whom I agree with only 1% of the time then I’m for Fred.

I may agree with another candidate 92% of the time but IF that candidate has no chance of beating Hillary, I would be silly to support the candidate that cannot beat Hillary.


29 posted on 06/23/2007 8:04:14 AM PDT by Martins kid
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Can you think of any time in modern history when a lower-tier candidate broke through to win the nomination? Even if you can, they didn’t have the money and media issues of today to deal with.

The only one I actually think might have some chance at traction is Huckabee, if they give him more mainstream questions at the debates. He’s really running for VP though.


30 posted on 06/23/2007 8:07:02 AM PDT by FremontLives (If I must choose between righteousness and peace, I choose righteousness- Theodore Roosevelt)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

If the candidate cannot beat Hillary soundly then that candidate should not be chosen. Otherwise Republicans look like that cartoon of the mouse flipping off the eagle right before the predator rips it to shreds.

Hillary is a predator and we need a strong candidate who can squash her. Otherwise we are wasting our time here.


31 posted on 06/23/2007 8:08:14 AM PDT by Martins kid
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To: Seven Minute Maniac

You won’t get any of this with Fred:

“Jobs Americans won’t do...”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAs11dcCPSg


Here’s another quote.....

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with telling people they have to go home!” - Duncan Hunter

Host Channel: Atlas On the Air

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1849539/posts


“Mr. Chertoff is charged with securing the border. And the one thing he’s not doing — he’s appearing on lots of talk shows. He is not securing the border.” - Duncan Hunter

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1852133/posts


Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007 (Hunter and Tancredo: Cosponsors to End Illegal Anchor Babies)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1854638/posts


32 posted on 06/23/2007 8:09:09 AM PDT by RasterMaster (Rudy, Romney & McCain = KENNEDY wing of the Republican Party - Duncan Hunter, President 2008)
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To: Petronski
Romney hire up a bunch of Jeb Bush's strategery people.

I wonder how close (politically) Romney is to the Bush family.
33 posted on 06/23/2007 8:09:20 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Petronski

Mitt and Heidi sittin in a tree.....


34 posted on 06/23/2007 8:11:55 AM PDT by traderrob6
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To: FremontLives

What makes lower tier lower tier? It’s that we the voters are not supporting them. My point is only that many who do not support them WOULD LIKE TO but they have been convinced of their “can’t win” status. So it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You don’t support a candidate who can’t win — and a candidate can’t win if you don’t support him.


35 posted on 06/23/2007 8:12:28 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Martins kid

Who decides who can or can’t beat Hillary?


36 posted on 06/23/2007 8:13:06 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: RasterMaster

“Do your own research”

I do my own research. This is YOUR research. When I post assertions, I can back them up. The “facts” you post are presumably the fruits of your research, which you refuse to disclose, calling into question their accuracy. I repeat... You do not assist Duncan Hunter by posting unsubstantiated “facts” about Fred Thompson.


37 posted on 06/23/2007 8:13:48 AM PDT by Brices Crossroads
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To: etradervic
He doesn't have to be that conservative to be more conservative than most of the Republican candidates.

How about asking the question, "How conservative is McCain?" or "How conservative is Rudy?"

38 posted on 06/23/2007 8:14:31 AM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Apparently no one really is giving any money to Hunter. That’s certainly a barometer. I see your point though. I’m just very impressed with Thompson.


39 posted on 06/23/2007 8:16:51 AM PDT by FremontLives (If I must choose between righteousness and peace, I choose righteousness- Theodore Roosevelt)
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To: SE Mom

If he scraps his campaign that would be better


40 posted on 06/23/2007 8:17:15 AM PDT by GoMonster (GO)
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