Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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Posted on 07/16/2007 3:42:02 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - If one man's trash is another man's treasure, then one politician's old papers are potentially another politician's — or journalist's — gold mine.
Which explains why Republican Fred Thompson's previously little-noticed personal papers at the University of Tennessee from his eight years in the Senate are suddenly in demand as he nears a decision on a 2008 presidential run.
Thompson donated the documents four years ago when he gave up his political career in favor of acting. Academics haven't paid much attention, chief archivist Bobby Holt said, but journalists have been poring through the more than 400 boxes held by UT's Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.
While the papers haven't yielded any bombshells so far, they reveal a candidate whose record on public issues is sometimes inconsistent, often nuanced and occasionally surprising. Some examples:
• Thompson recently said he was opposed to abortion rights and noted that National Right to Life endorsed him in his 1994 Senate race. But he told the Memphis group FLARE (Family, Life, America, Responsible Education Under God) in a 1996 questionnaire that, "I will not set a litmus test for any U.S. Supreme court nominee who has shown an understanding of the principles set forth by the Constitution."
As a senator, Thompson voted for legislation to ban so-called partial-birth abortion and to prohibit federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger.
But he also told the Eagle Forum in a 1994 questionnaire, "I do not believe abortion should be criminalized. This battle will be won in the hearts and souls of the American people."
In a candidate survey the same year for The Tennessean newspaper, Thompson said that states should have the right to impose "reasonable restrictions on abortions such as parental notification." But he said, "The ultimate decision on abortion should be left with the woman and not the government."
Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that Thompson was retained by an abortion rights group, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, to lobby the administration of President George H.W. Bush to ease a regulation that prevented clinics that received federal money from offering any abortion counseling.
• Thompson told the Christian Coalition he opposed allowing federal employees to strike, but told the Memphis Business Journal he also opposed legislation supporting the replacement of striking workers, saying it would upset "the balance between labor and management" to bargain in good faith.
• He told the Concord Coalition he would back a balanced federal budget — and later voted for such a measure — but not the group's deficit-reduction plan because "it calls for higher taxes."
• He told the National Rifle Association he supported every suggested reason to own a firearm — from constitutional right to personal protection — and "no prohibition" on their manufacture, sale or transfer.
• Although Thompson has appeared in some 20 movies and has played District Attorney Arthur Branch in the NBC series "Law & Order," he wrote Tennesseans for the Arts: "And while I support funding for the arts, I will have no choice but to support reduced funding to the National Endowment of the Arts" without "suitable guidelines."
Thompson said no material deemed unfit for broadcast by the Federal Communications Commission, works that desecrated the U.S. flag or those containing "any part of the human embryo or fetus" should get federal funding.
Thompson, 64, represented Tennessee in the Senate from 1994 to 2002. His voting record covers more than 170 boxes in the collection. Most of the rest contains reports and background papers, daily schedules, newspaper clippings, some correspondence and related documents, such as articles and public polls on the 2000 presidential race in which Thompson was considered a long-shot candidate.
The librarians won't say who is looking at his papers, but it's a sure bet that Thompson's political opposition — Republicans and Democrats — will be sifting through the letters, staff reports, background papers and daily schedules.
"There is nothing in there that I can say is going to be earth-shattering or reveals something that people don't already know," Thompson said as he formally presented the papers to the university in 2005 with his mentor, Howard Baker.
Holt said the papers are on loan and the former senator could recall any of the files at any time. But so far he has left them alone, Holt said.
___
On the Net:
Thompson Archives: http://www.mpa.utk.edu/thompson/
it is amazing on hard and deep journalists will dig to find dirt on Republicans and how even doing a Google search is just too much work to find dirt on Democrats.
I’m still waiting to see his stand on the North American Union and the SPP. Still waiting....
I’m not hopeful.
The MSM is not missing a beat in trying to shape his candidacy. I imagine Olberman and that bunch will report the "questions about Thompson's positions" and mention "flip-flops" and such.
Although Gore and Kerry got way to close to winning for how piss poor of candidates they were.
“I’m still waiting to see his stand on the North American Union and the SPP.”
Agreed. A most telling issue of great importance.
Every single thing this story talks about is WELL known. There are no “surprises” in this story!!
Yes, but does anyone actually watch Keith Olbermann? It’s like the video version of Kos, DUmmies, Huffandblo or MoronOn.Org’s “Action Forum” except that it’s even less interesting....
Illegals and their employers.. sanctuary-cities... anchor babies... border fences...
To hear Chris Matthews you'd think MSNBC was where it's at on cable.
The day the first dim faces Fred in a debate... all these manufactured attacks will fall away like ashes from a fire.
LLS
Where’s Hillary’s thesis?? When will someone have the guts to put that into the Public. The idea that it would remain hidden because she was the wife of a President is absurd. And, she is no longer the wife of a president.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-MOr8je43w
A video taken during the day he gave the boxes to the school.
Barrels of ink spent by the MSM writing every tedious detail about Thompson in the hope something, anything, will stick; not one drop of ink expended on the accomplishments of the troops in Iraq.
I believe that Hillary’s thesis has been unearthed and posted to the internet (links, anyone?)
It’s said to be nothing more than standard Sixties New Left Antiwar Smash-Capitalism-Now Neo-Marxist drivel.
Sort of the same positions Her Thighness holds to this day.
I would think she had retained a copy.
I know his name shouldn’t be mentioned on FReepers, but I believe that Sean Hannity has the text of Hillary’s thesis (withheld up to now by university officials “because she is our First Lady”) and has posted it to his website (I’ll go and see).
;^)
If this is all they can come up with,
I’d say that the only way Thompson is not the next POTUS is if they catch him in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.
right, knowing where he stands on the 2nd Amendment is very reassuring.
A little disappointed in his 1994 statements regarding abortion.
A little disappointed in his 1994 statements regarding abortion.
Funny thing is, the left is trying to claim Fred is a middle of the road moderate on abortion. That will be hard for them to overcome in the general election, and it aligns him with the 80% middle on that issue in this nation.
Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
WARNING: If you want to join, be aware that this ping list is EXTREMELY active.
(Senator Thompson does not) believe that the United States should cede any of our sovereign rights as a nation to multilateral institutions. At no time should international institutions be given the authority to tax American citizens, control U.S. soldiers outside our chain of command, prosecute Americans soldiers and citizens, or make laws governing the American people.
Barbara Olsen?
There are no inconsistencies. And no nuances either, we leave all that to John Kerry who is very practiced at them.
I love his self-deprecating humor, like when he groans,
"All my terrible handwriting on display..."
Bush had similar ambiguity on the abotion issue in 2000, and it didn’t hurt him, so in a sense you’re right.
The middle is not as important as an energetic base. But having the middle swing the right way does help.
Contrast this with Giuliani’s unprecedented confiscation of his own public records right before he left office.
Good thing Thompson’s records aren’t online — I would never get any sleep.
Why would someone who fought tirelessly to return rightful Constitutional power to the states suddenly support doing away with our sovreignty?
Hmmm. Is this reported to try to make him sound pro-abortion? I've heard him say that criminalizing the WOMAN is not the right thing to do. I agree with him, and I'm about as pro-life as they come!
This is funny. Thompson’s opponents in the media seem to want to drive a wedge between him and conservatives by portraying Fred as insufficiently right-wing. In fact, all they’re doing is making Fred’s image more moderate and more acceptable to larger numbers of people if he runs in the general election!
And your explanation for his holdout votes (99-1) due to Constitutional issues?
Seems like his votes in the Senate help cement the idea that he's not a RINO. Those were all cast before he became a more popular TV and movie actor, so I don't think he's just 'playing the part'.
LOL! The Law of Unintended Consequences.
We said the same thing about Bush at the gubernatorial level 8 years ago.
But here we are.
I want a clear statement about the NAU and the SPP from Thompson. I’m tired of our slide into globalism.
I hope you’re right. I will probably vote for him in the primary.
The positions are not at all “surprising” (the journalist’s term), as they are generally consistent with federalism. Journalists may not understand that.
If he believes in federalism and states' rights, he sure in the Hell doesn't believe in an NAU.
Just my opinion....
Thompson opposes amnesty - his votes in the Senate were for existing legal immigration laws.
She was on the flight that hit the Pentagon.
Why? His statements on abortion then were libertarian. No taxpayer funding, Roe vs Wade was bad law and should return to the states, etc. Remember that the pro-life movement then wasn't as influential as it is now; in fact it was reeling on its heels from the 1992 election and pro-abortion victories in Congress and the Clintons, plus they were being demonized non-stop.
When Thompson said "it should be up to the woman to decide" he meant that women will be trusted to make the correct decision on whether or not they choose to have an abortion.
Despite his statements though, Thompson's 100% pro-life voting record cannot be refuted.
It’s good that “they” are digging up all of this now. If there truly is damaging material there, Fred has two options:
1. Plan Ahead on how to answer it before entering the race. OR
2. Decide not to enter the race.
If he does not choose #2, then he is confident he can handle this, which should give all of us comfort, and it is probably much ado about nothing.
ok thank you for the clarity.
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