Posted on 07/19/2007 5:51:44 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Americans best know Fred Thompson, who is soon to jump into the Republican presidential contest, as an actor. But he is also a former lobbyist and served eight years in the Senate.
Candidacy Status: Formed exploratory committee June 1, 2007.
For someone who has yet to formally get into the race, former Sen. Fred Thompson has stood out for his ability to command attention in national polls. Some surveys show the Tennessee Republican in second or third place — despite the months of campaigning by the other GOP hopefuls.
Thompson's focus right now is raising enough money to show he can mount a viable campaign for the nomination. He has not appeared on stage with any of his fellow Republicans during the debates. But from the beginning, he has operated on a different stage. Thompson has acted in more than 30 films, including The Hunt for Red October, and he is well-known for playing the character Arthur Branch on the highly rated Law and Order television program. Thompson has played up his on-camera charisma by waging much of his early campaign on the Web through blogs, podcasts and video.
Thompson was first elected to the Senate in 1994, winning the seat vacated by Vice President Al Gore. He ran as a Washington outsider, a common-sense economic conservative, traveling the state in a red pickup and wearing a flannel shirt — all the while underplaying his background as a Washington lobbyist. He won a second term with more than 60 percent of the vote in 1996.
Thompson quickly vaulted to chair the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, where he later led the investigations into allegations of improper fundraising by the Clinton-Gore campaign. His interest in overhauling the campaign-finance system continued with his support of the McCain-Feingold Senate bill, which introduced bans on soft money to national parties.
While Thompson may have strayed from the party line on that issue, he is generally regarded as a mainstream conservative. Thompson says he's pro-life, calling the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision "bad law and bad medical science." He often touts the fact that he was tapped by President Bush to usher John Roberts, now the U.S. chief justice, through the Supreme Court nomination process. Thompson also says that he is against embryonic stem-cell research, and he has a 100 percent rating from National Right to Life.
Thompson has described the stalled immigration legislation backed by Sen. John McCain as a "legislative pig," and he is against proposals that grant what he says would be amnesty to illegal immigrants. He speaks of immigration issues in terms of national security, demanding secure borders. On foreign policy, he supports the president's decision to increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq.
Thompson, 64, is the father of a 3-year-old daughter and 7-month-old son with his second wife, Jeri Kehn. He has a son from a previous marriage. His oldest daughter, Elizabeth Thompson, died in 2002; her death is widely believed to have contributed to his decision not to seek another Senate term that year.
Just got that one via google alerts
still digesting
I’d rather have Hunter than Fred but oh well. He beats Rudy McRomney.
All the rael conservatives here should get behind either Fred or Hunter if they win the nomination.
I haven't.
And I won't be voting for him any time soon.
Can't we find a better candidate than these?
It's like we're ready to concede the presidency to the libs every few years just because some dud in our party raises the most money.
He has two sons by his first wife not one.
They will. The problem is the primary. LOL
I would agree, NPR doesn’t show a bias! Thats a first!
then this almost non-sequitur: But from the beginning, he has operated on a different stage. Thompson has acted in more than 30 films,
But .. well, not bad for NPR. At least the tortured english highlights what is being attempted.
Damn you’re right, it’s all Thompson’s fault. We can’t sit here and say that Chuck Norris wears FDT pajamas and not give him the power of the entire Senate.
Better not vote for him at all...
Blah blah blah. I suppose FDT is single-handedly responsible, right?
Go troll somewhere else.
????? This is a new one, care to expand or link?
So if it is Thompson vs. Clinton, you won’t vote for Thompson?
I won't back off here. I remember those hearings like they were yesterday. If you're a Thompson shill, then YOU take up the challenge and prove me wrong. I've made the accusation; now you refute it.
The facts are on my side, but I will not trouble myself to regurgitate them. Anyone who cares to find out for themself need only to google the subject.
In pushing this enabler towards the presidency, you are only hurting your country.....
Peace, out, and fish for trout.
Yooper
Yes, I’d vote for Thompson over Clinton. But I’d still hold Thompson to task for his Clinton-China BS. The man has major explaining to do in that regard.
It makes no sense to vote against a Republican you don’t like when the alternative is so much worse. Hillary, Obama, Gore, or that stupid pretty hair guy would destroy our military and so weaken us another 9/11 would almost surely follow, if not in their tenure, in the next. We cannot afford a Democrat President no matter what the other option might be.
Let’s fight it out in the primaries, and let us do it fairly, but we need to pull together for the sake of the country and the generation to come behind us.
Here is a link to the Constitution Party where an analysis of the Republican candidates was done. Interesting info on some folks.
http://www.constitutionparty.com/news.php?aid=613
You best examplifly the saying, “ Don’t confuse me with the facts, I already know the truth”.
Present your facts.
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