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Fred Thompson backs off lobbying denial (Month old article)
Politico ^ | Jul 12, 2007 02:32 PM EST | Mike Allen

Posted on 08/12/2007 9:24:03 PM PDT by byteback

Fred Thompson is backing off his flat denial that he once lobbied for an abortion-rights group. He now says he doesn’t remember it, but does not dispute evidence to the contrary.

The climb-down could be a significant embarrassment for a prospective candidate with a plain-spoken appeal and who has courted the GOP’s anti-abortion base, although Thompson and his advisers had signaled for several days that it was coming.

Realizing that opponents in both parties are mining his legal career for damaging ammunition, Thompson also is engaging in a bit of preemption. He writes in a column posted Wednesday by the conservative Power Line blog: “[I]f a client has a legal and ethical right to take a position, then you may appropriately represent him as long as he does not lie or otherwise conduct himself improperly while you are representing him. In almost 30 years of practicing law I must have had hundreds of clients and thousands of conversations about legal matters. Like any good lawyer, I would always try to give my best, objective and professional opinion on any legal question presented to me.”

The abortion-rights issue arose when the Los Angeles Times reported last week that Thompson had “accepted a lobbying assignment” from the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, which wanted the administration of President George H.W. Bush to relax a restriction on federal payments to clinics that offered abortion counseling.

Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo told the Times in an e-mail: “Fred Thompson did not lobby for this group, period.” The Times said minutes from a board meeting of the group suggested otherwise.

So the difference may boil down to how you define “lobbying.”

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; abortion; duncanhunter; electionpresident; elections; fredthompson; gop; prolife; republicans; romney
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Depends what the meaning of "is" is
1 posted on 08/12/2007 9:24:04 PM PDT by byteback
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To: byteback
I'm a total pro-lifer, and if we make an issue of this we're dead.

I love how Thompson's stupid denial makes him somehow more pro-abortion than someone who, say, was pro-abortion until this election cycle.

2 posted on 08/12/2007 9:26:00 PM PDT by Darkwolf377 (FRED '08! (Use caps, it bugs the haters))
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To: byteback

This is what he said months ago when this first came up.


3 posted on 08/12/2007 9:33:16 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: byteback

Oh boy...


4 posted on 08/12/2007 9:33:39 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Ron Paul: Doctor. Military Captain. Constitutionalist. Patriot. Devout Christian.)
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To: byteback
If we're going to start nit picking his billing records then we should start.....

Never mind....I was going to say we should look at Hillary's billing records, but the last time we suggested that a suicide followed.

5 posted on 08/12/2007 9:35:29 PM PDT by txroadkill ( http://iraqstar.org)
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To: byteback

FredT`s 100% pro-life, anti-abortion voting record in the Senate is all the proof I need. There is really no story here. But the media will make sure its reported, over and over, again and again. The RudyBoosters will make an issue out of it, so will others. BFD


6 posted on 08/12/2007 9:35:39 PM PDT by Reagan Man (FUHGETTABOUTIT Rudy....... Conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: byteback; Darkwolf377

>Depends what the meaning of “is” is.<

How about this denial?

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


7 posted on 08/12/2007 9:36:12 PM PDT by Paperdoll ( Vote for Duncan Hunter in the Primaries for America's sake!)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

Correct! Contrary to what RootyMcRomney clan wishes, this ain’t going anywhere. Oh, did I forget the ronpaulistas?


8 posted on 08/12/2007 9:37:44 PM PDT by dusttoyou (FredHead from the git go)
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To: Darkwolf377
I'm a total pro-lifer, and if we make an issue of this we're dead.

I agree and my reason for posting this was because so many CFRedheads are holier than thou on the other candidates. Let's just admit that this is a tough political issue because by the constitution this is really falls to the states if it weren't for Roe v Wade.

9 posted on 08/12/2007 9:37:50 PM PDT by byteback
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To: Politicalmom; Sturm Ruger

Ping!


10 posted on 08/12/2007 9:37:59 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum)
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To: byteback
Terrific post.

I should have been more clear, though--by "making an issue of this" I don't mean we don't discuss abortion, but Thompson's stupid handling of this lobbying thing. He should admit he did it and move on. I'll take his prolife record over that of some other candidates any day.

11 posted on 08/12/2007 9:39:33 PM PDT by Darkwolf377 (FRED '08! (Use caps, it bugs the haters))
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To: CharlesWayneCT
This is what he said months ago when this first came up.

Thanks for posting that, because I know we were discussing his backing off from that denial some time ago, but this article suggests he's JUST denied it, and it's "dragging on".

12 posted on 08/12/2007 9:40:46 PM PDT by Darkwolf377 (FRED '08! (Use caps, it bugs the haters))
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To: byteback

Don’t worry, Rudy will save the day.....


13 posted on 08/12/2007 9:49:59 PM PDT by 2dogjoe (Have a Blessed Day)
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To: byteback

This story is as old as the syphilis attacking the cerebral cortex of Bill Clinton.


14 posted on 08/12/2007 9:51:51 PM PDT by Petronski (imwithfred.com)
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To: byteback; Admin Moderator

Just noticed, this is not a new story! This article was posted on The Politico back on July 12, 2007. Its a month old. It was posted on Free Republic on July.13, 2007.

You posted wrong information concerning the date of this story.


15 posted on 08/12/2007 9:52:43 PM PDT by Reagan Man (FUHGETTABOUTIT Rudy....... Conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: Darkwolf377
...say, was pro-abortion until this election cycle.

Thank goodness there are no such Republican Candidates.
16 posted on 08/12/2007 9:54:54 PM PDT by elizabetty (The funding dried up and I can no longer afford Tagline Messages.)
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To: byteback

I think the whole thing says more about the typical shady billing practices of lawfirms. FT probably sat in on some meetings or conference calls and got his negligible time billed out by the firm for something he doesn’t remember, because lawyers do it all day every day. It’s all about the billable hours.


17 posted on 08/12/2007 9:56:11 PM PDT by LexBaird (Tyrannosaurus Lex, unapologetic carnivore)
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To: elizabetty
Thank goodness there are no such Republican Candidates.

COulda sworn Romney was running.

OH, right--he didn't say he was pro-abortion, he just said he supported the right to an abortion. HUGE diff, sorry.

18 posted on 08/12/2007 10:02:04 PM PDT by Darkwolf377 (FRED '08! (Use caps, it bugs the haters))
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To: pissant

...ping to mark this for later on.


19 posted on 08/12/2007 10:23:17 PM PDT by familyop (cbt. engr. (cbt.)--has-been, will write Duncan Hunter in)
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To: All
Old story being used to dishonestly attack Fred-NOT a Ping!!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference

WARNING: If you want to join, please be aware that this ping list is EXTREMELY active.

20 posted on 08/12/2007 10:30:07 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Of the potential GOP front runners, FT has one of the better records on immigration.- NumbersUSA)
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