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If [Fred]Thompson Runs for President, Don’t Look for Him in Reruns
The New York Times ^ | August 13, 2007 | BRIAN STELTER

Posted on 08/12/2007 10:01:47 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Former Senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee segued neatly from Congress back to an acting career in 2002, when he joined the cast of NBC’s long-running crime series “Law & Order.”

Now that Mr. Thompson seems poised to re-enter politics as a Republican presidential candidate, his career will take another twist. In May, he asked NBC to release him from further “Law & Order” commitments; more recently, NBC said it was ready to stop showing reruns of the episodes he appears in because of federal equal time regulations for presidential candidates.

“If Fred Thompson formally announces his intention to run for president, NBC will not schedule any further repeats of ‘Law & Order’ featuring Mr. Thompson beyond those already scheduled,” which conclude on Sept. 1, NBC said in a statement.

Mr. Thompson’s final original episode of “Law & Order” was repeated on Aug. 5, and he has appeared in 115 episodes in all, according to the Internet Movie Database. He has also played in nearly 20 films (including “In the Line of Fire” and “The Hunt for Red October”), often depicting a sober-minded government authority figure.

Needless to say, Hollywood has had plenty of experience grappling with the Federal Communication Commission’s equal time regulations, which specify that candidates may request equal access to the public airwaves. During Ronald Reagan’s campaign for president in 1980, stations did not broadcast his films or television appearances. During Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California gubernatorial campaign in 2003, there was a similar moratorium.

“Law & Order” is syndicated on TNT, which does not have to follow the equal time rules because cable systems do not use public airwaves. But, like NBC, TNT may remove Mr. Thompson’s episodes from its rerun schedule to avoid complaints. Cable networks did remove Mr. Schwarzenegger’s films during his 2003 campaign.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: Tennessee; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: electionpresident; elections; equaltime; fcc; fredthompson; gop; hollywood; lawandorder; nbc; newyorkslimes; reaganesque; republicans; ronaldreagan; television
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Paging Captain Obvious.
1 posted on 08/12/2007 10:01:50 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

What is the point of this Slimes’ article anyway? To remind folks that Fred is “just an actor?” I’ll be glad when this fish wrap goes out of business.


2 posted on 08/12/2007 10:05:13 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Ron Paul: Doctor. Military Captain. Constitutionalist. Patriot. Devout Christian.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

TV’s loss is the nation’s gain.


3 posted on 08/12/2007 10:05:57 PM PDT by samtheman
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Perhaps we should amend the law — candidates would be entitled to respond to reruns of “Law and Order” or such movies as “Commando” and “The Running Man” featuring political candidates, but only in kind. Who wouldn’t want to see an hour-long legal drama showcasing John Edwards as a compassionate attorney channeling the spirits of children, or Barak Obama as a one-man army who goes into Pakistan to single-handedly take out the Taliban and al-Qaida once and for all?


4 posted on 08/12/2007 10:11:44 PM PDT by Polonius (It's called logic, it'll help you.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
YUP! Fred declared today that he is not running for the candidacy.

This hit article was part of a planned campaign, now no longer needed. I am sure the MSM drivebys are crying over all the money they won't be getting from their DNC hit mongers.

5 posted on 08/12/2007 10:16:56 PM PDT by Candor7 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Baghdad_(1258))
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To: Candor7
Fred declared today that he is not running for the candidacy.

Assuming that you mean that Sen. Thompson declared that he is not running for President, a source might be nice!

6 posted on 08/12/2007 10:22:25 PM PDT by Lucius Cornelius Sulla (A person who does not want the best for America)
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To: Candor7

Wasn’t that Tommy Thompson?


7 posted on 08/12/2007 10:22:38 PM PDT by Polonius (It's called logic, it'll help you.)
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To: Polonius; Candor7

With all due candor, I believe so...


8 posted on 08/12/2007 10:26:21 PM PDT by Syncro
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To: Candor7

Wrong Thompson. :^)


9 posted on 08/12/2007 10:34:36 PM PDT by Shelayne (I will continue to pray for President Bush and my country, as I am commanded to do by my Lord.)
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To: Polonius

Yes, that was Tommy Thompson...former Gov of Wisc.


10 posted on 08/12/2007 10:53:32 PM PDT by Hubenator (Evolution~Scientology: question either one and watch their disciples go nuts.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I haven’t even watched a full episode of Law and Order...so it doesn’t really matter to me.

Really didn’t know about Fred till I started reading his articles, and I just liked what he said....went from there.


11 posted on 08/13/2007 1:25:43 AM PDT by Rick_Michael (The Anti-Federalists failed....so will the Anti-Frederalists)
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To: Polonius

Didn’t we have one or two Tommy Thompson supporters on this forum...?


12 posted on 08/13/2007 1:28:42 AM PDT by Rick_Michael (The Anti-Federalists failed....so will the Anti-Frederalists)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Does that mean the MSM will stop the 24/7 promotion of the Hildabeast via the “news”?


13 posted on 08/13/2007 2:44:49 AM PDT by traditional1
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To: Rick_Michael

Since there were only one or two of them nationwide, I find it hard to believe that they’d both be FReepers! LOL


14 posted on 08/13/2007 2:57:57 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

They never let facts get in the way!!!!!


THOMPSON, Fred Dalton, (1942 - )


Senate Years of Service: 1994-2003
Party: Republican

THOMPSON, Fred Dalton, a Senator from Tennessee; born in Sheffield, Ala., on August 19, 1942; attended the public schools in Lawrenceburg, Tenn.; graduated from Memphis State University 1964; received J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University 1967; admitted to the Tennessee bar in 1967 and commenced the practice of law; assistant U.S. attorney 1969-1972; minority counsel, Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (“Watergate Committee”) 1973-1974; special counsel to Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander 1980; special counsel, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1980-1981; special counsel, Senate Intelligence Committee 1982; member, Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission 1985-1987; actor; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in the November 8, 1994, special election to fill the unexpired portion of the term ending January 3, 1997, left vacant by the resignation of Albert Gore, Jr.; took the oath of office on December 2, 1994; reelected in 1996 for the term ending January 3, 2003; not a candidate for reelection in 2002; chair, Committee on Governmental Affairs (One Hundred Fifth and One Hundred Sixth Congresses; One Hundred Seventh Congress [January 20, 2001-June 6, 2001]); resumed acting career.

Bibliography

Thompson, Fred D. At That Point in Time: The Inside Story of the Senate Watergate Committee. New York: Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co., 1975.


15 posted on 08/13/2007 4:06:06 AM PDT by marty60
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To: Lucius Cornelius Sulla

I heard the same on the new station (radio) this morning.


16 posted on 08/13/2007 4:11:15 AM PDT by doodad
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To: Candor7
YUP! Fred declared today that he is not running for the candidacy.

WOW!

Aren't YOU embarrassed!

17 posted on 08/13/2007 4:21:18 AM PDT by John Valentine
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’m tired of waiting for Fred Thompson to announce that he’s going to run.

Hunter is the guy I like best, but he’s got access to zero money, so I guess that’s the bottom line for his candidacy.

That leaves no one I can get interested in. Romney just don’t cut it for me; I don’t trust his flip-flops.

I feel a Bob Dole kind of election shaping up.


18 posted on 08/13/2007 4:26:01 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain And Proud of It! Those who support the troops will pray for them to WIN!)
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To: Polonius
...Barak Obama as a one-man army who goes into Pakistan to single-handedly take out the Taliban and al-Qaida once and for all

The movie would be a mash-up of Rambo and Dumbo; call it Drambo.

19 posted on 08/13/2007 4:51:43 AM PDT by 6SJ7
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
****Paging Captain Obvious.****

Here ya go :-)


20 posted on 08/13/2007 5:30:24 AM PDT by Condor51 (Rudy makes John Kerry look like a Right Wing 'Gun Nut' Extremist)
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