Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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Posted on 09/11/2007 8:50:15 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
BOSTON - A spokesman for Republican Mitt Romney said Tuesday that the presidential candidate did not approve the creation of a Web site severely critical of the personal and political life of his GOP rival, Fred Thompson.
The Web site, PhoneyFred.org, was created by Wesley Donehue, a business partner of Warren Tompkins, a South Carolina political operative on the Romney payroll and Romney's top adviser in the early voting state.
The site was created without the knowledge of Tompkins or Romney, said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden. After the campaign received media inquiries about it, Romney aides traced the site to Donehue and complained.
"We made it clear that we did not approve of the site and asked for immediate action to make sure it was again in no way affiliated with the campaign," Madden said. "The person responsible is not an employee of ours, but we took immediate action to make sure it was clear the site was not affiliated with the campaign."
The Web site attacked Thompsons conservative credentials. It also labeled him Fancy Fred, Five O'Clock Fred, Flip-Flop Fred, McCain Fred, Moron Fred, Playboy Fred, Pro-Choice Fred, Son-of-a-Fred and Trial Lawyer Fred.
It asked, "Once a Pro-Choice Skirt Chaser, Now Standard Bearer of the Religious Right?"
Romney has said he welcomes Thompson to the race for the GOP presidential nomination, which the former Tennessee senator and actor joined last week. However, Romney has also questioned Thompson's leadership experience, and aides to the former Massachusetts governor have highlighted the Tennessean's lobbying record and his support for campaign finance reform legislation, as well as suggestions he lacked legislative accomplishments.
The site made light of Thompson's acting career, saying of the "Law and Order" star: "You're probably in the same boat: You can't get the theme to 'Law and Order' out of your head, but can you name one thing that Fred did during his eight years in the United States Senate?"
It went on to note that Thompson once provided legal services to a family planning group, and also served as a lobbyist.
The Web site was hosted by a company called bluehost.com, based in Orem, Utah. It had links to Under the Power Lines, Tompkins' political consulting firm.
Tompkins, a former executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party, is a veteran of Palmetto State politics. He served as President Bush's 2000 Southeast regional director at a time when Bush attacked then-rival Sen. John McCain and defeated him in the state's GOP primary.
Tompkins has been paid $12,000 monthly to guide Romney's effort in South Carolina, whose primary the campaign views as a pivotal test of strength of support among conservative voters. It follows the leadoff states of Iowa and New Hampshire, two other areas of concentration for Romney.
"Once we received inquiries about the site, we discovered it was created by an individual who works at an Internet firm who parked the site temporarily on the company server space of a firm whose financial partner is a consultant to the campaign — Mr. Tompkins," said Madden, who later identified the individual as Donehue. "Mr. Tompkins did not know about the development of the site."
“But the deniability of this sleaze is no longer plausible.”
Yet, there are folks here denying it.
sitetest
...it somehow disappeared real fast once the Post contacted Romney's folks.
If the site was independent of Mitt, then how did Mitt see to it that it was taken down so quickly?
The question is, is this answer the flip are is it the flop. One would be opposite the other. LOL
The question is, is this answer the flip are is it the flop. One would be opposite the other. LOL
“it somehow disappeared real fast once the Post contacted Romney’s folks.”
Yeah, but it was independent.
/Hey. It’s as believable as Mitt suddenly being pro-gun and pro-abortion after all his very visible public statements to the contrary./
Plausible deniability?
...and hildebeast didn’t know that she had taken illegal chicom money... or that her hollyweird friends had given illegally to her! Yeah... right Mitt!
LLS
I'm bolding and italicizing. It's an important point.
Nothing to see here. Move along, Sheeple, or we’ll pull out our phony badges and drag you off to Gitmo.
Mitt needs to remember the First Commandment of Ronald Reagan: Thou shalt not bad mouth fellow Republicans!
Now next summer, after the Dims have a nominee, by all means the gloves should come off!
The guy was a supporter. Although I think one report said the site was taken down as soon as it was reported about, so it could be the supporter realised he had screwed up for Romney, or more likely Romney contacted Thompson who asked his partner who took it down.
I am just amazed that so many people think it unbelievable that the Donahue could have done this without his partner knowing about it. They think that these campaign consultants spend all their days sitting around watching their partners to make sure they don’t do anything bad.
My guess is that Thomas might not have even SEEN his partner for weeks, if Thomas is running around the state lining up support and donors and setting up action committees.
Where I wrote “Thomas” I meant “Tompkins”. Sorry.
Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
WARNING: If you wish to join, be aware that this ping list is EXTREMELY active.
You've made a typo. Let me fix it:
Nothing to see here. Move along, Sheeple, or we’ll pull out our phony badges and drag you off to Mittmo.
Donahue used company resources to make the juvenile website.
Don’t ask. Don’t tell.
No! We think that campaign organizations around the country work in a coordinated effort to insure the 'message' gets out. And part of the Romney 'message' for months has been attacks on Thompson.
And when the business associate of a campaign 'advisor' (not 'supporter'...get it straight, will ya?) puts out a hit piece like this, it's wise to suspect it's part of a method of attack by the campaign. In fact, it's foolish to think otherwise unless 'proven' wrong. And disavowal is NOT 'proof'.
That guy seems more and more like a liberal every day!
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