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Dick Morris doesn't like Fred Thompson
American Thinker ^ | 9/21/07 | Ray Robison

Posted on 09/21/2007 8:57:06 AM PDT by Fred

The onetime ultimate D.C insider, Dick Morris recently brandished the allegation that Fred Thompson is awkward in answering questions. What a hoot coming from the guy that Chris Matthews kicked off the air and out of the Hardball studio -- probably the only guy ever to receive such treatment from Matthews -- for defaming Catholicism. But aside from the pot calling the kettle black issue, Morris accidentally put his finger on the thing that middle Americans get about Thompson which beltway insiders don't: substance over image and the difference between the two.

Morris finds fault with Thompson because:

* He does not know enough about the details of the Terry Schiavo case to comment. * He is also unfamiliar with the proposal to lower soaring insurance premiums Floridians must pay for home storm coverage since the hurricanes. * He didn't know enough about drilling in the Everglades to comment.

I find it refreshing. Most politicians who do not know the specifics of a particular subject would merely answer with platitudes, misdirection, or broad generalizations. How often do we hear a politician say "I don't know"? I personally would much rather hear that said then a five minute dissertation of painfully obvious drivel. He could have answered the Shiavo question with something inane like "It's always an unfortunate tragedy when a young person suffers a debilitating disease or injury" if he did not know the specifics. That's the kind of response the politicos expect and that middle America balks at.

Do we expect our politicians to know everything or do we just expect them to pretend they do? Have the D.C. insiders become so desensitized to political BS (like what Morris wrote for Bill Clinton during his administration) that they no longer understand the difference between informed comment and obvious pandering for the great media sound bite; "I feel your pain" comes to mind.

Now that Morris has damned Thompson for a failure of omnipotence and a lack-of-enthusiasm for failing to try and bluff the public, what are his other grievances?

Staff turnover, lobbying influence, non-conservative positions, and because Thompson said that Iraqis were supporting us because of al Qaeda's ban on smoking.

It's easier to throw out baseless accusations which require no research than to review the facts and form an opinion. So I will not try to answer all these accusations. But let me discuss two of the most irritating lies in his column.

Morris loses credibility with his complaint about Thompson's al Qaeda comment. What Thompson referred to were the reports that al Qaeda in Iraq was killing and maiming Muslims they caught smoking. This heavy-handed treatment of Iraqi Sunnis along with other atrocities as noted by Thompson caused them to turn on al Qaeda. It brings great discredit on Morris's typically straight shooting analysis that he has parroted the liberal crank websites with this pabulum. Even the New York Daily News which broke the story of Thompson's comments didn't try to make it look like smoking was the only factor for which Thompson attributed the change in Iraq.

Most damaging is Morris's claim:

"As a lobbyist, he helped the attorney representing the Libyan terrorists who blew up Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, to fight requests to extradite them to the U.K. to stand trial."

His misrepresentation of rather innocuous work reflects a hyperventilating New Republic article in which the magazine demonizes lawyer Thompson for logging a few hours assisting a senior partner by researching venue questions. Apparently TNR, the purveyor of the Scott Thomas lie, is now offended at the thought that an American could help the enemy. Pot, kettle, black.

TNR is perplexed that an international flight of an American carrier, carrying people from many nations, originating from Germany, blown up over Scotland, and attacked by Libyans would require a couple of hours to research jurisdictional issues. TNR implies that since jurisdiction was immediately obvious, who knows the nefarious goings on that Thompson spent the rest of that three hour billing on? Again, Morris really goes bottom feeding to legitimize such nonsense.

Even the New York Times which broke the story seemed subdued and provided rare, fair context about a conservative politician. As they rightly note, all criminal prosecutions require a defense or else they can't be tried and that Thompson was not a member of the defense team and was only consulted because of his specialized knowledge. That's a far cry from the misleading impression Morris and TNR gives of the matter.

Look, I happened to fly to Germany on my first military duty assignment a few days after that terrorist attack. I attended a memorial service in Wiesbaden for Sgt. Willis Larry Coursey who died on that plane. I still have the memorial service program stashed away. It was my first eye-opening personal experience with the brutality of terrorism. I don't take it lightly although I won't try to say I ‘feel the pain' of Sergeant Coursey's family as Dick might urge me to say. To equate a few hours researching jurisdiction to sympathy for those terrorists is the typical beltway nonsense that turns us in the heartland away from beltway insiders like Morris.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dick; dickmorris; electionpresident; elections; fredthompson; gop; morris; republicans
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To: Mr. K
Unfortunately I agree - thompson sounds like he is fumbling for answers a lot and parsing his words lately... I wish he would go back to talking like Fred and tell the reporters in plain englich to STFU when they deserve it..

I haven't heard him say anything lately since he didn't go to the debate most important to me (Values Voters). I do feel slapped by that, but I haven't ever heard him stumble or parse his answers. He is way more articulate than Bush so I don't care about the stumbling. If, however, he starts to parse his answers then I won't be able to support him. I want a person who listens and learns and sometimes changes how he things conservative principles can best be accomplished. So I don't mind if he is still working out a plan here and there. What I don't want is a liar, a parser or a flip-flopper who will say anything to get elected (Romney).

41 posted on 09/21/2007 9:34:50 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Peter W. Kessler

“Look in the dictionary under the word “opportunist,” and you’ll see Morris’ picture.”

BINGO.

Morris is largely irrelevant, except for Clinton-bashing and maybe selling a book on it.

If Hillary! wins, Morris has 4 years of relevance and a gravy train. If Hillary! loses, he runs short of toe-sucking money.


42 posted on 09/21/2007 9:42:34 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Kol Hakavod Fred Thompson)
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To: Fred
There are THREE people who, when talking, I drop everything to listen to because I find their insight NOT mainstream, insightful, and from a interesting perspective: Newt Gingrich, Charles Krauthammer and Dick Morris. That being said, a different perspective is NOT always the correct perspective, and this is much more true with Morris.

I'm glad he's out there, but he's way off on Thompson.

43 posted on 09/21/2007 9:44:36 AM PDT by bigjoesaddle ("What we are making is a socialist utopia" - Jim Jones)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Can you point me to that? I haven’t seen him answer it.


44 posted on 09/21/2007 9:46:02 AM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (John Cox 2008: Because Duncan Hunter just isn't obscure enough for me!)
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To: perfect_rovian_storm

You mean his response to the Dobson comments? I read it in a news story yesterday. If I can find it I’ll post a link. He pretty much just brushed it off and then said something nice about how many of his friends think highly of Dobson.


45 posted on 09/21/2007 9:49:23 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Fred

Well that helps me make my mind up....Fred has my vote.


46 posted on 09/21/2007 9:51:13 AM PDT by engrpat
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Yes, that’s what I meant...sorry, I should have been more clear.

I usually read everything about Fred that I can find...I don’t know why I haven’t found that yet.


47 posted on 09/21/2007 9:51:21 AM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (John Cox 2008: Because Duncan Hunter just isn't obscure enough for me!)
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To: JackRyanCIA

I’ve tried to figure that fetish out and for the life of me I just can’t.
Nice bottom,
nice hooters,
nice legs or lips,
but let me suck on your toes so I can get off?

Now that’s seems just a lot strange.


48 posted on 09/21/2007 9:52:13 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: Fred
BUMP! DICK IS A RUDEE TOOTIE.

FRED VETS, SIGN UP TODAY AT:

49 posted on 09/21/2007 9:52:28 AM PDT by W04Man (I'm Now With Fred http://Vets4Fred.net)
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To: Fred
Dick Morris doesn't like Fred Thompson

One more reason why I do.

50 posted on 09/21/2007 9:54:09 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (USAF, TAC, 12th AF, 366 TFW, 366 MG, 366 CRS, Mtn Home AFB, 1978-81)
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To: Joe Boucher

Hey, try this one, I really enjoying dressing like a woman and having Trump maul me?? What is with that???


51 posted on 09/21/2007 10:02:25 AM PDT by Fred ("What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help someone is to punish them" FDT)
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To: perfect_rovian_storm
This story includes his campaign response

I haven't found the response I was telling you about from Fred himself. I thought his response showed great character, lacked defensiveness and didn't show evidence of an inflated ego. Maybe that's a girl way of looking at things -- lol -- but I am a person who respects Dobson (not that I always agree with him on these sorts of things) and I appreciated Thompson's gracious response.

52 posted on 09/21/2007 10:04:42 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: perfect_rovian_storm
Thompson shrugs off Dobson comments

I got it a little wrong. He said basically "it's a free country," "so be it," and "some of Dobson's friends like me." Still, it was a pretty good response.

53 posted on 09/21/2007 10:13:21 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Fred
What a hoot coming from the guy that Chris Matthews kicked off the air and out of the Hardball studio -- probably the only guy ever to receive such treatment from Matthews -- for defaming Catholicism.

I disagree with Dick about Fred Thompson. But Chris Matthews is a blithering fool who hopes people will mistake his fast talking style for intelligence (of which he has very little).

So what if he kicked Dick Morris off the show for a subtle dig at the Catholic church. He still lets anti-American dolts and traitors like Murtha and the Breck Girl get prime time exposure to spout their pap.

Getting booted off his show should be a badge of honor in my opinion. Its also inconsequential, since nobody watches his stupid show anyway.

54 posted on 09/21/2007 10:35:27 AM PDT by GunRunner (Thompson 2008 - Security, Unity, Prosperity)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

“He is way more articulate than Bush”

So is my first-grader!


55 posted on 09/21/2007 10:38:28 AM PDT by EEDUDE
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To: Fred
Morris has a reason not to like Fred. If(and when) Fred wins the presidency, Dickie will be relegated to the dustbin.

Dickie is the resident expert on All Things Hillary. If she is not in the White House where does that leave Dickie?

56 posted on 09/21/2007 10:39:11 AM PDT by Pistolshot (Keyes/Paul '08 - When you can't get crazy enough.)
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To: Fred
Dick Morris doesn't like Fred Thompson

That's because he (Dick) isn't a Republican, he's a Democratic Party reject.

57 posted on 09/21/2007 10:41:35 AM PDT by 3niner (War is one game where the home team always loses.)
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To: Fred

I’ve been considering Fred for a few months now, and have recently decided to send him some money. The clincher, in the last few weeks, has been the nature of the attacks against him.


58 posted on 09/21/2007 10:43:25 AM PDT by 3niner (War is one game where the home team always loses.)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Thanks! :)


59 posted on 09/21/2007 10:45:56 AM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (John Cox 2008: Because Duncan Hunter just isn't obscure enough for me!)
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To: Fred
The toe sucker is such an authority, remember back when he swore up and down her thighness would run back in 04"?

Guess he's not such an authority after all.

60 posted on 09/21/2007 10:48:04 AM PDT by #1CTYankee (That's right, I have no proof. So what of it??)
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