Posted on 10/05/2007 11:16:43 PM PDT by Plutarch
Fred Thompson, appearing at the Americans for Prosperity event today, was supposed to give a press availability, which would have been his first big question-and-answer session with the national press corps in Washington. The availability never happened, and the campaign’s description for why has a decidedly, anti-Washington press corps bent – which probably won’t hurt him too much with key constituencies. (That is, outside the one with all those barrels of ink, television viewers and Web readers.)
Todd Harris, a campaign spokesman, said Mr. Thompson’s speaking engagement ran later than expected and “it came to a decision between doing a media availability or spending time with the Virginia delegation,’’ adding, “We opted to spend time with the delegates as opposed to the Washington press corps.”
For good measure, Mr. Harris added, “It’s not all about the D.C. press corps.” Though, he added, Mr. Thompson – whose performance on the stump has come under withering criticism that continued through his appearance at the Americans for Prosperity event – has held plenty of press availabilities out on the road.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Might be. His issues ad on
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1906640/posts
New Fred Thompson Video on Gay Marriage: “So Be It”
Came out on the same day the LCR did their issues ad on Romney:
http://online.logcabin.org/news_views/reading-room-back-up/log-cabin-tv-ad-campaign-sets.html
Log Cabin TV Ad Campaign Sets the Record Straight About Mitt Romney
For Immediate Release
October 4, 2007
LOL!! FRedburt (#119) is gone. I always thought that shot of Burt was awful, anyway. I like leaving things to the imagination.
I miss RONNIE! (Reagan) ( I also miss John Wayne)
I have given up hope on seeing anyone who would even come close to either one fo these great Americans!
Fred’s communications director is Robert Traynham??!!
Robert Traynham is an LCR political advisor! IOW, when you apply and receive an LCR endorsement, they assign a political advisor to the campaign!
Did Fred Thompson apply for a Log Cabin Endorsement??!!??
Did Rick Santorum?
I don’t know. I wasn’t following Rick Santorum’s campaign.
Are you trying to imply the video at your first link is an “issue ad?”
What are you trying to insinuate?
I have to admit that the tone FDT set is working perfectly. He wanted it to be him and everyone else, and it is, including here on FR.
Robert Traynham joined the Log Cabin Republicans national board December 2006.
Yawn.
This thread stinks of their desperation.
You asked.
No I did not.
I have gone from active participant to occasionally throwing down as needed but mostly watching. Mitt has spent his allowance, Rudy is getting more exposure as, well Rudy, and except for Paul, which is a special (ed) case, the rest couldn’t catch fire if they were covered in gas and hit with lightening, no matter how “good” they maybe. Hunter is the best of that lot and after months can’t move more than a point a week.
Mean while we keep chugging along...
You didn't know that because it isn't true. One of Fred Thompson's former senior commnications advisers (NOT his campaign secretary) was Robert Traynham, whose previous job was Rick Santorum's long-time spokesman. Traynham was apparently outed in 2005:
Santorum defends outed gay staffer -- Gay Anti-gay senator calls aide ‘a trusted friend and confidante’
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), considered one of the strongest opponents of gay civil rights in Congress, acknowledged to the media last week that his chief spokesperson is a gay man who he considers an “exemplary” employee and “trusted friend.”
News that Santorum’s communications director, Robert Traynham, is gay and has been open about his sexual orientation to Santorum since he joined the senator’s staff eight years ago stunned gay activists and Pennsylvania’s political establishment.
“It disturbs me that he has a gay person on his staff and yet he is so hostile to the rights of LGBT people,” said Stacey Sobel, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights. “If he is open-minded enough to have an openly gay staff member, why is he not open minded about the issues important to his LGBT constituents?”
Traynham’s sexual orientation surfaced in the news media after the Web site PageOneQ.com reported that Traynham had confirmed in a recorded phone conversation that he is gay and out to Santorum.
Nearly all the major press outlets in Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, quickly picked up on Traynham’s status as a gay man. Santorum and some of his supporters charged that the outing was aimed at hurting Santorum’s re-election bid next year, where he trails in the polls to Democrat Robert Casey, Jr., the state treasurer.
In a statement released by his office, Santorum said Traynham has worked for him for eight years. During the past four years, Santorum said, Traynham served as deputy chief of staff for the Senate Republican Conference, which Santorum heads, before returning to Santorum’s personal office to become communications director.
http://www.washblade.com/2005/7-22/news/national/outed.cfm
Traynham apparently no longer works for the Thompson campaign; he has taken the job as DC Bureau Chief for Comcast networks:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- CN8, The Comcast Network today announced that Robert Traynham will join CN8 as its Washington D.C. bureau chief. Beginning Monday, October 8, Traynham will report from CN8's state-of-the-art Capitol Hill studio and other D.C.-based events and landmarks to deliver breaking news and insider interviews for CN8's original morning and issues-oriented programming. Traynham will also support CN8's D.C.-based coverage of "America's Next President," the network's most expansive political coverage initiative to date, which will track all of the major events and news leading up to and surrounding the 2008 presidential election.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NEW06503102007-1.htm
Still, do these "loans" show up in the "total campaign contributions" statistics or are they recorded as a separate category??
See post 135 — Traynham no longer works for Thompson. And according to Santorum, Traynham worked for him for eight years, culminating in his job as Santorum’s communications director:
Santorum defends outed gay staffer — Gay Anti-gay senator calls aide ‘a trusted friend and confidante’
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), considered one of the strongest opponents of gay civil rights in Congress, acknowledged to the media last week that his chief spokesperson is a gay man who he considers an “exemplary” employee and “trusted friend.”
News that Santorum’s communications director, Robert Traynham, is gay and has been open about his sexual orientation to Santorum since he joined the senator’s staff eight years ago stunned gay activists and Pennsylvania’s political establishment.
“It disturbs me that he has a gay person on his staff and yet he is so hostile to the rights of LGBT people,” said Stacey Sobel, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights. “If he is open-minded enough to have an openly gay staff member, why is he not open minded about the issues important to his LGBT constituents?”
Traynham’s sexual orientation surfaced in the news media after the Web site PageOneQ.com reported that Traynham had confirmed in a recorded phone conversation that he is gay and out to Santorum.
Nearly all the major press outlets in Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, quickly picked up on Traynham’s status as a gay man. Santorum and some of his supporters charged that the outing was aimed at hurting Santorum’s re-election bid next year, where he trails in the polls to Democrat Robert Casey, Jr., the state treasurer.
In a statement released by his office, Santorum said Traynham has worked for him for eight years. During the past four years, Santorum said, Traynham served as deputy chief of staff for the Senate Republican Conference, which Santorum heads, before returning to Santorum’s personal office to become communications director.
http://www.washblade.com/2005/7-22/news/national/outed.cfm
Robert Traynham is Thompson’s campaign advisor than, not campaign secretary. He is still on the board of the Log Cabin Republicans.
Good.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.