Replies

As always, soliciting FReeper comments, observations, and opinions.

Please check out Phsstpok’s EXCELLENT Sunday Talk Show PRE-Thread. It’s a great way to hear analysis on why the DBM picks the guests, what they’ll probably discuss, and other pertinent facts. Also, check out his blog!

HILLARY! UNCENSORED: Peter Paul scheduled for FOX News with Eric Shawn - Sunday, 11:20am Eastern
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1920656/posts

Good morning.

It appears this has been a very slow news week. About the only couple of things that seem to be of use are the Mukasey nomination and the Democrats’ debate, in which Hillary bombed.

Unusually, we’re not seeing the usual talking heads on the Mukasey nomination so I guess the MSM is giving the committee a pass.

And then there’s Hillary... since she’s already made the rounds and probably feels too aloof to give it another go, she has sent a lackey to try and save face/spin this in a positive way. After all, we all remember “the cackle.”

NBC’s got Fred, not surprising since Fred worked for and collected a paycheck from NBC up until the point he announced for President. Russert is typically a softie to Dems and a pompous @$$ to Republicans; let’s see if he’s even more of a pompous @$$ than usual. Fred seems to handle himself very well under pressure, so this should be very interesting.

The rest is a pretty ho-hum collection. We have Edwards on ABC and Biden on CBS. Fox, I’m not sure where they’re going with this line of interviewees, but G.H.W. Bush should be a good interview.

Ratings coming up...

Well, I see that Late Edition has all dems on this Sunday, save Tony Blair.

Oh, I'm sorry! I just noticed the (R) after McCain and Specter. They (CNN) forgot to add the INO after the (R).

The BIG news of the week was that the newsies — and weatheries — finally got a hurricane.

The prediction of 7 seems to have fallen short, but at least, they got one -- finally. They were orgasmic in their reporting, as this hurricane sustained Category 1 strength for a whole 6 hours, more or less.

"The power under the Constitution will always be in the People. It is entrusted for certain defined purposes, and for a certain limited period, to representatives of their own chusing; and whenever it is executed contrary to their interest, or not agreeable to their wishes, their Servants can, and undoubtedly will be, recalled." (George Washington, May 31, 1776)

Please VOTE .... even if it's just for the local School Board. The only way to stop what is going on in DC is to make our "Servants" accountable, beginning at the local level and working our way up. 'Preaching to the choir', I know ....... :-)

I don’t watch, but the website says MTP will air at 8 today due to the marathon. Does that mean it’s on now and nobody’s watching? If so, a great time to have Fred on. /s

So is Biden going to debate Penn or are they on seperately?

FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Mark Penn, chief strategist for Sen. Hillary Clinton campaign.

Gee ... other Presidential candidates can appear on these news shows ...

Except Hellary

She sends her spokesmen

Interesting that the Washington Post releases the story about Thompson accepting plane trips from convicted drug dealers, the day of his first interview with Russert.

Thompson needs an ace on Timmuh’s show... he’ probably our only shot for a conservative in 2008.

Mark Penn will be trying to cover Hillary ample rear today. Since Biden can only mouth the words of others, I doubt Penn will be challenged at all in rewriting last week’s events.

get ready for Fred to get hit with this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1920671/posts

Thompson Adviser Has Criminal Past (here we go)
The Washington Post ^ | Nov 3, 2007 | Matthew Mosk

Posted on 11/03/2007 10:46:24 PM EDT by RDTF

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has been crisscrossing the country since early this summer on a private jet lent to him by a businessman and close adviser who has a criminal record for drug dealing.

Happy Birthday to our lovely First Lady!

To my fellow freepers, if you had a Charlie Rose type of one on one talk show, who would be your guest and what would be the first question that you would ask them? I also got phone-surveyed by a polling firm for CNN, and boy did I give them an earfull!!!!!! They asked me how likely as a woman are you going to vote for Senator Hillary Clinton - well, I guess you can think what my answer was. The drive-bys are desperate to push up the poll numbers for the dear leader aka pol pot II./Just Asking - seoul62.......

Fred Thompson has no cell in his body that is pro-life. A vote for Fred is against a culture of life. His opinions fly in the face of the GOP Platform or has that evolved with time since 2000?

Mark Kilmer posted an open thread instead of his usual full review over at RedState.COM. It appears his health issues are getting to him some. Remember him in your prayers. Here's the header to what he did post, which is (surprise) a review of the Fred Thompson MTP interview. It seems that this was the thing everyone was interested in today:

Posted at 12:19pm on Nov. 4, 2007

The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - Open Thread

(w/ a review of Fred Thompson on MTP.)

By Mark Kilmer

Unfortunately, my physical condition has rendered me unable to do the complete, show-by-show review of this morning’s talk shows, but this can be an open thread wherein we talk about what we’ve seen and heard. NBC’s Meet the Press with Tim Russert, FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace, ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, CBS’s Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer, and CNN’s Late Edition, with Wolf Blitzer.
Like many of you, I was anxious to see how Fred Thompson would perform on MTP, and if Russert would behave. Thompson did very well, I thought; Russet, not so much.
Thompson went through a lengthy explanation about the number of factors involved in our relationship with Turkey, how they all must be considered when considering how to react to Musharraf’s recent declaration of martial law. Russert, on the other hand, wanted Thompson to mindlessly yank U.S. aide. Thompson answered: “Not now.” Though he vowed that everything should “remain on the table”
Russert wanted to know if we “should allow Musharraf” to do one of the sundry things which Russert does not want us to allows Musharraf to do. Russert pointed out that Musharraf is head of a sovereign nation, and I would have liked to have pointed out that Russert is a selective neo-con.
Thompson, it turns out, as referred to Iraqis with IED’s as “a bunch of kids,” and Russert demanded an apology. Thompson explained that those with the Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq were mostly young fanatics, with little education, easily recruited – ergo, “a bunch of kids.”
Read On…
Read More »

He has a good bit more at the link.

Had a long conversation this AM with a young friend who called to talk about Fred Thompson and his Tim Russert interview. He was excited all over again with Fred’s answers and said Fred had answered questions exactly as he would have. I did not see the interview but my friend and I are almost in lockstep politically so I feel more hopeful about Fred's candidacy. I told my friend that Fred better get cracking because the message has to be sold to a wide enough audience to win the primary and time is very short. I wish all of our candidates well and will support the winner of the primaries. That is when I will get excited.

Just finished watching the taped FNS and thoroughly enjoyed the interview in the Presidential library with the elder Pres George Bush. We will make it a point to visit the library our next trip thru Texas. The panel discussion of the rebellion within the foreign service diplomat corps was quite lively. Because the positions to be filled in war zones surpass the volunteers for those jobs, the diplomats will now be assigned to go where needed. Juan Williams, bless his heart, was the only defender of Mr. Jack Croddy whose public crybaby whining was an embarrassment to his fellow diplomats and this country as well. Brit got to the crux of Croddy’s complaint by pointing out that his objection began with an objection to the war itself, and that one cannot ‘self assign’ to preferred stations. Hillary and her debate gaffe was discussed with all in agreement that she goofed in playing the gender card. Even Mara was unsympathatic to her and said she has to distinguish between the ‘victim’ card and the ‘woman’ one. Bill Kristol was amused at the thought of women being victims in these situations since it is men who are. LOL. I actually agree with him. He also thinks that OBama has a chance to upset Hillary because there is now a crack in the Hillary armor. All in all, quite a good show today.

Honorable Mention Awards for November 4, 2007

9YearLurker

#162; "I haven’t seen this appearance, but interesting observation, advertising guy. I think of that oldest of TV truisms, that it’s a cool media. That makes me think Fred’s low-key warmth will wear well over the coming 3 months of coverage—despite what all the talking heads will continue to say about him."

Alas Babylon!

#491; "Well, it’s two o’clock and the thread is starting to wind down. I like to see the different opinions expressed today on the thread but please let’s not get personal! For the most part folks were disagreeing strongly but didn’t get too personal except for a couple of times. ... No one can say FReepers march lock step with each other! Still, we all strongly advocate the conservative position and when someone attacks it from the Left we get an attitude and rightfully so. I think being a FReeper hones these skills to no small degree. ... Having said that, when you cut down or say something someone else perceives to be unfair or foul against their candidate, then expect them to become agitated and let you have it. TRY to be non-personal--no stupid, idiot, your type always does this or your type never does that. Usually that doesn't help the argument you're trying to make anyway. ... Today's Sunday Talk Show Thread therapy session is brought to you free, from your host, Alas Babylon! LOL!!!!!"
#515 ; "Changing the subject a little bit, but did you know the US Military had only 28 killed in action in Iraq for the entire month of October? That the number of Iraqis killed in the whole country for October was 680, down from 3,000 per month from last year at this time (Nov, Dec, & Jan)? ... Not something that Timmy, Bob, Stephie, Wolf, and Chris want to talk about, huh? ... Read this welcome news."
#518; "Also, click here for more good news (well, not for Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid) from Iraq. ... Still, crickets from the Sunday Talk Show hosts."

anita

#7; "...Here 's this sunday's Media Nuggets..."

aroundabout

#514; "(Fred's) manner will be very effective against a candidate like billary who is prone to delivering a response bordering on the frantic when she has been cornered. The more reasoned he remains the more hysterical she will become."

ballplayer

#118; "Saw Fred this Morning on Meet The press . I thought Fred was great . ... Thought it odd that he ws not asked at all about his policies announced on Illegal Immigration ,especially after the Hildabeast fiasco. ... Could it be that the Fat Democrat Russert is afraid that Fred will garner support by his tough stand on the illegals ? I saw A democrat on Dobbs show say that illegal immigration is the third rail of issues this election cycle .,meaning no one wants to touch it, well I could not disagree more , I think the Republican candidate who embraces it correctly will win easily . The Democrats dont want to touch it because they are for open borders and amnesty ,and that is a LOSER! I think Fred as the nominee has the best position on it and Rudy will cause the issue to be moot. Rudy is like Bush on the issue and Hillary does not want to touch it and that makes all of us losers . Go Fred !!!"
#169; "Thats where it sholud be no matter what you think of the issue. This is America after all ,Freedom rules . You have to have confidence in the people of your State to be decent God fearing people ,if they are not then at least you have the freedom to move to where they share your views . This is the very foundation of our country . Right now you have no choice what so ever because Washington has spoken and that is it. ... I guess some people just want to be dictated to and be comfortable where they are ,but sometimes action has to be taken and I am with Fred on the states rights issues"

bray

#328; "... Hunter has no chance. I like his ideas but he has the charisma of a turnup. Thompson does have that down home feel that may or may not catch on. ... Bottom line, people give far too much credit to Harpy clinton. She is a poor politician and will have to run away from any serious questions. How could she not get asked about Hsu at the debate??..."

cajungirl

#147; "Here is what I worry about with Fred. He doesn’t look well. He just has a sickly older man look about him. I like him but maybe it was the lymphoma and treatment, he just looks bad."
#163; "I know but my eye is on the debates. Fred may be able as a southern man to skewer Hill with that Tennessee drawl in such a way as to make her look even more strident than she is. There is nothing more beautiful than a southern man in a gentlemanly way skewer a nasty woman. ... Rudi could demolish her I do believe. McCain couldn’t and wouldn’t. I don’t think Romney could as stylishly and unforgetably as Rudi or Thompson."

Carolinamom

#78; "A pity that Powell did not follow (fired by Truman) General MacArthur’s mauldlin words to Congress that “Old soldiers never die; they just FADE away.” Had Powell done so, he might have retained more admirers today."
#168; "The 60s....Dems/Aging Hippies: 'It was the best of times.' Regular folks/conservatives: 'It was the worst of times.' ... That generation is now facing...gasp...getting OLD. Next realization: We're all gonna die. Bummer."

CDB

#388; "... With the cowardly FSOs refusing to do what they promised to do, when they entered the US Foreign Service and gave an oath to carry out ALL of their orders, there likely will be more stories in the not-too-distant future about the State Department under Powell’s and Armitage’s 'leadership.' ... Americans will see the TRUE face of Colin Powell."

Cedric

#204; "Espousing states’ rights on abortion is savvy, politically." (Note: reply to Fawn's post #126)
#321; "'...Fred’s style kept the control of this interview...' ... Now, imagine, if you will, when Fred peels the reptilian skin off of Hillary in the Presidential debates, then eviscerates her, employing his slow, southern style. {And he refuses to apologize for having done so the next day.}" (Note: reply to donnab's post #291)

codercpc

#236; "... In my opinion, there isn't enough talk about his health right now, when we should be vetting our candidates. ... I have no doubts what so ever that he is truly in remission, but I can not believe the virtual media blackout of his cancer there has been. ... What percentage of voters know that he is battling this disease? Because I can guarantee that if he becomes the nominee the media blackout will be lifted. Every MSM network will all of a sudden do exposes on Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This will become the 'AIDS' of the decade. This will become the heart disease awareness campaign that magically appeared when VP Cheney was the candidate. Even if he never suffers a relapse (that even his own doctors admit is not if but when) they will have you believing that he is at deaths door. ... Timmys weight question of today is only the beginning."
#286; "Rudy is 'cured', he is past the 5 year mark without recurrence, while Fred is still has the active disease while he is in remission. McCain also has been cured, although his disease does have late effects that tend to swell up his cheek (where the melanoma was removed). ... A 5 year Prostate cancer survival rate is 99 % ... while NHL that Fred has is only 50-60% with the median life span of 10 years. ... These are starkly different diseases and outcomes. ... For all of our candidates I would like to see them discuss and disclose their medical records, and I would like it done now, rather than after the MSM disclose it for them. ... One last question, what percentage of voters know about Freds cancer? Also do you think this info will change any general election voters minds?"

donnab

#245; "Fred is doing well. He is controlling the pace and the tone of the interview and not allowing Tim to have the control. Noticed that the last time Tim read a quote from a paper he changed his vernacular to ..this is what they said ...instead of this is what you said."
#291; "IMHO, Fred’s style kept the control of this interview. He did well and kept Tim at an even keel. He shot down the attempts to sink him with reasoned response and reasoned counter points."

dschapin

#482; "I agree with you. I thought Fred was doing well untill he got into the social issues - then he crashed and burned. He seemed to indicate that maybe states shouldn’t criminalize women or their doctors. Said that he thought unborn children were people but that he didn’t want to force his belief on others - at least not at a federal level. Made clear that he would not support our current pro-life platform and indicated that he was unhappy with the people that are making an issue out of the Schievo case. Clearly Fred is no Friend of the Religious Conservatives." (Note: reply to Norman Bates post #330)

ellery

#479; "Those craven state dept. cowards should be ashamed of themselves. A certain level of risk is inherent in a diplomat’s job — what, do they think it’s all high tea and Caribbean junkets??? ... I love Hunter’s proposal that Bush fire the folks who refuse to do their jobs and replace them with retrained recovering US servicemen and women. ... On another subject, I thought Thompson did a great job this morning. I know some prefer a more frenetic style, but I like Thompson’s thoughtful, reasoned demeanor and approach."

Fawn

#126; "Fred is on right now here in florida....talking about abortion....and boy is he going to get it from the strict conservatives. He wants to give abortion decisions to states rights."

fluffdaddy

#355; "Anyone who truly wants to end abortion in this country should be whooping and hollering about Fred’s performance this morning. He’s showing you the path, you just have to be clever enough to follow. ... Let’s restore abortion policy to the political process. Once that’s done make the humane case for the unborn state by state in the legislatures and on the campaign trail. In the process, avoid any suggestion that your morality compels you to treat young women in difficult circumstances as serious criminals. Ending abortion will involve changing many hearts and you can’t do that if you portray yourself as viciously censorious. ... Anyone who tries to claim that abortion should be criminalized as a form of manslaughter is hurting the pro-life cause. Most Americans, even in the reddest states, if forced to choose between abortion on demand and a strict regime of criminal penalties for anyone who has or performs an abortion at any stage of pregnancy, will opt for the former. Whenever the abortion debate becomes a battle of the extremes, we lose. We can’t let it be that kind of battle. ... Listen to Fred; follow Fred; on abortion and on nearly every other issue he is far and away our best hope."

Freee-dame

#425; "'Fred’s style kept the control of this interview.' ... I especially like it when he keeps talking, even when Tim tries to interrupt. Fred talks slower than I would like, but he doesn't pause. I really like that about him." (Note: reply to donnab's post #291)

Gritty

#68; "'... the total is 38 million illegal aliens currently in the US...' ... If the hordes of illegal aliens I see daily in Wal-Mart, the grocery store or merely walking along our main road is any anecdotal proof, this number seems about right. ...They're everywhere and confidently out in the open, not "hiding in the shadows". And here in North Carolina we're 1200 miles from the Mexican border..." (Note: reply to rodguy911's post #28)
#392; "'You guys have to vote the bums out!! N.C. remains a Conservative state!' ... Not when you count the yellow dog Democrats and the northern and Kalifornia Liberals flocking to this state like blow flies to a gut pile. Another election cycle or two and this state will be purple, then blue, just like a lot of other formerly red ones. ... The problem is, Liberals invariably foul their nests and when the chickens come home to roost on their socialist ideas, they pack up and move someplace else - bringing their failed attitudes and policies with them. ... Unless we can hold onto some of the levers of the federal government, take back our schools and universities, and reverse the cultural rot, this country will be lost - if not to our domestic fascists, then to the Islamic ones! ... 2008 is a crucial year for the survival of America. We must hold the Presidency and maybe gain back the House. If not, the opportunity for reversal will be lost and the steep slide into the abyss will begin in earnest. There is a certain final tipping point in a culture. We are on the cusp of it. The illegal immigration imbroglio is just the tip of the iceberg, but a telling one as to how far we have already slipped. For gosh sake, we can barely get an acceptable man confirmed as Attorney General during wartime! ... This country can not, will not, survive eight more years of the Clinton Criminal Enterprise and concurrent Liberal deconstruction of our most precious heritage and values and wholesale sellout to our enemies." (Note: reply to rodguy911's post #133)

Hostage

#503; "Very sensible post and I am glad to see you using Abortion-On-Demand as distinguished from Abortion. ... Abortion was always legal to save the life of the mother or the child or both. Abortion-On-Demand is the moral equivalent of murder where a woman ‘chooses’ to terminate the life inside her for reasons other than her health. ... Abortion is a medical procedure to save a life. Abortion-On-Demand is what the Pro-Choice movement backs, a decision not to save a life but to unnecessarily end a life. ... And not only does Fred Thompson showing the path, he is also illuminating the true culprit for many social ills of the last decades, that would be an overreaching federal judiciary that federalizes many issues that are best dealt with at the state level."

JennysCool

#410; "'it has been rumoured that after several days campaigning etc that Thompson has taken time off.' ... I don't see this as a problem at all. It's the media that wants us to believe Presidents have to be as frenetic as day-traders, always whooshing around and constantly making pronouncements, as if all that rushing is a good thing. ... This is the illusion they crafted around Bill Clinton, like he was some sort of superhuman working machine. I'm sure the reality is that Bill was just as leisurely as anyone else without the image-making apparatus going for him. ... I'm guessing Americans could easily adapt to -- and even decide they like -- a steadier, more relaxed hand at the wheel. In fact, I think we need that." (Note: reply to snugs post #210)

jslade

#85; "Be afraid and NEVER forget. ... Bookmark and spread throughout the Internet! ... The Clinton Chronicles- 1 hr., 43 min. ... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6470450895164255089"

Laverne

#198; "I think Fred is doing a terrific job; he is not letting Russert interrupt him. He is in compete control and I’m impressed with his answers, his maturity, his calmness, and his presentation."

mainepatsfan

#61; "Hillary looked as uncomfortable handling an unexpected question as Drew Bledsoe did facing a blitz."

malia

#513; "the following comment proves to me what Tony Snow said at his awards ceremony is so very true. ... 'it has been rumoured that after several days campaigning etc that Thompson has taken time off.' ... and your comment 'This is the illusion they crafted around Bill Clinton, like he was some sort of superhuman working machine.' ... bill clinton wasted his Presidency and damaged this country by his playing around. The media did protect and did build an illusion of the clintons. bill clinton is a crooked man from the bottom up!! And that is all I’m going to say!! ... Tony nailed the media!! And I think the media is nervous about Fred Thompson!! ... Tony Snow Discusses the Media ... Remarks of Tony Snow ... Upon Receiving Freedom of Speech Award ... From The Media Institute ... Friends & Benefactors Awards Banquet ... Washington, D.C. ... October 16, 2007 ... post #7"
#521; "Not changing the subject at all ..... the following I typed from Tony Snow’s speech!!! ... Snip… '..for months, the media avoided asking about progress in Iraq. Despite repeated reports from the field that Iraqis had turned against al Qaeda, the news seldom made it into newspapers, and almost never on front pages. Last week, the military reported that civilian deaths in Iraq had hit their lowest point since 2003. U.S. and Iraqi deaths and casualties similarly had declined. So what led the paper the next moring? Stories about Blackwater. The statistics that put the war in perspective were relegated to the back pages of the Washington Post and in some publications, to oblivion.' ... any typing errors are mine!!!!!! because I could not copy it."

mimaw

#235; "I believe Thompson would choose McCain as his running mate if he won the nomination. Mc Cain would take the spot as it would be the closest he’d get to the oval office."

MissMagnolia

#17; "'The power under the Constitution will always be in the People. It is entrusted for certain defined purposes, and for a certain limited period, to representatives of their own chusing; and whenever it is executed contrary to their interest, or not agreeable to their wishes, their Servants can, and undoubtedly will be, recalled.' (George Washington, May 31, 1776) ... Please VOTE .... even if it's just for the local School Board. The only way to stop what is going on in DC is to make our 'Servants' accountable, beginning at the local level and working our way up. 'Preaching to the choir', I know ....... :-)"

MNJohnnie

#127; "'People who lost loved ones on 9/11 see him as more than just a symbol' ... No actually they do not. Thompson was right on the money with his comments Bin Laden is nothing more but the face put on a whole movement of Islamic Fascism. Amazing how the same pompous Liberals who arrogantly decry the "death penalty as nothing but petty revenge" are so quick to seize upon revenge, in regards to Bin Laden, to be a "principal" to base US policy on when they can use it to push their own partisan political agenda." (Note: reply to Bahbah's post #81)
#186; "What Conservative should really be watching is where McCain's voters go. He is out of money and almost out of time. When he finally caves, where his supporters go will be crucial. ... McCain is a resume candidate. Lots of old Conservative love him for his military service. The assumption that they will automatically transfer their allegiance to Rudy is an unwarranted assumption on the part of the Republican Establishment. ... Where McCain's supporters go when they finally wise up to the fact that he is the 'Candidate to No Where' will be critical to who wins the Republican nod."
#260; "Repealing Roe v Wade returns Abortion to the state’s. Even the strictest Right to Lifer knows that beyond that any President is largely powerless to effect the Abortion debate."

mountainfolk

#530; "Had a long conversation this AM with a young friend who called to talk about Fred Thompson and his Tim Russert interview. He was excited all over again with Fred’s answers and said Fred had answered questions exactly as he would have. I did not see the interview but my friend and I are almost in lockstep politically so I feel more hopeful about Fred's candidacy. I told my friend that Fred better get cracking because the message has to be sold to a wide enough audience to win the primary and time is very short. I wish all of our candidates well and will support the winner of the primaries. That is when I will get excited."
#547; "Just finished watching the taped FNS and thoroughly enjoyed the interview in the Presidential library with the elder Pres George Bush. We will make it a point to visit the library our next trip thru Texas. The panel discussion of the rebellion within the foreign service diplomat corps was quite lively. Because the positions to be filled in war zones surpass the volunteers for those jobs, the diplomats will now be assigned to go where needed. Juan Williams, bless his heart, was the only defender of Mr. Jack Croddy whose public crybaby whining was an embarrassment to his fellow diplomats and this country as well. Brit got to the crux of Croddy’s complaint by pointing out that his objection began with an objection to the war itself, and that one cannot ‘self assign’ to preferred stations. Hillary and her debate gaffe was discussed with all in agreement that she goofed in playing the gender card. Even Mara was unsympathatic to her and said she has to distinguish between the ‘victim’ card and the ‘woman’ one. Bill Kristol was amused at the thought of women being victims in these situations since it is men who are. LOL. I actually agree with him. He also thinks that OBama has a chance to upset Hillary because there is now a crack in the Hillary armor. All in all, quite a good show today."

Norman Bates

#281; "Yeah but he also skated the states issue saying he doesn’t see it right having laws that criminalize abortion. What exactly does he stand for besides some abstract constitutional principle??"
#304; "Thompson royally blew it on the pro-life issue this morning. He said he doesn’t support a constitutional amendment but that the states should deal with it. Fine. But then he said he doesn’t support criminalization of it which I got to understand includes the states. Where does he stand?? I can’t see his ground."

PerConPat

#276; "... the Pub candidates -their different positions notwithstanding- are a very diverse and accomplished set of politicians. Fred's MTP interview just concluded in my time zone, and he was effective in handling Russert's usual inanities. ... Thompson showed humanity and toughness in measures that should not offend any but the most doctrinaire listeners. His introspective and avuncular style would play well against Shrill Hill and her immature opponents on the Dim side of things. And I agree that Fred's easy manor and reasoned approach to issues could make him the compromise nominee of a deadlocked convention."

prairiebreeze

#179; "...This man doesn't look well??" (Note: post includes two pictures of Fred Thompson with his wife and young children)
#244; "If Fred leaves his family out of his campaign the press will accuse him of being neglectful, uninvested as a father and ashamed of them. They actually help him I believe to show him invested in his life, his future and his kids’ futures. ... Divorced and remarried...so what? Many people are and will relate to that. I don’t see that as a problem whatsoever, particularly when the ex-wife has come out publically supporting Fred’s campaign and her family maintains good relationships with him. ... He’s already been accused of having a trophy wife and has handled that well IMO. ... Fred has stated several times that he’s never felt even one day of sickness from the indolent lymphoma or the treatment. It was discovered upon routine exam, treated successfully and remains in remission. Easily treated again should it become active again. But no symptoms or sickness was ever involved according to what Thompson has repeatedly reported. ... Do be extra vigilant and critical when reading reports of the media regarding Fred, snugs. They are scared witless about him."
#440; "snugs, I certainly wasn’t meaning to seem to attack you, hope it didn’t seem so. I was trying to respond to your points and hopefully did in a positive way, which was my intention. ... There are a few ways his young family will be perceived, certainly some people will have less than positive reactions. But many will see a man who started a second family and respect him for it. Others won’t give it a second thought. I don’t think it’s an automatic negative at all. ... I wanted to put straight the flat out lies that are circulating on FR (not you) and media about the indolent lymphoma too. Fred’s doctors find no medical reason to keep him from running or serving. Unless we are to believe that both Fred and his doctors are lying to the American public then these repeated allegations about his appearance and feigned concern have no more bearing in reality than the concern one would have over any candidates basic level of health. ... What you may not realize since you aren’t following Fred threads much, are the absolute despicable, gutter attacks that detractors have leveled against Fred, Jeri and his children and health, his background, his family etc. As nasty, appalling and un-Christian posts as I’ve ever seen on FR in some cases. So some of the reaction here today is probably based on that, which isn’t to give that a total pass either, btw. Some Fredheads have gone onto other candidates threads with personal attacks, but I haven’t. Nor will I. ... Fred with either make it or he won’t. However he’s consistent, conservative, not afraid to attack the left and name names. He is IMO, the best chance to beat Mrs. Bill Clinton. And the media is scared to death, which is very significant. ... Feel free to check out Fred articles on the fredthompson keyword or his website at www.fred08.com. ... blogsforthompson.com is another good Fred info site...."

primatreat

#239; "Just got done watching Fred. 10:50 ET. I must admit that I stopped eating Butter Toffee coated peanuts so my crunching noise would not inter fear with what he was saying. He said things that made very good sense. I a pleased that I donate $50.00 month to his cause."

Prokopton

#402; "... Gay marriage is a states rights issue, abortion, the Constitutionally protected right to life, is not. ... People who think that SCOTUS is going to 'overturn' Roe v. Wade by ruling that the Court was wrong in taking jurisdiction, and then returning jurisdiction to the states to do as they want, know very little about the Court. If they base their 'anti-abortion' policy on this they are spinning their wheels. ... In Roe v. Wade, the Court was very careful not to say that life was not Constitutionally protected. Instead, the Court based their decision on the Constitutionally protected right to privacy. The Court is not going to say that they were wrong and that there is not a Constitutionally protected right to privacy. It's not going to happen. Jurisdiction, even if not original jurisdiction, will remain with SCOTUS. The Court could, correctly, rule that in most cases, the enumerated right to life trumps the unenumerated right to privacy when they come into conflict. This would proscribe abortion in most cases. ... It was disingenuous for Thompson to say that life begins at conception but that states should be able to allow the taking of this life without due process. Is he saying that life is not protected by the Constitution even if that document states that it is? His position doesn't make any sense. Would he be in favor of states allowing partial birth abortion? This is no greater taking of human life than any other abortion. ... I have been a Thompson supporter and contributor from the start. His poor performance today, including his muddled view of the right to life, his weak and uninformed response concerning WMD's, and his general uninspiring affect, leaves me looking for another candidate to consider."
#550; "'Is murder a federal crime or one handled by state law? ... If the latter, why is murder a matter for states, and abortion a matter for the Feds?' ... Murder isn't a matter just for the states. States pass all kinds of statutes that still must meet Constitutional muster. Many times these statutes are appealed to Federal Courts not because the states don't have original jurisdiction, they do, but because the federal Courts have appellate jurisdiction on all cases that raise Federal Constitutional questions. There was nothing wrong with the states having original jurisdiction on the issue of abortion. These laws, however, had to be Constitutional. The SCOTUS, in Roe v. Wade, said these statutes were not Constitutional largely because, they said, they violated a womens right to privacy. SCOTUS did not say that states couldn't pass laws on abortion, neither did they say the Federal government could, or should, pass laws on this issue. The issue of whether abortion laws are constitutional or not is clearly an issue only SCOTUS can decide. Murder laws are no different. If a state passed a law that said the penalty for killing, say an albino, was different than the penalty for killing anyone else, the law would certainly be appealed to Federal Court questioning it's Constitutionality. The Federal Courts would make the determination, not state courts. ... If SCOTUS "overturned" Roe v. Wade and ruled that it was a state matter, all state statutes on abortion would still be subject to being appealed to Federal Court as being in conflict with either the protections of life afforded by the Constitution or being in conflict with a womens right to privacy.. The matter would be right back in the lap of SCOTUS, no matter what "states rights" proponents claim. ... Roe v. Wade was wrong not because the Constitution makes it a state issue. The appeal to SCOTUS was clearly proper. The problem was that SCOTUS did not abide by the written words of the Constitution and find that the unenumerated right to privacy, protected by the Ninth Amendment, was trumped by the enumerated right to life, protected in the Fourteenth amendment, when the two come into conflict. This is going to have to be decided by SCOTUS, one way or another. This is what will control the future of abortion no matter what the states want to do." (Note: reply to Mr Rogers post #452)

RDTF

#52; "get ready for Fred to get hit with this: ... Thompson Adviser Has Criminal Past (here we go) ... The Washington Post ^ | Nov 3, 2007 | Matthew Mosk ... Posted on 11/03/2007 10:46:24 PM EDT by RDTF ... Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has been crisscrossing the country since early this summer on a private jet lent to him by a businessman and close adviser who has a criminal record for drug dealing."

Reagan Man

#442; "'>>>>>I choose the candidate who gives the principled answer...' ... A little more principle. ... 'Our nation-wide policy of abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy was neither voted for by our people, nor enacted by our legislators--not a single state had such unrestricted abortion before the Supreme Court decreed it to be national policy in 1973. [It was] an act of raw judicial power'... 'Make no mistake, abortion-on-demand is not a right granted by the Constitution. Nowhere do the plain words of the Constitution even hint at a 'right' so sweeping as to permit abortion up to the time the child is ready to be born.' ... ~~~~ President Ronald Reagan : 'Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation', 1983" (Note: reply to Brices Crossroads post #434)

reasonisfaith

#220; "'What Conservative should really be watching is where McCain’s voters go.' ... I would expect McCain at that point to endorse Thompson, given their reported friendship, which would send a lot of them over to Thompson."

retired tt driver

#248; "... Fred was both careful and concise in explaining his positions (particularly on abortion). I believe that his change of heart 'on when life begins' (seeing his child’s sonogram) was very persuasive and strong. He was a bit weak on the WMD issue, but recovered well during the discussion on Iran. I know that other Freepers are disappointed with his 'lack of vigor', but that’s his style and personality, and I believe that such is more in keeping with the desires of the electorate."

Shortstop7

#211; "I worry that you’re listening to much to the talking points of the MSM. ;-)" (Note: reply to snugs post #65)

The Pack Knight

#257; "'I agree and allows one to be above the issues which IMHO a President has to be on some things.' ... It reminded me of something Justice Scalia said at a speech I attended a couple weeks ago. He pointed out that Roe v. Wade essentially put the issue of abortion beyond any constructive political debate by taking the issue out of the political process. ... There's certainly little the President and Congress can do on their own. Congress could propose a Constitutional Amendment, but the odds on such an amendment being ratified are slim at best. Some people think overturning Roe will be as simple as placing a fifth conservative on the court. Those people might find themselves disappointed. ... My point is that I am not sure whether it really makes sense for a Presidential candidate to dwell on an issue he really can't resolve, or to argue that he is the strongest pro-life candidate when there is really little he can do to deliver on the matter. I am sure this won't make some people happy, but I think it's important for a Presidential candidate to be realistic." (Note: reply to snugs post #229)
#290; "One of the reasons Fred Thompson has won me over is that you can tell that he actually thinks about the questions and gives an honest answer. Unlike some other candidates who shall remain unnamed, he doesn't have a sound bite in his holster for each issue. ... On abortion, he has a 100% pro-life voting record, and the safest thing he could do is just leave it at that. Fred Thompson, however, actually takes the time to explain his position, including parts that might not be entirely popular. ... Some people think he doesn't want to be President enough. I just think he's putting himself out there and saying "Take it or leave it." If he's going to be elected, he wants to be elected as Fred Thompson the man, and not Fred Thompson the artificial campaign persona. ... Some of the other candidates could stand to take a cue."