Free Republic

When Fred Thompson finally announces his candidacy next month, it will be the closest thing to a successful draft of a presidential candidate in more than a half-century. It isn’t that the actor-turned-U.S. senator-turned-actor had to have his arm twisted to run. But Thompson did need to be convinced it would be more than a fool’s errand, and he clearly was not planning on running for president until others sought him out. The rest of the current White House aspirants, all of whom have been planning to run since at least the end of 2004, have been thinking about becoming...

When Fred Thompson finally announces his candidacy next month, it will be the closest thing to a successful draft of a presidential candidate in more than a half-century. It isn't that the actor-turned-U.S. senator-turned-actor had to have his arm twisted to run. But Thompson did need to be convinced it would be more than a fool's errand, and he clearly was not planning on running for president until others sought him out. The rest of the current White House aspirants, all of whom have been planning to run since at least the end of 2004, have been thinking about becoming...

STAMFORD -- Fred Dalton Thompson took his undeclared presidential campaign before Connecticut Republicans on Thursday, helping draw a full house of 600 to the party's annual fundraising dinner - and gathering a few political IOUs. Panned by conservative commentators for an unfocused speech weeks ago before Republicans in the GOP stronghold of Orange County, Calif., Thompson delivered a well-received call Thursday for the party to stand firm in Iraq and demand secure borders at home. ADVERTISEMENT SPONSORED LINKS "If we do the right thing, politics will take care of itself," Thompson said. Thompson said Republicans did not lose Congress last...

Mr. Thompson, I am writing this letter to ask that you seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The party needs you. Those of us who identify with the principles of modern conservatism need you. Your country needs you. Ok, I'll stop with the melodrama, but I really do want you to run. You've no doubt noticed that the race for the Republican nomination is turning into little more than a Ronald Reagan sound-alike contest. We have the former mayor of New York and the former governor of Massachusetts waxing (kind of) eloquent about shrinking the size...

Two shadows loomed over last night's Republican debate in South Carolina — the missing ex-Sen. Fred Thompson and former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Both Thompson and Gingrich are reviewing their astrological charts to determine if the time is right for their presidential candidacies. These rites of introspection make it much harder for the conservative wing of the Republican Party to settle on a candidate. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's pro-choice position and his backing for gun control and gay civil unions disqualify him from support by much of the Christian right. Sen. John McCain, good on social issues by righty lights, has...

COLUMBIA -- Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson has told Republicans that if he decides to run for president, he would enter the race earlier than anticipated -- perhaps as early as the second week of June. A Tennessee Republican said that Thompson has been convinced that he will not win unless he recruits a good staff, and that he cannot recruit a good staff unless he gets in the race. Several RNC state chairs said that representatives for Thompson had tentatively accepted invitations to candidate events scheduled for later in the fall, a sign they interpreted as evidence of his desire to...

Ok there, I said it. As far as I know (I mean I have not googled the phrase or anything) I may be the first one to say it publicly and truly mean it. It has a nice ring to it doesn't it? Well... Get used to it. Think about this for a second. Thompson is going to run, all bulletins point that direction. When he gets in the primary all the polls seem to indicate he will quickly eclipse the Republican field. Like it or not (supporters of other candidates) there was a recent poll that showed that 4...

Today'sBroadcast with Commentary on the movie "300" and today's Iran

Three decades ago, two young lawyers worked behind the scenes, on opposite sides of the political aisle, to investigate the corruption and deceit that became known simply as "Watergate." One, an ideologically liberal Democrat who had recently graduated from Yale Law School, served as a member of the impeachment inquiry staff advising the House Judiciary Committee during the scandal. The other, a wise-beyond-his-years conservative Republican Southerner with a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University, served as co-chief counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee. Little would anyone suspect in 1974 that these two could face each other for the presidency in 2008....