Free Republic

As usual, Ralph Pontillo, the president of the Manufacturers' Association of Northwest Pennsylvania, has lined up an outstanding program for the 103rd Annual Event on June 18 at the Bayfront Convention Center. The event has been sold out every year. The Bayfront Center can seat 2,000 people. For this year, former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, who seems to be doing quite well fighting cancer, will be the moderator. The two speakers will be Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee senator who ran for the Republican presidential nomination, and John Edwards, who ran a strong race for the Democratic presidential...

A few weeks ago, Fred Thompson exited the race for President. In the wake of that decision, the FredHeads and the members of DraftFredThompson.com engaged in a whole lot of soul-searching and vigorous discussion as to what to do next. Fred's candidacy may have come to an end, but our faith in the principles that originally drew us to Fred was as strong as ever. The product of that soul-searching and vigorous discussion is Conservatives for the Advancement of the Reagan Coalition, a new organization formed to advance the key conservative principles articulated by men like Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan...

Let’s face it: the majority of those who supported Fred Thompson did so because they sincerely believed that he was the only reliable conservative in the race. Few questioned his commitment to conservative principles. Not even his opponents, who picked on his speaking style and campaign schedule rather than his policy proposals, questioned his principles. Upon Thompson’s withdrawal, Mitt Romney released the following statement: “Throughout this campaign, Fred Thompson brought a laudable focus to the challenges confronting our country and the solutions necessary to meet them. He stood for strong conservative ideas and believed strongly in the need to keep...

That's the name of a new anti-Huckabee web site started by former Thompson staffer Darrel Ng. Jonathan Martin has more on the site: Now that his candidate is out of the race, one Thompson staffer has gone the next stop and is actively working against Huck. Sorta. Darrel Ng, perhaps the heartiest and most dogged of Thompson's aides and somebody who logged many a mile on the Fred bus, has launched a website called "Boycott Chuck Norris." Yup, Ng now wants people to show their disregard for Huck by not patronizing any companies that use Norris as a pitchman. The...

As soon as Fred Thompson announced he was dropping out of the GOP race, friends, acquaintances and total strangers started trying to win Thompson supporter Rick Moran over to McCain, Huck, Romney or Rudy. Who will he and his fellow depressed Fredheads turn to for their second choice? Less than 10 minutes after Fred Thompson’s announcement that he was dropping out of the Republican presidential race hit the wires, one of my good internet friends IM’d me. FRIEND: Sorry to hear about Fred. Gd mn. (Good man) ME: SUCKS THE BIG ONE FRIEND: He wll b missed. ME: IT REALLY,...

Fred Thompson is noticably absent from the campaign trail this week. After finishing third in the South Carolina primary over the weekend... Many wonder if he may drop out of the race before Tennessee and Georgia vote. But Tennessee Republican Party Chairwoman Robin Smith says his Carolina finish still gives Thompson prominence, and he shouldn't be ruled out just yet. Smith says, "I think people are starting to ask the question, 'Is he a viable candidate?' I think that's the big question, and we'll have to wait for a couple more days I'm sure." Smith says the deciding factor will...

As has been reported elsewhere today, Fred Thompson's mother is gravely ill right now. Our prayers ought to be with Sen. Thompson, his mother, his wife, and their family. This must be a very difficult time for them. All of this political stuff is of only secondary importance right now. That said, here is what I would do, politically, if I were Thompson: I would just lay low. Just wait. See what happens in Louisiana's caucuses tomorrow. See what happens in Florida next week. See who drops out of the race at some point. And then consider reviving my campaign,...

A cheer went up from the crowd of Fred staffers at the Greenville Embassy Suites when Fox News called South Carolina for McCain. No, Fred is not a stalking horse, but what has emerged here is a palpable contempt for Mike Huckabee and his campaign methods (push polls Upstate) and his outright lies and blatant pandering changes of position. CW is that conservatives have serious resevations with Huckabee and McCain. If this sample is representative of conservatives-and Fred’s campaign is certainly staffed with many Reagan conservatives-then Rush and Levin are only half right. UPDATE: 9:35. A groan greeted Huck’s appearance....

In a world where the best politician is the man (or woman) that can lie the most effectively, and raise the most money, it is hard to find a candidate that will represent the truth. I, Fred Thompson, am not looking to confuse the citizens of the United States, but to protect them by securing her borders and taking an iron fist to terrorism. I am not looking to lie to Americans, but to protect the morals and values that they hold dear. Never changing my views, I have remained consistently conservative, and I will continue to hold steadfast to...

Welcome to our Phone for Fred online phone bank! Person to person contact is the most effective way to make a difference in an election. We created the Phone for Fred program for all of you Friends of Fred who want to volunteer and do more for Fred! We need your help in the early primary states. Our Phone for Fred online phone bank makes it easy for you to make a difference! Fred only needs a small commitment of time and you will soon see that your phone calls and person to person contact will help Fred win!

At 9:00 pm ET Fox News will broadcast the Republican Presidential debate from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. As usual, I’ll be liveblogging it on the Fred File. Hope to see you then.

Cannot be posted due to copyright issues... http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080105/NEWS01/801050313/1006

Wondering about the early response to Fred Thompson’s closing argument to the people of Iowa, I just spent a moment skimming the comments on YouTube. About a fifth of the several hundred posts seem unimpressed, but the rest are positive—many simply glowing. A sampling: If you call yourself a conservative, you need to vote for this man! Wow. Watch the whole thing; it's a little long. I had to wipe a tear from my eye at the end. THIS should be our next President. I know who I am voting for now. Ladies and Gentlemen: The President of the United...

Fred Thompson or Ron Paul? Like Perry and some others, I would rather see a big government Democrat elected than a big government Republican. At least that would bring back some opposition. Republicans in Congress have a much better record of reining in the Democrats' presidents than their own. And as I explain later, I think that one of these two is the only Republican candidate capable of winning the national election. Ron Paul answering the What programs? question by naming three cabinet level departments ... Wow. Good answer. If there was no rest-of-the-world, he would possibly have my vote....

Please post any information that Fred Thompson supporters would like to know here...

Finditt, an online portal providing news and press release distribution and video uploading opportunities among its many services, has invited the Fred Thompson campaign and its supporters to upload presidential campaign videos to the site. As a means of gaining added exposure and spreading the Fred Thompson campaign message supporters can utilize the services of Finditt as an effective platform to reach voters prior to the upcoming Republican primaries. One of the benefits of uploading videos through Finditt is that the video can be included inside a press release distributed through Finditt and TransWorldNews sites. This provides the Fred Thompson...

FRED THOMPSON'S disappointed fans have something to cheer about at last. After sinking to single digits in the polls, the former "Law & Order" actor is making a comeback. Over the past month, Thompson has walked away from several very strong performances in GOP debates. In the latest one, he held command over the entire field and won the day by refusing to play "hand shows" on stage at the direction of the moderator. "I said, 'Nope,' and everybody pulled their hand down and looked around," Thompson later recalled. "I just said to my buddies up there, 'How are you...

Somebody in the Huckabee camp made the mistake of insulting the leader of the conservative movement in the U.S., Rush Limbaugh. Rush responded on Friday's show and basically ripped the Huckabee camp a well-deserved new one. Whoever made the original comments clearly has not been paying attention. Some are questioning whether the Huckabee campaign can survive the shellacking it got on Friday's program. Huckabee is trying to stop the bleeding: SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The best-talking Republican politician in America has a message for the best-talking conservative voice in the country: Let's talk to one another. Mike Huckabee, taking questions...

Last night in Dubuque to an excited crowd Fred kicked off his “Clear Conservative Choice: Hands Down!” Bus Tour. As Fred takes his consistent conservative message straight to Iowans Fred08.com will take you along for the ride. You’ll get behind-the-scenes looks, proud FredHeads telling you why they support Fred, and strong dose of Fred speaking the truth. You’ve already seen a video from a Dubuque FredHead. Expect more of that throughout Fred’s bus tour along with pictures and observations from people on the road.

Join us December 13th for a Phone for Fred Party! We get thousands of emails every week from regular folks asking how they can get involved and make a big difference even though they don't live in the early states. Next Thursday, December 13th, we are having a nationwide phone bank for Fred. Hosting a phone bank on the 13th is the best way to make a real difference in the final month going into the Iowa Caucus. Take a group picture of everyone at your party, and if your party makes the most calls we'll make it the feature...

As I noted here, Fred Thompson’s supporters and campaign are missing golden opportunity after golden opportunity while they focus on tearing down other candidates instead of building Fred up. Fred continues to put forth a very conservative agenda and no one is hearing about it because Fredheads aren’t telling them. I’ll try to help them again, gratis. Take, for instance, Fred’s skepticism of the latest National Intelligence Estimate, the one that contradicts the idea that Iran is working on nuclear weapons. Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Tuesday he’s skeptical of a new report that Iran halted its nuclear weapons...

Thursday, November 15, 2007 What Fred Said [Larry Kudlow] I just sat down with presidential candidate Fred Thompson, for an interview that will air tonight on Kudlow & Company. The former Tennessee senator was in good form. He attacked Warren Buffet’s tax-hike proposal on the rich as totally wrong, and Buffett himself as nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Democratic party. He agreed with Dick Armey that the GOP will lose if it departs from the first principles of limited government and lower tax rates. He called the farm bill “disgraceful” and would veto it if he were president....

Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson will make his first visit to the Grand Strand on Tuesday. The former Tennessee senator will meet and greet voters at the NASCAR Cafe at 1808 21st Avenue North in Myrtle Beach. The event starts at 4:15 p.m. Prior to his visit to Myrtle Beach, Thompson is scheduled to address students, faculty and staff at the Citadel. Thompson will speak at McAlister Field House.

In September, I posted another vanity (linked below) in which I observed that the historical trends in this election favored Fred Thompson. Since then, his RCP average has dropped from about 22% to 16-17%. In the more volatile Rasmussen daily tracking poll, he has also dropped to 16%, about a 10 point drop from his post announcement high. In light of the above poll numbers, is it time for me to issue a mea culpa? No. This is not at all inconsistent with the hypothesis of my previous post. Neither of the successful insurgent candidates in modern times, Reagan or...

Here's your chance to make a cameo appearance in Fred's Presidential campaign. Make a video telling us why you support Fred Thompson for President and upload it using the form below. We'll share these videos with all of our supporters on Fred08.com, and allow you, and them, to pick the best one. Here's your chance to be a star. Submit your video now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sure, Fred Thompson is an accomplished lawyer, prosecuting criminals in Tennessee before serving as counsel on the Watergate hearings. And yes, he served the people of Tennessee as a common sense, conservative Senator for eight years....

Presidential candidate Fred Thompson will be a special guest at a tribute dinner for state Republican Party Chairman Jim Herring on Nov. 19 at the Jackson Hilton on County Line Road. Thompson will join Herring and other state GOP leaders at the event beginning with a 5:30 p.m. reception. The dinner is being hosted by the Mississippi Republican Elected Officials Association. When he considers the position of the Republican Party in Mississippi, Herring thinks the hard work in the past is paying huge dividends in the present. "The most satisfying part of it is seeing your organization grow and prosper,...

JB: Mr. Giuliani said: “We need a hybrid army, we need to look at nation-building as part of what we have to teach our military.” Nation-building? Do you agree with that? FT: Well I wouldn’t call it nation-building... You don’t build other nations. Sometimes if the ingredients are there you can assist other nations in doing some good things. JB: Well that gets to the heart of the difference between some of us conservatives and the neo-cons... Can you define for us, who really is the enemy? ...FT: The enemy is radical Islamic fundamentalism. Iraq is a part of a...

The man who flustered White House hopeful John McCain last week by questioning his standing among fellow Vietnam prisoners of war was a contributor to rival Fred Thompson's campaign. Ed Nowokunski, a retired Air Force major and fighter pilot, gave $500 to Thompson's testing-the-waters committee in July, Federal Election Commission records show. He also gave $1,000 to President Bush a month after his bitter 2000 primary defeat of McCain in South Carolina, and again in 2004 when he wasn't opposed. McCain supporter Orson Swindle, a former Marine POW, suggested afterward that an opposing campaign planted Nowokunski in the retirement community...

Dearborn, Michigan—Team Thompson was very, very happy here at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center Tuesday night. Sure, the first Republican debate to include Fred Thompson, a debate which focused mostly on economic issues, was a little dull. And sure, it went on for too long. And sure, moderator Chris Matthews – well, don’t get them started on him. But the bottom line was, Fred Thompson did just fine. ”If we had done badly, I would have said these things don’t mean a thing,” one top Thompson adviser told me in the converted gymnasium that served as the Spin...

Welcome to the first edition of our insider's email. We have created it to keep you posted on important news about Fred's campaign. INSIDERS NEWS: FRED RAISES NEARLY $13M FOR FIRST FEC FILING; THE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN REVOLUTION OF 1994 Great, exciting news: Our first FEC report will show $12.7M raised from 80,000 contributors. For the quarter we have raised $9.3M with $7M cash-on-hand. More than 60% of our quarter's total of over $9M came since Fred announced with contributions averaging over $200K daily. Some in the media are making comparisons to other candidates' first quarter #'s which misses the point:...

Fred Thompson was the leading Republican contender for the presidency among Web visitors, even before he officially announced his candidacy, according to a new survey by Nielsen//NetRatings. The survey, released Sept. 6, analyzed visitor traffic to the official Web sites of presidential candidates in July. Senator Barack Obama had the most unique visitors of all candidates, with 717,000, readily outpacing fellow Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, who had 437,000 and 348,000 unique visitors, respectively, per the survey. Thompson came in next with 381,000. Thompson, a former Tennessee senator and Law and Order star, has relied heavily upon the Internet...

Fred Thompson, who's been a lawyer, U.S. Senator and most notably an actor now wants to be your next president. It's no secret it takes tens of millions of dollars to make it happen. But he fell short of his own campaign goal of initially raising $5-million, by bringing in about $3.5-million. Now he hopes to change that. Monday night Thompson came to Chattanooga for a brief visit to raise money for his campaign. But with so many other candidates out there can Thompson get any traction? Thompson chose to officially enter the race later than other candidates by skipping...

Former Senator Fred Thompson first announced that he might be available for the Republican Presidential nomination nearly six months ago. Since then, he has done well in the polls, missed a few possible dates to formally enter the campaign, skipped several Republican Presidential “debates”, and inevitably faced questions as to whether he waited too long to enter the race. Last week, he finally made it official and had the stage to himself while other candidates scrambled for attention in yet another candidate “debate.” The early returns are encouraging for Thompson and his team. Despite the fact that his intentions have...

Rich Lowry’s latest column asks, “Why Fred?” In the op ed, Lowry attempts to head off some possible answers to his question by arguing that Fred’s adherence to federalist principles doesn’t count. It most certainly does, as it is one of the guiding principles upon which a Thompson presidency would be built. Lowry also cites the “forward-looking” health-care proposals offered up by Thompson rivals Romney and Giuliani as the kind of “fresh thinking” that Thompson will have to demonstrate. Um, sorry, Rich, but those health care plans are the kind of “fresh thinking” that is morphing the Republican Party into...

Barely a week after he announced his presidential candidacy on the "Tonight Show,'' former Senator Fred Thompson is scheduled to make a campaign stop in Fort Myers. Thompson's campaign has reserved the pavilion at Centennial Park from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, said Fort Myers city spokeswoman Jennifer Hobbick. She said an aide to Thompson called the city's recreation department to make the reservation. She said the five-hour reservation probably would include some set-up time and she didn't know the exact time of the rally. Thompson, a former Republican senator from Tennessee and an actor, had made...

LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. -- Fred Thompson’s Wednesday campaign announcement sent his hometown scurrying to make ready for his return. A week from Saturday, Thompson will make his homecoming stop in Lawrenceburg. Being thrust into the national political scene has turned the small town into a large construction site as roads are paved, flowers are planted and efforts are made to keep the grass green. The event could be the biggest in Lawrenceburg’s history. “It’s been said that if David Crockett rode back into town tomorrow, Fred Thompson's visit would still be much bigger,” said Thompson supporter Ben Luna. The city plans...

When former Tennessee senator and actor Fred Thompson makes his presidential bid official Thursday, his Utah supporters are planning to celebrate at a downtown party. The event is just one of many being organized nationwide by self-described "Fred-Heads" who for months now have been pushing Thompson to get in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Thompson is scheduled to formally announce he's running via a webcast Thursday on his campaign site, www.imwithfred.com. Following the announcement, he's expected to campaign in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. "We're just getting started, but I think a groundswell is coming,"...

It's officially Fred Thompson week in politics, as the former Tennessee Senator and actor will announce his presidential bid on Thursday. Thompson, who has already been up and down in the polls as an unofficial candidate will be be on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, basking in the glow of that 31 rating. Fred Thompson's support for Iraq will harmonize nicely with the President's Bush pro-surge ditty, in full-song in the run up to the long awaited Petraeus September report. But next, Thompson will face increased scrutiny, particularly on his record as a social conservative, where opponents and pundits have already...

As a veteran actor, Fred Dalton Thompson knows something about entering a stage. It's all about the build up. The former Tennessee senator plans to announce his official entry into the Republican presidential contest on Thursday. But he'll pique interest first on Wednesday with an ad aired during a GOP presidential debate from New Hampshire that Thompson will otherwise skip. By then he will have taped an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," which will air about an hour after the debate ends in many U.S. households. Come midnight, he'll post a 15-minute video announcement on his...

BURBANK - Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is scheduled to be a guest on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" tomorrow, a day before officially declaring his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Thompson's appearance -- he last appeared on the show June 12 -- will come on the same day as the eight announced Republican candidates debate in New Hampshire. The Thompson campaign announced last week that he would declare his candidacy Thursday, with a Webcast on his campaign's Web site, www.imwithfred.com, then conduct a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, all key early states...

Tennessee is expected to play a critical role in fundraising for Republican Fred Thompson's presidential campaign, observers said. "I think Tennessee will be extremely important to Fred Thompson from a fundraising standpoint, both from a major donor standpoint as well as grass-roots donations," said former U.S. Rep. Van Hilleary, R-Tenn., one of Mr. Thompson's fundraisers. "Fred is widely popular in Tennessee, and it's real important that those of us who are for him try to maximize his fundraising here." Chattanooga businessman Michael Lebovitz, a major fundraiser for President Bush's 2004 campaign and a Thompson supporter called Tennessee "very important." After...

And, the Paulies wept. Duncan Hunter doubled the totals of the next-closest candidate, garnering 534 of approximately 1,400 votes cast. Fred Thompson came in second with 266 votes, and Paul rounded out the top three with 217 votes. Here are all the results: Duncan Hunter: 534 Fred Thompson: 266 Ron Paul: 217 Mike Huckabee: 83 Rudy Giuliani: 78 Mitt Romney: 61 Ray McKinney: 28 John Cox: 10 John McCain: 8 Sam Brownback: 6 Tom Tancredo: 6 Hugh Cort: 3 Thompson had a very good showing, especially considering the Fred Head presence was fairly modest, and there were no campaign surrogates...

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - California congressman Duncan Hunter has won Texas' first Republican Party Straw Poll. Hunter got 534 votes. Former Tennessee senator and actor Fred Thompson came in second with 266 votes, and Texas congressman Ron Paul came in third with 217 votes. The low-turnout event in Fort Wroth lacked the top-tier presidential candidates. Other candidates attending were Chicago businessman John Cox, counterterrorism expert Hugh Cort of Birmingham, Ala., and tool & die maker Ray McKinney of Savannah, Ga. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Senator John McCain, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Governor...

Fred Thompson has been acting like he has all the time in the world to get his campaign going, with his aides and advisers saying they wanted to get a first-class organization humming before the “Law & Order” actor steps out for his close-up. One adviser, seeking to calm down an excitable reporter, even pointed out that “there will be two World Series” before the 2008 election. But in fact Thompson – who plans to travel the country with his family in a luxury bus emblazoned with the words “Security, Unity, Prosperity” -- is in a race against time that...

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...

More than a dozen years after it was credited with helping turn around his first bid for public office, Fred Thompson's old pickup truck sits parked behind his mother's house in this Nashville suburb. The red paint is faded and the tailgate hangs open, but supporters would like nothing more than to see the actor-politician leap back into the bed to make stump speeches in his bid for the White House. The Republican has not yet announced his candidacy _ that's expected next month _ and there's been no word from Thompson's campaign about whether there will be any role...

Fred Thompson has not missed his moment. The frustration that we're supposed to be feeling about his delayed entry into the race is being driven by an impatient media and a base aware that most of the primary events up till now mean little. Thompson's entry, whatever his chances, will be a big event that will overshadow all the summer's trivial twists and turns. Part of Thompson's plan here has to do with the expectations game. Two months ago, Thompson wasn't just another candidate. He was the conservative savior, the Southern-Fried Ronald Reagan. It was an envious position for any...

By MICHAEL COLLINS Scripps Howard News Service Monday, August 20, 2007 He's an actor-turned-politician in the mode of Ronald Reagan, someone who is at ease in front of a camera or a crowd, a man who can charm an audience with a folksy tale or a clever turn of phrase. But is Fred Thompson truly Reaganesque? Reagan was, after all, the Great Communicator, a leader so skilled at connecting with his subjects that he has become the standard by which all would-be presidents are judged. Thompson's admirers, elated over his decision to seek the Republican nomination for president, already are...

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey told the Chattanooga Pachyderm Club on Monday that the nation needs Fred Thompson as president. Lt. Gov. Ramsey said, "I have seen the excitement this man generates when this man walks into a room. There is a void out there just waiting for him to fill the void." He said, "If it's Hillary Clinton versus Fred Thompson, just watch out. We're going to wipe them up." The speaker said Republicans "are just four seats short" of taking over the state House, and he said having former Sen. Thompson on the ticket would help achieve that. He...

A daily round-up of Fred news. All‘....aboard, The Fred Thompson Straight Talk Express Ken Hughes August 18, 2007 That’s a catchy slogan, right? Catchy seems to be what these early days of the presidential campaigning is all about. The media starts every article or commentary with how much money the candidates have, as though the Whitehouse were on the auction block, [maybe it is.] The media and the presidential rivals challenge everything but the issues. Democratic candidates are running against George Bush, [who isn’t running] and Republicans are running against false allegations by the Democrats. These aren’t the things that...