Free Republic

Periodically, I get e-mails from supporters of the presidential candidacy of Alpine Rep. Duncan Hunter who express disbelief, befuddlement or fury, or a mix of all three, at my flat contention that he is a populist demagogue and anything but a principled conservative. These folks cannot fathom any talk that he's not free-trade, small-government Ronald Reagan reincarnated. Here's a typical example of Hunterista reaction to my comment that he's been against trade deals that have been important boons to our economy: You're supposed to be a columnist, an informed person. This is not an informed statement. OK. If you don't...

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson — now an all-but-announced candidate for the Republican presidential nomination — amassed a decidedly but not exclusively conservative voting record during his eight-year Senate tenure (1995-2002). Skip to next paragraph Congressional Quarterly News and analysis on CQ.com * CQPolitics.com Daily E-mail * CQ Midday Update from Capitol Hill * Congressional Quarterly Free Newsletters Earlier this year, when Thompson made it clear he was contemplating a 2008 White House bid, CQPolitics.com published a chart and analysis of Thompson’s positions on key votes. The chart, which can be accessed here, compares Thompson’s votes with those of three...