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Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson yesterday staked out one of the toughest plans on the campaign trail to curb illegal immigration, trying to reignite the issue among the GOP faithful who rose up in revolt against a more moderate approach in Congress earlier this year. Highlighting what he believes are key vulnerabilities for his main rivals, Thompson called for stripping federal funds from cities and states that do not report illegal immigrants and criticized Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney for allowing so-called sanctuary cities in New York and Massachusetts. The first principle of Thompson's plan is "No Amnesty," a clear...

The Boston Globe’s lead: "The eight Republican candidates for president held a fiery debate last night filled with charges and confrontations about who is a true conservative and "real Republican" as they defended their stands on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and taxes." The Los Angeles Times headlines the Thompson-Giuliani skirmishes. And it adds, "With groans and cheers, more than 3,000 spectators in the convention hall punctuated the scrappy back-and-forth among the candidates." The New York Times: “The debate stood out for the intensity and personal nature of the exchanges, as Republicans tried to distinguish themselves — a tactic...

I'm sure we've all learned many lessons recently on who to elect or not elect. I'm going to start with a few and hope other FReepers add to and expand on the list (don't ask me how I know about these): Never ever compromise with the liberals. Compromise with liberals is a one way street. They win, we lose. I've never seen the liberals compromise with us for less socialism and more freedom. Never ever negotiate for your rights. You already own them. They can't give you any additional rights and any you give up are gone for good. Hold...

Not being in the middle of it all gives me a rather unique advantage. That means I have no one to answer to for my views. I just watch things, and then I talk about them. In other words, this means I don’t have to lie about my biases in order to keep some false sense of objectivity alive for the gullible. In other words, I’m no Chris Matthews. Let me start then with the current batch of presidential hopefuls: Folks - meaning the current Republican candidates - you really need to watch out for Fred Thompson. None of you...

It's pretty clear that Mitt Romney made a big mistake over the weekend when he told voters that he speaks for "the Republican wing of the Republican Party." Romney handed rivals Rudy Giuliani and John McCain the opportunity to remind GOP primary voters about the Old Romney, who was pro-abortion rights and courted gay voters when he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate, then successfully for governor of Massachusetts. That's the Romney, who while debating Sen. Ted Kennedy in 1994, proclaimed: "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." Of course the...

Here's my anonymously sourced, second-hand Fred Thompson story that confirms the conventional wisdom. Takes place at a dinner in Washington last winter. Thompson is sitting next to a Hollywood insider who asks him, Why weren't you interested in being president of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America)? Look, Thompson says. Dick Wolf (creator of "Law and Order") pays me a lot of money to work two days a week. Why would I work for less money and work six days a week? Okay, says the insider, I get that. Then a few weeks later comes the news that Thompson...

Like every great sales pitch, Mitt Romney's case for Mitt Romney is low on the hard sell. At the Sheraton Hotel here one recent morning, the boasting is handled by a former governor of South Carolina, who opens this "Ask Mitt Anything" session with a precis of the candidate's career. This includes academic achievements (Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School "in four years!") and election as governor of Massachusetts in 2002, which is described in a tone befitting a miracle. "He ran for governor in the bluest state of all blue states," says James Edwards, "the bluest state you...

If Fred Thompson is lazy, he sure didn't act it preparing for his first debate. Over two weeks, the former Tennessee senator and his aides held more than half a dozen question-and-answer sessions. Bush's first economic adviser, Larry Lindsey, was involved, as were Vice President Cheney's daughter Liz Cheney and GOP veteran Mary Matalin. There were also two full-blown rehearsals in which Liz Cheney's husband played John McCain, Rep. Adam Putnam stood in for Mitt Romney, and former New York Sen. Al D'Amato played Rudy Giuliani. To add verisimilitude to his character, D'Amato pretended to take a phone call in...

All right, a little grab bag for you here to polish off the highlights. It starts with what J-Pod calls the most “blatant act of obnoxious misbehavior during a debate” he’s ever seen and the long, awkward silence that ensues, then segues into the candidates’ dusting off some prefab zingers as the clock runs out. Fred did well here, especially in parrying Mitt’s “Law & Order” thrust. Like MK says, not a great performance but good enough overall. (VIDEO)

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First impressions are supposed to be 90 percent of politics. If that's the case, Fred Thompson should have a decent shot at the Republican presidential nomination. The impression he created in Tuesday's Republican debate in Detroit wasn't that of a dominant figure or a replica of Ronald Reagan. But he came across as likable, knowledgeable on issues but not wonky, and unexcitable. So Thompson passed the test of whether he could run with the big boys - Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain - in the Republican race. That was the only big thing that happened in the debate....

Fred Thompson has a slight lead over Republican rival Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton has an apparent edge over fellow Democrats John Edwards and Barack Obama in the race in Colorado for the White House, according to a poll released Friday. The Ciruli Associates Poll suggested Thompson had 27 percent support among Republicans to 19 percent for Giuliani and 11 percent for John McCain. Some 29 percent of Democrats said they supported Clinton, compared to 23 percent each for Edwards and Obama, the poll said. Remaining candidates, including Republican Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, were in the single digits. The telephone...

Fred Thompson may be a late comer to the presidential race but he is apparently making up for lost time in Iowa. The latest Des Moines Register poll shows the former Tennessee Senator surging past Rudy Giuliani into second place: Romney, who has campaigned more often in Iowa than his Republican rivals, is the presidential choice of 29 percent of those who say they definitely or probably will attend the leadoff caucuses. Support for the former Massachusetts governor is essentially unchanged from an Iowa Poll taken in May, when he was the top choice of 30 percent. There’s been a...

Public support for Mitt Romney increased dramatically in the Palmetto State, according to a poll by American Research Group. 26 per cent of Republican Party supporters in the South Carolina would vote for the former Massachusetts governor in the 2008 United States presidential primary, up 17 points since August. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is second with 23 per cent, followed by Arizona senator John McCain with 15 per cent, and actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with 10 per cent.

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Conservative evangelical leaders have long openly expressed dismay over the prospect of being forced to choose between two pro-choice presidential candidates. But now, a coalition of evangelicals has gone as far as to threaten to pull their support for the Republican Party if such a candidate is selected for the last stretch of the White House race. Dr. James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family – who recently emerged from a controversy over a private email he sent criticizing Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson – says he and others in the social conservative coalition will not support Rudy Giuliani...

As the phoney "phoney soldier" controversy swirled today --and Rush is in no hurry to end it as it reflects well on him and poorly on Senate Democrats-- Fred Thompson released a statemnt blasting the attack on Rush. Rush was discussing it today, and e-in-box began to fill up with complaints that Mitt Romney had abandoned Rush. I shot off a query to the Romney campaign: What is this all about? Not only did the campaign respond immediately, Governor Romney called the show to discuss the controversy and state that Rush has "got a long record of supporting our soldiers....

For the past nine months, Mitt Romney has had a clear and explicit strategy: win Iowa, win New Hampshire and hope the momentum from those victories would carry him to the Republican nomination. For eight months, that strategy appeared to be working. But there are now signs of trouble in New Hampshire. Romney has experienced a September slide in the Granite State. At the beginning of last month, his standing in New Hampshire hovered around 30 percent. Today, it's closer to 25 percent. Three polls in the past week have recorded a decline in his support, with Rudy Giuliani and...

Now this is an amazing thing if it pans out to be true! Romney has been flooding Iowa with cash, ads, and a large organization. He has expected to come away as a clear cut winner in Iowa by all his expenditures. Yet, with all the money spent by Romney, Thompson — who hasn’t spent a penny in Iowa — is hot on Romney’s tail. This shows several things. 1) Romney’s utter weakness, and 2) Thompson’s obvious strengths. It also shows one more thing: The people of Iowa won’t be bought by a Daddy Warbucks that wants to buy the...

In South Carolina’s Republican Presidential Primary, the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds Fred Thompson leading Rudy Giuliani 24% to 20%. That’s little changed from a month ago when Thompson held a 23% to 21% advantage. Mitt Romney has moved into third place and is now supported by 15% of South Carolina’s Likely Primary Voters while John McCain is barely in double digits at 11% support. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee earns 3% of the South Carolina vote while four other candidates split 5% and 22% are undecided. Sixty-three percent (63%) of the state’s Republican Primary voters say that Giuliani...

NEW YORK – Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani says God is a very important part of his life. "I believe in God. I pray to God, and I pray to Jesus for guidance, help,” Giuliani said in an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network. “I have very, very strong views on religion that come about from having wanted to be a priest when I was younger, having studied theology for four years in college.” The former New York mayor said he feels God’s help when “in crisis and under pressure like Sept. 11, when I was dealing with prostate cancer, or...

Conventional wisdom is hardening around the proposition that Fred Dalton Thompson is too lazy, ill-prepared, tired, old, lackluster, inexperienced, inconsistent and bald to make a successful run for President. Of course, conventional wisdom rarely gets anything right. When it does, it's only by accident. In this case conventional wisdom is not just wrong but comically so. Thompson will win the Republican nomination for two reasons. First, he's a very impressive candidate. Second, there's no realistic alternative. He will win the general election for the same two reasons. Let's start by considering the Thompson's Republican competition. John McCain's candidacy may not...

Earlier this week, former Sen. Fred Thompson met privately in Washington, D.C. with senior members of the Arlington Group, a coalition of social and religious conservatives. The meeting, according to Arlington Group members present, included members who had previously met with Thompson at a private meeting in the spring, prior to Thompson's speech before the Council on National Policy. At the meeting this week Thompson answered questions and discussed his views on social issues, as well as his own faith, for more than an hour. "He's impressive, and a number of us want to help him," says a member of...

The National Rifle Association, which did not endorse President Bush in 2000 and 2004 until just a month before the general election, is considering stepping into the presidential campaign fray early next year during the primary season, the group's chief lobbyist says. While the NRA waited until October in each of the past two presidential election years before endorsing a candidate, the group plans to take a more high-profile role early in the 2008 Republican nomination process. "Historically, we have not gotten involved in primaries. We traditionally wait until after the conventions," said Chris Cox, head lobbyist for the NRA....

Over the past four months, Rasmussen Reports polling has consistently shown Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani holding the top two slots in the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination. During that time, the weekly poll results have shown Thompson’s support ranging from a low of 20% to a high of 28%. Giuliani’s range has been similar, from 19% to 27%. Although Thompson and Giuliani are the frontrunners, both men still have plenty of detractors who say they can’t possibly win the nomination. For the week ending September 23, it’s Thompson 26% and Giuliani 22%. Occupying a precarious niche somewhere between...

There have been so many dismissive or blistering articles about Fred Thompson in recent months, I half expected last weekend to see Larry, Curly or Moe lead a bumbling three-day bus tour through Florida. George Will likens the former Tennessee senator to overhyped New Coke; Robert Novak suggests the late-announcing candidate may have crashed and burned before takeoff; Dick Morris declares him clearly over his head on the campaign trail. These guys need get out of the Beltway for a few days and see what's happening on the ground in places like Florida. They're underestimating hunger among Republicans for an...

After officially declaring his candidacy, U.S. Senator Fred Thompson moves ahead of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the race for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. One-third (32%) of those who say they will vote in a Republican primary or caucus will vote for Thompson while 28 percent will vote for Giuliani. Much further back is John McCain, who continues his downward slide with 11 percent saying they would vote for the Arizona Senator, and 9 percent who say they would vote for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. On the Democratic side, Senator Hillary Clinton continues to build...

The waiting for Fred is over; Harry Cato is on board. Fred Thompson entered the Republican presidential race early this month and was immediately endorsed by Cato, an influential South Carolina state legislator who had been courted by the other candidates. He was taken by Thompson's Tennessee roots and down-home charm. "He reminds me of my granddaddy," Cato said. Cato, a middle-of-the-roader by South Carolina Republican standards, likes Thompson's ideological profile. "He's a conservative," Cato, 49, said while sitting in the office of the trucking-supply company he runs in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. "But I'm not looking for a zealot."...

LAKELAND - Fred Thompson is aiming his campaign at the conservative end of the Republican Party and he's shaking up the Florida presidential primary. Drawing large, excited crowds during his first tour of Florida as a declared candidate last week, Thompson sought to offer Republicans something many feel has been missing in the GOP field - a Reaganesque communicator with the charisma to lift the party out of its deep political hole. But his initial effort also showed rough edges: a reluctance to get specific on issues and an occasionally lackadaisical campaign style that left some wondering whether he can...

Very seldom will I venture a prediction on a major race like president, especially over a year out and with each party having 10 candidates openly vying for their nomination. In addition, it is the most open presidential race in my lifetime. It has been 80 years since a president was not seeking reelection and a sitting vice-president was not seeking to move up. The race is truly wide open. I am going out on a limb and predicting that Fred Thompson will be chosen as the republican nominee for president at their convention this time next year and that...

Governor Romney on the Need for a Federal Marriage Amendment Friday, Sep 14, 2007 Governor Mitt Romney MSNBC's "Morning Joe" September 14, 2007 MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: "Do you support a national constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage?" Governor Romney: "Boy, I sure do. You know, that's a topic that's really, I think, very important to the country because marriage is not just about adults. Marriage is about the development and nurturing of kids, and in my view, the development of a child is enhanced by having a mom and dad. And so, I think it's very important that we have...

You remember Mitt Romney's forceful condemnation of the MoveOn ad, don't you? And Fred Thompson's? And John McCain's? No? Well, they're all here. But you don't remember them, do you? You've probably noticed only one GOP candidate's foot-stamping phony outrage at the ad, because, among the Republican candidates, Rudolph Giuliani owns this issue. He's obsessed with it. Here's the latest: Mr. Giuliani, a Republican presidential candidate, sought -- and received -- space in Friday editions of [The New York Times] for an advertisement in which he praises General Petraeus. Neither the Giuliani campaign nor The Times's advertising department would disclose...

With former Senator Fred Thompson's entry into the presidential race, the Republicans now have at least three candidates who could have the money and votes to compete, if necessary, all the way to June 2008. And they might have to do so. Indeed, when the Republicans meet in Minneapolis-St. Paul in September 2008 to choose their nominee, they might be looking at a brokered convention. Of course, the party has had multiple strong candidates before--in 1980, for instance, and 1988 and even in 2000. But the old schedule of primaries and caucuses was designed to winnow down the field. By...

<p>Yes, Giuliani - the national front-runner for months now - holds close to a five-point lead over former Sen. Fred Thompson in the latest Real Clear Politics averages.</p> <p>But there are big warning signs that make a Giuliani nomination a dubious proposition at best. Look - I'm no disinterested observer. I am an active Democrat and was a polling strategist for President Bill Clinton. But a big part of me would like to see the former mayor win the nomination; I'm a New Yorker, and of all the Republicans, he is most to my liking philosophically.</p>

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) overwhelmingly leads the race of Republican presidential candidates, according to a new nationwide poll of conservatives. But Democrats are calling Thompson's presidential bid "less than stellar." A poll conducted last week of 39,000 conservatives by the grassroots organization Grassfire.org found that conservatives favor Thompson by a greater than 2-to-1 margin over his nearest competitor, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. When asked whom they would vote for if the Republican primary were held today, 28 percent of respondents preferred Thompson. Romney gained 14 percent of the vote -down two percent from May. "It seems conservatives want...

Republican Fred Thompson gained a bump in support after his long-delayed entry in the 2008 presidential race and nearly caught front-runner Rudy Giuliani in two opinion polls released on Tuesday. Thompson, a Hollywood actor and former senator from Tennessee, closed to within a statistically insignificant one percentage point of Giuliani in a new CNN poll after trailing the former New York mayor by seven points in last month's poll. A CBS/New York Times poll showed Thompson climbing to within five percentage points of Giuliani, wiping out much of his 20-point lead from a month ago. Thompson formally entered the race...

From Thompson for President Communications Director Todd Harris. Statement on Romney's South Carolina Cover-Up "Fred Thompson entered the race for president just days ago, talking about uniting our country around a core set of conservative beliefs. According to the Washington Post, it is now clear that while Fred Thompson is working to bring our country together, an increasingly desperate Mitt Romney and his campaign are already hard at work to divide us, practicing the lowest kind of politics. "Today's half-baked cover-up attempt by the Romney campaign does not even pass the laugh test. The Romney campaign has paid Warren Tompkins...

BOSTON - A spokesman for Republican Mitt Romney said Tuesday that the presidential candidate did not approve the creation of a Web site severely critical of the personal and political life of his GOP rival, Fred Thompson. The Web site, PhoneyFred.org, was created by Wesley Donehue, a business partner of Warren Tompkins, a South Carolina political operative on the Romney payroll and Romney's top adviser in the early voting state. The site was created without the knowledge of Tompkins or Romney, said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden. After the campaign received media inquiries about it, Romney aides traced the site to...

Last week Fred Thompson was speaking to a crowd of close to three hundred people at the Music Man Square in Mason City, Iowa, explaining how he accidentally fell into a movie career. In the early 1980s Hollywood producers came to Tennessee to make a film about a famous case Thompson had handled as a young lawyer. "They asked me to play myself," Thompson told the audience in his folksy, Southern drawl, "and I said, well, they can't tell me I'm doing it wrong - although they still did from time to time." The line always gets a big laugh,...

No novices to big time politics, Midlanders are anticipating Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Wednesday appearances but unsure they will support him. The handsome, dark-haired former Massachusetts governor, a high powered Boston private equity investment executive worth $400 million, will not meet skepticism so much for his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Apparently it will be more for his perceived lack of conservative credentials. Notwithstanding his endorsement by Congressman Mike Conaway, who will host a breakfast fundraiser, observers say Romney has changed positions on abortion and other issues to appeal to conservatives, who provide...

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...

While in Texas yesterday, Rudy took a weak swing at Fred's comments on Friday regarding Osama Bin Laden. Without mentioning the former senator and actor by name, Giuliani took umbrage with Thompson’s statement on Friday that 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden is "more symbolism than anything else." “It is just not symbolic,” said Giuliani following a brief reception for about 150 supporters outside the stadium. “If you think its just symbolic, I’m not sure you understand the full depth of Islamic terrorism.” “If you can remove some of that leadership you will see an ability to roll it back,” he...

Governor Mitt Romney Press Conference at Massachusetts State House, June 16, 2005 Gov. Romney answers questions at press conference 6/16/05. (Following the formal announcement of the citizens initiative petition for the constitutional amendment regarding marriage, Gov. Mitt Romney gave a press conference at the State House. MassResistance was there, tape recorded the proceedings, and took the photo at the left. We've highlighted some of the interesting parts of his talk.) Governor Romney (opening statement): It's my understanding that the Massachusetts Family Institute has authored and is proposing an amendment relating to gay marriage. And there are a couple of things...

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...

So now, finally, we have a Fred Thompson presidential candidacy. The new candidate, fresh from his Schwarzeneggeresque announcement on Jay Leno, doesn’t have much patience for those who say he waited too long to get in the race. “I don’t think people are going to say, ‘You know, that guy would make a very good president, but he just didn’t get in soon enough,’” Thompson told Leno Wednesday night — while the other GOP candidates debated in New Hampshire. It’s a good line. But it is, in fact, too late for Thompson to run the kind of conventional candidacy —...

Well, Fred Dalton Thompson finally made it official, on the "Tonight Show" of all places: He's running for president. Though so far it's been more like strolling for president. I like Thompson, but I've been pretty much immune to his cult of personality. It's amazing: Just say "I don't get it" about the man, and some Thompson fans will react like you disputed the wholesomeness of their mother's recreational habits. I still don't really get the hoopla over the guy, but now that he's officially in the race, I'm giving it a try. Until recently, pundits - including yours truly...

GLENN BECK PROGRAM BEGIN TRANSCRIPT GLENN: Welcome to the program. Mayor Giuliani, how are you? GIULIANI: Nice to talk to you. GLENN: Rudy, first of all, loved you in the debate. I saw the polls and people disagree with me. They thought you were talking about New York too much. I personally thought you won the night the other night. I thought you were very clear. The reason why you were talking about New York is you're not hanging your hat on September 11th. You're hanging your hat on all kinds of things. You have vast amounts of experience and...

There were three clear winners tonight: Giuliani, Huckabee and Thompson. And there was one big loser tonight: Romney. Let’s start with the winners: Thompson came out a winner within the first five minutes thanks to the moderator’s opening question about the candidate-to-be’s decision to go on Jay Leno instead of showing up for this debate. The fact that every candidate (including Giuliani, Romney, Huckabee and even McCain) took potshots (a few of which were even a bit cheap) reinforced the idea that the entire Republican field views Thompson as a major candidate, a major threat and one of the frontrunners....

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Former Sen. Fred Thompson took aim at Democrat Hillary Clinton on Thursday as he made a long-delayed entry into the Republican presidential race and immediately took good-natured jabs from rivals. Thompson, 65, a Hollywood actor whose face is familiar to millions of Americans and who has played presidents three times in movies, launched his bid in a video on his Web site, www.Fred08.com, and in an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." After "testing the waters" for six months and twice shaking up his staff, the tall, folksy Tennessean entered the campaign hoping to offer a fresh...