Free Republic

New York City sued the major tobacco companies yesterday to recoup the billions of dollars that Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani said the city has spent to care for people with illnesses caused by smoking. Philip Morris, one of the city's largest and most influential corporations, assailed the lawsuit but said it was not considering shifting jobs from the city.

For months, people have asked me in conversations and on the radio who I think will be the Republican nominee for President of the United States. For months, I’ve been saying that it was highly likely the eventual Republican nominee hadn’t yet made his or her interest public. That may well have changed with the "Draft Fred" campaign to encourage former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson to run for president. Republicans have been going through a process not uncommon in politics. They’ve been looking over the field in the race and wondering if there isn’t a faster horse that has yet...

A majority of respondents to a Crain's online poll agree with columnist Alair Townsend, who wrote in this week's issue that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani doesn't have the temperament to be an effective president. Ms. Townsend wrote that, while she had voted for the former mayor three times, she would not be casting a fourth vote for him, criticizing his "stick-in-your-eye" style. Ms. Townsend said that his strong personality would not translate well when it comes to dealing with international leaders and Congress. About 70% of the 784 respondents to the Crain's poll agree that Mr. Giuliani's...

What a difference a day (or three) can make! In Wednesday's GOPNation.com poll, Fred Thompson took off like gangbusters. But Thursday, Duncan Hunter led with 52%, to 27% for Fred and 4% for Newt, rounding out the top three vote getters. Today, Fred Dalton Thompson has retaken the lead and pulled away from the rest of the pack, with 50% to 31% for Duncan Hunter, with Sam Brownback in third at 4%, followed by Newt at 4% and Rudy rounding out the top five with 3% of the vote. Voting is open through the day today, Sunday, March 18. The...

Fred... Thompson is scheduled to visit Capitol Hill in a few weeks, a trip designed to dovetail with efforts by three well-connected Tennessee friends to line up support for drafting him into a GOP campaign that so far has left many core Republican leaders discouraged. One of those friends, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, has called for a Thompson candidacy in postings on his political action committee's blog. Meanwhile, Howard Baker, another former Senate majority leader who also served as a White House chief of staff under President Reagan, and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) have been recruiting congressional endorsements....