Free Republic

Actor Duvall Blasts Palin Critics at Fundraiser October 14, 2008 8:24 AM ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala Reports: Introducing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at a GOP fundraiser Monday, actor Robert Duvall blasted conservatives who have criticized the McCain-Palin ticket in recent days, calling conservative columnist George Will a "super-nerd" and former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson a "block of wood". At an RNC fundraiser in McLean, VA, Duvall introduced Palin for the third time since her nomination to the Republican ticket, taking the opportunity to accuse Republicans critical of the McCain campaign as giving "credence to the other side." "It bothers me...

(La Crosse, WI company will track health of ground zero workers) Washington - As President Bush's health chief, Tommy Thompson proudly trumpeted millions of taxpayer dollars to help workers sickened by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the World Trade Center, even amid complaints that his agency wasn't doing enough. Now, Thompson's private company has won an $11 million contract to treat some of those same workers - the latest twist in a fitful government effort to determine how many people were made ill by the toxic debris and to care for them. The contract awarded by the U.S. Centers...

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani will pick up the endorsement Friday of former GOP rival Tommy Thompson, a one-time Midwestern state governor. "Rudy Giuliani has shown that he is a true leader. He can and will win the nomination and the presidency. He is America's mayor, and during a period of time of great stress for this country he showed tremendous leadership," Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor, said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. The former New York mayor is to accept the endorsement in South Carolina later Friday. Thompson is the first former 2008 Republican presidential candidate...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani is picking up the endorsement of one-time GOP rival Tommy Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor and Bush Cabinet member. "Rudy Giuliani has shown that he is a true leader," Thompson said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. "He is America's mayor, and during a period of time of great stress for this country he showed tremendous leadership." The former New York mayor is to accept the endorsement in Charleston, S.C., later Friday. Thompson is the first former 2008 Republican presidential candidate to endorse in the race. He dropped out in...

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson is currently meeting Republican presidential candidates with the purpose of determining who will earn his endorsement. Most of the candidates know Thompson well, as he was one of their number until voters in the Iowa Republican straw poll helped him decide to exit the competition in August. And Thompson should know them well as he spent a year trying to figure out how to beat them. As he considers which Republican to endorse, we hope Thompson will think most about himself, not the other candidates. No, we are not counseling self-absorption on the part of...

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved implanting microchips in humans, the manufacturer said it would save lives, letting doctors scan the tiny transponders to access patients' medical records almost instantly. The FDA found "reasonable assurance" the device was safe, and a sub-agency even called it one of 2005's top "innovative technologies." But neither the company nor the regulators publicly mentioned this: A series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had "induced" malignant tumors in some lab mice and rats. "The transponders were the cause of the tumors," said Keith Johnson, a...

<p>I saw it again yesterday. This time on NPR.org. And this time, Ken Rudin was answering a reader’s question – What about a Thompson and Thompson ticket?</p> <p>Most Wisconsinites who bother to offer an opinion on the matter say Tommy is a take-charge guy – certainly not the second-in-line type. And certainly not a guy that sits around for four years looking for something to be important about. What columnist Rudin says is “Some people seem destined to be vice president, or lieutenant governor, or work for Avis. Not Tommy Thompson.”</p>

A liberal blogger has filed a federal complaint against former Sen. Fred Thompson, the actor and unannounced Republican candidate for president, accusing him of violating election laws as he ponders his entry into the race. The blogger, Lane Hudson, submitted his complaint to the Federal Election Commission on Monday saying Thompson has raised far more money than he needs to explore whether to run for president.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson abandoned his long shot bid for the White House late Sunday evening, after he did not meet the expectations he set for himself in the Iowa Republican Party straw poll held one day before. "I want to thank the people of Iowa who were welcoming and supportive as well as my volunteers and contributors from around the country," Thompson said in a statement released by his presidential campaign. "I have no regrets about running. I felt my record as Governor of Wisconsin and Secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed...

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a campaign official said Sunday. His campaign has released a statement saying the Republican is leaving the campaign trail several hours after WITI-TV in Milwaukee reported that Thompson told one of its reporters he was withdrawing from the field. The campaign statement said Thompson intends to take sometime off before returning to the private sector and his nonprofit work. The 65-year-old says he's comforted by the fact that he thinks he made a difference for people during his campaign. He finished...

Duncan Hunter: Ninth place is just the start. The California congressman told CNN’s “Late Edition” that he would continue to campaign in Iowa despite a disappointing performance. “This is the first full week I have spent in Iowa in this campaign,” Hunter said. “I got lots of people who signed up for my campaign. … This is the start of my campaign. We are going to get out, work hard. It is a bright morning in Iowa.”

Tommy Thompson's campaign just released the following statement: Thompson Thanks Supporters, Exits Presidential Race Madison - Saying he has 'no regrets', Governor Tommy Thompson thanked his supporters Saturday night and officially left the campaign trail. "I want to thank the people of Iowa who were welcoming and supportive as well as my volunteers and contributors from around the country," said Thompson. "I have no regrets about running. I felt my record as Governor of Wisconsin and Secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed to serve as President, but I respect the decision of the...

By the time the writing of this sentence is finished, Tommy Thompson should be out of the presidential race. The 67-year-old former Wisconsin Governor and Bush cabinet member had been unusually honest in playing the expectation game before today’s Iowa Straw Poll. “I've said all along that if I don't come in first or second, I'll drop out of the race,'' he reminded the media earlier this week. Well, the votes are now in and tallied, and Mr. Thompson came in sixth. If this does indeed mean death-by-straw-poll for the Thompson effort, it can be considered a mercy killing. His...

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson's campaign signaled tonight that he would end his presidential bid Sunday, a day after his 6th place finish in the Iowa Republican Party's straw poll. Steve Grubbs, his senior national adviser, said a formal statement would be released Sunday. Still, Grubbs made plain that Thompson would call it quits. "The governor said from the beginning that if he didn't do well in the straw poll that it was unlikely that he would continue," he said. "Without a strong finish, it will be next to impossible to raise the money necessary to keep the campaign going...

AMES, Iowa - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won an easy and expected victory in a high-profile Iowa Republican Party Straw Poll on Saturday, claiming nearly twice as many votes as his nearest rival.

MILWAUKEE (AP) - A staffer with Tommy Thompson's presidential campaign says the former Wisconsin governor will make an announcement about his future within the next 48 hours. In the weeks prior to today's Republican straw poll in Iowa, Thompson repeatedly said he'd need to finish in the top two to keep his campaign going. Instead he finished 6th, making it likely that he'll drop his White House bid. He finished with about 1,000 votes, or seven percent of the total. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won with almost 4,500 votes, or about 32%. Thompson campaign spokesman Brian Dumas (DOO'-mas) says...

Republican presidential candidates transformed the campus of Iowa State University into a conservative carnival Saturday, competing for votes by offering free soda and barbecue and a promise of shade for the thousands who braved the 100-degree heat to attend this year's straw poll. The activists came by the busload, more than 30,000 in all, for the first voting of the 2008 presidential campaign. But for many, casting ballots was an afterthought as they made their way past huge stages with live bands, inflatable bouncy rooms for the kids and fair-style booths touting one conservative cause after another. The Iowa Right...

Former Wisconsin Governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services and Republican Presidential Candidate Tommy G. Thompson will be hosting a special Round Table Discussion on U.S. and International Health Care Policy with former Chairman of the World Medical Association Dr. Anders Milton. The luncheon will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 9th and will be held at the Embassy Club, 40th floor, located at 801 Grand in downtown Des Moines.

If you're a SOTT (Supporter of Tommy Thompson), then this is probably the most important email you have ever received from his campaign. Without your help and support this week, Tommy Thompson's campaign cannot go on. Tommy Thompson has made it clear that if he doesn't finish first or second this week in Ames, Iowa at the straw poll, he will not go on in this race. To date he has outworked every other candidate running for president in Iowa. His ideas on ending the war in Iraq, fixing America's ailing health care system and finding a cure for cancer...

The only "Simpsons" series character whose name was changed for the movie was Austrian-born action star Rainer Wolfcastle, who goes by the name of President Schwarzenegger. This is satire, I think. There are nine Republican contenders for president and many more in the party looking for a rock-star candidate. Is it Rudy Giuliani, a.k.a. the Mayor of Terror Town? Mitt Romney, who bears a spooky resemblance to CBS CEO Leslie Moonves? Tom Tancredo or Tommy Thompson, both of whose names would restore alliteration to the White House for the first time since the Reagan era? I woke up early Sunday...

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #4 – Des Moines, Iowa 08/05/07 - Official Discussion Thread ABC News will be conducting a debate to be aired on This Week. The nine announced GOP presidential candidates meet in a campaign debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. George Stephanopoulos is the moderator; Des Moines Register political writer David Yepsen poses additional questions. Debate starts at 8 am CT (9 am ET/ 6 am PT) * check local stations for broadcast time in your area * Candidates participating Sam Brownback Rudy Giuliani Mike Huckabee Duncan Hunter John McCain Mitt Romney Ron Paul Tom...

Thompson served in President Bush’s cabinet as Health and Human Services secretary from 2001-2005. He says that experience impressed upon him the need for good people around the president. That lesson guides his views on who he would like around him in the White House.

Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- It's Ames or bust for former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. The former Bush administration official, who opposes abortion but backs embryonic stem cell research funding, says that a poor showing in the August straw poll could cause him to drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.‘‘It’s the ballgame for me,’’ Thompson said at a weekend meeting with the Johnson County Republican Party. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could win." Thompson said that if he doesn't place first or second in the Ames vote, which polls make it...

Tommy Thompson's campaign announced today it is willing to participate in the CNN/YouTube debate. “We'll answer questions from any American who wants to ask one and that includes one dressed up like a snowman. Mayor Giuliani and Senator McCain seem more interested in finding reasons to pass up opportunities to address Americans than finding opportunities to engage in debate,” said Steve Grubbs, Senior National Advisor for the Thompson Presidential campaign. McCain and Giuliani have expressed reservations about participating in a YouTube debate due to the questions and questioners allowed to participate. “Governor Thompson will visit his 99th county in Iowa...

Thompson wins big in Iowa straw pollCrawford County GOP: County Fair Presidential Straw Poll Results7/27/2007Crawford County Republicans held a Totally Unscientific/Just for Fun GOP 2008 Presidential Straw Poll at their Crawford County Republican Fair Booth July 19-22, 2007. Ten names were listed on the ballot, including one yet undeclared GOP presidential candidate. Results over the four days were as follows:34 Tommy Thompson, Wisconsin25 Mitt Romney, Massachusetts17 Fred Thompson, Tennessee15 Rudy Giuliani, New York10 Tom Tancredo, Colorado9 John McCain, Arizona3 Sam Brownback, Kansas1 John Cox, Illinois1 Mike Huckabee, Arkansas0 Duncan Hunter, CaliforniaThe Official Republican Party of Iowa Straw Poll will be...

Iowa Christian Alliance, formerly known as Christian Coalition of Iowa, is pleased to host 2008 Presidential candidate, Hon. Tommy Thompson, at its Clive house party on Tuesday, July 31 from 5:30-7:30 P.M. The event, which will take place at the home of hosts Jeff and Melissa Jochims, will provide Des Moines area activists an opportunity to meet Hon. Thompson and become familiar with his policy positions. “We are thrilled that Hon. Thompson has accepted our invitation to introduce himself to ICA supporters and let us know where he stands on the issues that face our nation,” stated Steve Scheffler, ICA’s...

Duncan Hunter decided, months after other campaigns started making pushes in Iowa, that he should do the same. From a press release we received today: Get Ready Iowans…Here Comes Duncan(Des Moines, Iowa)…Duncan Hunter’s Presidential campaign has officially begun in Iowa with the announcement of a statewide director during his campaign swing through in Iowa this weekend (July 21-23) with a myriad of personal appearances at the state’s various county fairs. He will also be hosting a personal “Donuts with Duncan� early morning gathering in Sioux City, and then will be attending the services at two of the city’s churches.Patrick R....

The Iowa straw poll is just a little more than three weeks away. And, republican Tommy Thompson says it's a "make or break" for his campaign. During a campaign tour through Siouxland, Thursday, the former Wisconsin governor says his performance in the straw poll will determine whether he stays in the race for the White House. By August 11th, Thompson promises to visit all 99 counties in the Hawkeye State, by an ethanol-fueled Winnebago. He's got 27 left to go. Thompson believes his "common sense tour," has helped him inch closer to the top candidates, but he says the straw...

Monday, July 16, 2007 Thompson responds to Moore in press release Thompson Responds to Sicko's Michael Moore Hampton, Iowa – Tuesday night on Larry King Live, Michael Moore attacked Dr. Sanjay Gupta's statistics saying they were tainted because they came from Dr. Paul Keckley, a medical statistics researcher who is the executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Moore also said they were tainted because former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson is the independent chairman for the center. "Paul Keckley is one of the most forthright and capable researchers in America today. His background is...

Today, Tommy Thompson's Presidential campaign began airing a new sixty second radio ad focused on Governor Thompson's plan for real immigration reform. In the advertisement, Governor Thompson outlines his common sense plan to address immigration. First, Governor Thompson opposes any legislation that creates amnesty for illegal aliens. "We must support the rule of law in our country. People who are found to be in the country illegally should be returned to their home countries and should have to wait at the end of the line, behind people who are seeking to enter the country or become citizens legally," said Thompson....

Hi everyone! Hope you all had an enjoyable Fourth of July. If you are in the area, please join Tommy Thompson at one of these events open to the public. Invite your friends and families to come meet Gov. Thompson and learn about the campaign. 7/7/07 8:30 AM Coffee & Rolls with Tommy Thompson 2nd St. Emporium 615 - 2nd St. Webster City, Iowa 7/7/07 10:00 AM Coffee & Rolls with Tommy Thompson Webster Co. GOP Headquarters 900 Central Ave. Fort Dodge, Iowa 7/7/07 12:00 PM Presidential Party at the Pizza Ranch Pizza Ranch 211 N. Main St. Pocahontas,...

Tommy Thompson Wins Linn County Straw Poll Former Wisconsin Governor and Republican presidential candidate, Tommy Thompson won the Linn County Straw Poll held today at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Governor Tommy Thompson won with 33% of the vote. All Republican presidential candidates were included in the straw poll. [NOTE: This includes the unannonced candidate Fred Thompson, who received 2.7% of vote amoung Linn County Republicans] "Linn County is Iowa's second largest county and is traditionally a bellwether county. Today's victory reflects the strong grassroots campaign that Governor Thompson is building in Iowa," said Chad Olsen, Iowa campaign...

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials invited all Republican presidential hopefuls to its annual convention at Disney World in Buena Vista, Fla. Only one showed up — Rep. Duncan Hunter, of California. A grateful audience gave Hunter a standing ovation Friday and some convention goers posed for snapshots with the congressman after his question and answer session. Standing at the lone candidate podium which was decorated in red, white and blue, Hunter was asked about his plan to fix the nation’s immigration system. “We need to build the fence and build it quickly,” he said. An 854-foot...

GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul has been excluded from an upcoming political forum in Iowa on the grounds that he is not a "credible” candidate. The event, sponsored by Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance, is set for June 30 in Des Moines. GOP candidates who will speak at the forum include Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Tommy Thompson and Tom Tancredo. But Paul, a Texas congressman, was left out because the invitation went only to those candidates who are "credible,” said Ed Failor Jr., vice president of Iowans for Tax Relief. "To plan...

Thompson: Iraqi Violence Increasing, My Plan Must Be Implemented QuicklyCalls on Romney to get off the fence and support the Thompson plan.(Washington, D.C.) – Saying the bombings this week of the Shiite shrine and the three Sunni Mosques is evidence that a military solution is not in sight, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson called on the Bush Administration and Iraqi leaders to move aggressively to divide the country into eighteen regional governments with democratically-elected leaders and autonomous decision making. “The sectarian violence in Iraq is threatening to completely destabilize the country. It's becoming increasingly clear that a military solution is...

Former Sen. Fred Thompson still hasn't formally entered the presidential race, but he's already posing a serious threat to some of his potential GOP rivals. The Washington Post reports the likelihood of a Thompson candidacy is pulling major donors away from Sen. John McCain's already struggling campaign. While Thompson is trying to woo conservatives who may be unsatisfied with GOP triumvirate of Giuliani, Romney and McCain, he "appears to present the most challenges for McCain," says the Post. As Thompson "builds his team of major fundraisers … the challenge for McCain will be to collect the millions of dollars necessary...

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #3 - Manchester, New Hampshire 06/05/07 - Official Discussion Thread WMUR-TV, CNN, and the New Hampshire Union Leader will host a Republican debate in Manchester, New Hampshire on the campus of Saint Anselm College. Moderated by Wolf Blitzer. Debate begins at 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. PDT) and will last two hours. Sam Brownback Jim Gilmore Rudy Giuliani Mike Huckabee Duncan Hunter John McCain Mitt Romney Ron Paul Tom Tancredo Tommy Thompson Watch live video including complete coverage of the Republican debate on CNN.com

Governor Thompson Denounces Senate Immigration Compromise For Immediate Release May 18, 2007 Contact: Tony Jewell, 202-530-4510 media@tommy2008.com Statement by Governor Tommy G. Thompson on Immigration Compromise in the Senate: “Any legislation that provides amnesty to the estimated 12 million illegal aliens currently living in the United States is the wrong path for our country. You can call it anything you want, but this compromise has the look and feel of amnesty. The Senate should set this compromise aside and start by recognizing that there will be NO amnesty or benefit to anyone who broke our laws to enter this...

If you don’t know who Tommy Thompson is, don’t feel uninformed. He doesn’t rate the media coverage of really important people like Paris Hilton. Like many others, Mr. Thompson is running for president. His background is not unimpressive. He served as Wisconsin’s governor for an unprecedented four terms. He also ran, with a budget of over half a trillion dollars, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gov. Thompson’s race for the Republican nomination hasn’t caught fire. Fundraising is a problem. Still, in a season where even unannounced candidates qualify as first-tier, his candidacy, theoretically at least, could yet...

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...

Three top Republican presidential contenders took fire from their second-tier rivals and traded digs on Tuesday, with Rudolph Giuliani defending his abortion rights support and John McCain and Mitt Romney trying to burnish their conservative credentials. In the second debate in two weeks between the 10 men vying for the 2008 Republican nomination, Giuliani, McCain and Romney -- "Rudy McRomney" to their detractors -- tried to ease doubts among conservatives about their records. The 90-minute session in conservative South Carolina featured a sharp exchange between front-runner Giuliani and longshot Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who said America's Middle East policies...

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #2 – Columbia, South Carolina 05/15/07 - Official Discussion Thread Watch live coverage of the First-in-the-South Republican Party Presidential Candidate debate on FOX News Channel and FOXNews.com on Tuesday, May 15, at 9 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. PDT). Sam Brownback Jim Gilmore Rudy Giuliani Mike Huckabee Duncan Hunter John McCain Mitt Romney Ron Paul Tom Tancredo Tommy Thompson The 90-minute debate will air from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET (6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) and will be moderated by "Special Report" anchor Brit Hume. Questions will be posed by two panelists — "FOX News Sunday"...

Ten Republican presidential candidates will gather in South Carolina tonight for their second debate of the month, with much of the focus likely to be on former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and his continuing effort to extricate himself from a controversy over his position on abortion. Giuliani, the putative front-runner for the GOP nomination, has struggled for the past two weeks after declaring at the first GOP debate in California that it would be "okay" if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide, but then added that it would also be...

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. - Tommy Thompson cited a dead hearing aid and an urgent need to use the bathroom in explaining on Saturday why he said at a GOP presidential debate that an employer should be allowed to fire a gay worker. Speaking to reporters after giving an address at the state GOP convention, Thompson also said he was suffering from the flu and bronchitis and had been admitted to a hospital emergency room three days prior to the May 3 debate. "Nobody knows that," Thompson said. "I've been very sick. ... I was very sick the day of the...

John McCain bounced back in the first Republican presidential debate and breathed new life into his faltering candidacy. His answers were strong: he faced the camera squarely, and scored big with his circa-2000 attacks on pork spending and special interests. He was both passionate and articulate. His sole bad moment came with his fumbling answer about why he opposed the Bush tax cuts. But for a candidate who seemed to have lost his way, McCain did very, very well. That said, there was a major bias in the debate. MSNBC and Politico deliberately marginalized Giuliani and steered far too many...

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #1 – Reagan Library 05/03/07 - Official Discussion Thread Sam Brownback Jim Gilmore Rudy Giuliani Mike Huckabee Duncan Hunter John McCain Mitt Romney Ron Paul Tom Tancredo Tommy Thompson The debate will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and will air live on MSNBC from 8:00 to 9:30 pm (ET) and stream live on MSNBC.com and politico.com and will include audience questions gathered on politico.com.

A Saturday fundraising banquet that attracted about 1,000 Republican Party faithful served as a sort of appetizer for what will happen when thousands more in the GOP swarm inside and outside of a campus sports arena for the Iowa Straw Poll in August. "It's a Straw Poll warm-up," Chuck Laudner, executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa, said of Saturday's festivities in Des Moines. Nine Republican presidential hopefuls spoke to Saturday's crowd, each of whom paid $75 for a pork loin dinner and the chance to sit and listen to the candidates speak. Nine months from now, the 2008...

WASHINGTON - Former Wisconsin governor and Republican presidential hopeful Tommy Thompson told Jewish activists Monday that making money is "part of the Jewish tradition," and something that he applauded. Speaking to an audience at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington D.C., Thompson said that, "I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that."

Presidential candidate Tommy Thompson said Wednesday that he wants the Iraqi government to vote on whether the U.S. should keep its troops there. "I'm confident they will, but . . . if they do vote no - they don't want us there - we should get out," Thompson said, drawing applause. Thompson, who was health and human services secretary during President Bush's first term, made the comment during his first formal presidential campaign stop in his home state. He formally announced Sunday on "This Week" on ABC that he is seeking the Republican nomination for president. Thompson described himself as...

The big problem in finding a conservative challenger to run for the GOP nomination is not the absence of a genuine constituency, nor is it even enthusiasm for ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Right-wingers who would pass the litmus test — guys like former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, California Rep. Duncan Hunter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, or even ex-Tennessee Sen. and famous actor Fred Thompson — face the need to climb over the political corpses of former Speaker New Gingrich (Ga.) and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to...