[Federalist Fred]Thompson on his own, 99-1

The St. Petersburg Times ^ | September 12, 2007 | Wes Allison

[NewRomeTacitus]

Whoops - forgot to credit the Army Corps of Engineers in that cooperative effort.

In our cynical era we tend to overlook the modern wonders that some big-government projects accomplished. I think Thompson is trying to strike an even keel between that and where state and local governments should be responsible. That’s refreshing after decades of Administrations convinced that Big Government was the answer to all problems (regardless of Party).

Lord knows that small governments have been so emasculated by this to the extent that they automatically declare some local problems to be under the Federal bailiwick...even while watching their communities and futures deteriorate while waiting for a rescuing cavalry that never arrives. People who won’t address their immediate problems while awaiting help that’s not coming deserve their fate.

[Uriah_lost]

That’s just it, he actually has a definable philosophy! What a revolutionary idea.
It’s not that he’s the only one but he is the first in a long time that has one...and...is not an “also ran” from the start.

[Balke]

If an doctor really believes that an abortion is necessary to save a woman's life, the Hippocratic Oath would compel that his willingness to perform it not depend upon getting paid.

I suspect that you are not really familiar with the Hippocratic Oath, and think that it basically boils down to 'Do no harm.'" No offense, but you would be wrong.

The best Hippocratic argument against abortion lies directly in the text of the Oath:

I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion.

That is a quote that comes directly from the Hippocratic Oath. I have never understood why that clause has never been used against murderous abortion doctors. Sadly, I don't think most conservatives even know it exists.

[Brilliant]

The article was meant to appeal to conservatives, so that it could sow subtle seeds of doubt about Thompson. If they’d laid out what they really think about Thompson, the only people who would read the article would be the Moveon.org types.

[L.N. Smithee]

I'm more and more impressed with Fred Thompson the more I read about his beliefs and philosophy.

Don't play coy. If you were any more in love with him, Jeri would slap a restraining order on you.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

The article was meant to appeal to conservatives, so that it could sow subtle seeds of doubt about Thompson. If they’d laid out what they really think about Thompson, the only people who would read the article would be the Moveon.org types.

You got that right...

We have media provocateurs posing as “conservatives” who are really sleeper cells trying to cram liberalism and liberal candidates down the throats of the GOP voting base.

For the past year, even the so-called “conservative” commentators and columnists have been telling Republicans they need to compromise and nominate a liberal. Now all of the sudden Thompson isn’t conservative enough...

And these same media jackals who are supposedly “conservative” are still trying to cram liberalism down our throats.

[Roses0508]

I lived in TN many years - still have a home there.

I also worked on a contract basis for TVA on and off. You forget they have nuclear power plants also which provide a big percentage of the power they generate.

But more importantly, you forget why TVA was created - only secondarily for flood control (and that mostly for cover). The real reason was to generate enough power to provide for the atom bomb development at Oak Ridge. At that time, TN and the area did not have enough development by a long shot to utilize the power capacity for civilian use. In short, once the focus moved away from Oak Ridge and TVA became a semi-private, semi-governmental agency, it was saddled with an immense debt load from the original start up.

No privately owned power company has ever had to function with the kind of start up debt that was TVA’s to deal with.

I won’t pretend for a minute that TVA is always well managed, but outside of the deveopment of the atom bomb, it brought prosperity to a region that had been desperately poor. Quite frankly, the help from the federal government is only a partial repayment of the startup costs.

Comparing TVA and anything to do with it to other projects or power companies is not a valid comparison. It was and is unique.

Do you really think that Fred Thompson is the only senator in all of history to have worked on some federal help for a home state utility?

[Erik Latranyi]

There is no perfect conservative candidate.

Politics is like sausage-making. It is disgusting and gets everybody involved messy.

Politics is a game with no end, where you try to keep moving the ball in your direction, but nobody ever scores.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

There is no perfect conservative candidate.

But there are some perfect liberals, and I won't be voting for them... in any election...

[seekthetruth]

“I would not believe anything the St. Petersburg Times said.”

I wouldn’t either! I live in St.Pete where we call the Times the St.Pete Pravda!

[jmc813]

Wow! Another Paulestinian for my first post! It’s like I won some lottery from Hell... Your man isn’t even a republican, more of a Cindy Sheehan anti-American peacecreep. I take any negative comment from a Paulbearer as a compliment...

I'm really starting to get the impression that I'm the only weirdo who is a fan of both Thompson and Paul.

[trisham]

Fred bump!

[NewRomeTacitus]

Thanks, Rose, for pointing out the work the TVA accomplished (the Manhattan Project) that allowed at least a million WWII vets to live on to help America defeat an even greater evil.

Now about that canceled Giant Particle Accelerator...

[The Pack Knight]

Reminds me of 2004, when anarchists trashed the state GOP headquarters down the street from me in Raleigh a few days after the election. Nothing else made me feel better about my vote.

Whenever I get riled about something the President does these days, all I have to see is another parade from the hemp underwear crowd to put things in perspective and remind me who the good guys are.

[qman]

The merits of the TVA project of 50 years ago seem to still be dispute on freerepublic.com. I suppose we could tear it dowm as a badly concieved idea but how much would that cost.

Now if your suggesting that government should keep it’s nose out of private interprise, I Agree. Yet if you believe that there is never a time that fereral, state or local government should not override private interprise then we disagree.

There are times when things need to be done even if there is know profit in it at the time.

[traviskicks]

“The merits of the TVA project of 50 years ago seem to still be dispute on freerepublic.com.”

Yes... I have read the responses with interest and, frankly, was a bit surprised at all this defense of the TVA, considering this is a ‘conservative’ forum and all.

The idea that Federal Spending and interference provides a ‘boon’ to blighted areas is, IMO, a question that has long been laid to rest. In fact, if anything, increases in Federal spending distort area economies and over the long run lead to increases in poverty as well as leave the state(s) subject to political interference. The poorest areas of the country, Appalachia, Indian Reservations, and Inner cities, all have in common massive Federal and State spending, which has accomplished little more than subsidizing poverty.

However, even if we accept the premise that government spending can boost standards of living, it still doesn’t justify why this area of the country deserved it over others. Why 3% of the country should, in effect, steal money from the other 97% to enjoy lower electric rates.

I haven’t seen too many studies and analysis on the TVA, perhaps it is too hot of a political football for today’s politicians and think tanks. But, nonetheless, I still believe it was ill conceived, ill managed, and should be privatized and divested of any federal funding and protections.

[ClaireSolt]

All I know is that everyone should visit Tenn. It is a very beautiful state, especially the river. However, it is mostly forest. You just wonder who owns all of the land. Or, to put it another way, you will realize the inconcenient truth of algore and what he’s about.

[NewRomeTacitus]

That “unmerited” 3% happened to be living in area where technology and engineering could reshape one-fifth of this country into a viable producer instead of allowing it to languish in poverty. While the TVA has had its ups and downs it stands along with the interstate highway system and the Western aqueducts as one of the few Federal projects that actually benefited the nation as a whole.

If NASA can be properly directed there’s a ring of asteroids waiting to be mined for valuable materials (should getting mankind off this sole, vulnerable rock overcome shortsighted arrogance one day). We’re losing out right now for giving up on the Texas Super-collider, but the geniuses in Congress thought that money better flushed down the welfare state than advancing/retaining the U.S.’s technological superiority.

Massive projects like these go against my basic grain but the positive results are reaped by all in the long run.

As far as TVA goes, I like considering it fair recompense for the War of Northern Aggression and the stifling travesty labeled Reconstruction.

[JTN]

I'm really starting to get the impression that I'm the only weirdo who is a fan of both Thompson and Paul.

I know you're not the only one. Extremely Extreme Extremist, for example is also a Thompson supporter. Other Paul boosters have spoken well of Thompson.

There is some enmity between the two factions however. That's because there has been a lot of nastiness directed at Ron Paul and FReepers who support him, and by far, the worst offenders have been Thompsonites (though its been only a few of them). In fact, that excerpt posted by traviskicks in comment #2 was actually originally posted by me in response to a Thompsonite who was constantly harping on Paul's earmark requests and calling him a hypocrite. Suffice to say, I wasn't thanked for the information.