Fred Thompson: Who Dropped the Dime on Cain?

National Review Online ^ | November 3, 2011 | Fred Thompson

[Cincinatus' Wife]

......Days after I got into the presidential race in 2007, I was greeted with a website, “PhoneyFred.org,” described in the media at the time as an “anti Fred Thompson smear site.” You couldn’t really tell who was behind it, but we learned of it from the Democratic National Committee, which made ample use of it. We assumed that they had created it. However, a reporter at the Washington Post (of all people) decided to find out who was behind the site. After a lot of effort, she traced it to an executive of TTS Strategies, a South Carolina consulting firm run by J. Warren Tompkins, one of the most notorious hardball political operatives in the country.

Politicians of opposing campaigns were known to get what was called the “Warren Treatment.” He ran George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign, in which anonymous flyers and telephone calls accused John McCain of fathering an illegitimate child with a black woman.

In 2007, he was running Mitt Romney’s campaign in South Carolina, where Mitt was behind the rest of us in the polls. Of course, when confronted, both Tompkins and Mitt were “shocked” to learn that a rogue employee (who ran Tompkins’s office) was running such a website (out of the office), and the site was taken down immediately. One of the more benign and amusing things the site accused me of was being a “flip flopper.” I kid you not.

This doesn’t mean that Mitt is behind the Herman Cain hit piece. I’d like to think that he — and his extensive staff, many of them with training in the “political dark arts” — has learned....

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Why not Mitt? Take 2 out with one hit.

"I'm running for office for Pete's sake!"

That's -- I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals. [video clip] -- Mitt Romney, GOP presidential debate - October 18, 2011 - Las Vegas, NV

Rudy Giuliani asked Mitt Romney the same question in the 2008 CNN debate that Rick Perry asked him during the CNN 2011 debate -- Mitt lost it both times.

Nov 28, 2008 CNN-YouTube Debate: Sound familiar? [LOOK who interrupts whom!!]

Funny Accent

PDF: Romney's disclosure form [inc. long list of his stock holdings including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] Romney pummels, profits from Fannie, Freddie

And for the Gardasil "innocent little girls" Crowd," Romney holds Stock in Merck & Co.

[evad]

My money’s on Mitt

[catfish1957]

Fred, you broke my heart in 2008. We all know Perry is behind this. CW is in panic mode right now.

[napscoordinator]

I will start. Give me a “P”...P. Give me a “E”....E. Give me a “R”...R. give me a “R”...R. give me a “Y”...Y. What does that spell? PERRY! What? PERRY! Easy to figure this out.

[DannyTN]

Mine too. I remember Romney’s misleading ads about Huckaby.

[LottieDah]

Nope, I think it was Newt. He is defending his friend Herm today. How conveeeeeeeeeeeeeeniet!

[normy]

Is that why Block and Cain are back peddling on their accusations?

[cripplecreek]

Since then, Fred has been pushing the national popular vote and destroyed what little credibility he had left.

[Tennessee Nana]

In 2007, he was running Mitt Romney’s campaign in South Carolina, where Mitt was behind the rest of us in the polls.
_____________________________________________

In 2011, ..... Mitt is behind the rest of them in the polls.

[bigbob]

I wonder - since Mr. Cain has said that this came up in his preparation for the Senate campaign in 2004 - was the issue raised then? Or was he merely preparing to address it if it did?

[palmer]

Good piece, thanks for posting it.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Nope, I think it was Newt. He is defending his friend Herm today. How conveeeeeeeeeeeeeeniet!

Newt needs to keep Herm viable through the cash bar debate in the Woodlands (Houston) this Saturday.

[Servant of the Cross]

Cain camp backs off Perry charge as new payout details emerge

Cain chief-of-staff walks back Perry accusations

[trumandogz]

“He ran George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign, in which anonymous flyers and telephone calls accused John McCain of fathering an illegitimate child with a black woman.”

That is simply not true.

The Bush campaign would not and did not do such a thing.

[Servant of the Cross]

Nope. Never heard of J. Warren Tompkins. Or of this Cain story. hehehe ... did you just pinch my butt?

[magritte]

Dropped the dime on Cain...lol. Guess the Cain folks were unsuccessful keeping this hidden under wraps. I think sunshine is a good thing.

[ASOC]

Don’t forget the obligatory hat tip to the grand-daddy of dirty politics in the modern age - Tricky Dick Nixon.

[catfish1957]

Yeah, I just noticed that on another thread. Truth is we’ve got the three stooges as a choice for GOP this year. Somehow someway, we need to get DeMint or Palin in the race.

[lentulusgracchus]

That's right, CW .... if your guy is the guilty party, then the safest place for you is at the head of the lynch mob, leading the dogs and torches.