Yikes!

Hey folks, here's the scoop. Major problems with email, and hours on the phone with Microsoft support. It's taking up lots...lots....of time. And I leave for five days of camping with my son tomorrow morning.

The long and short...

Microsoft says they'll call tonight at nine. It may get fixed, it may not. I'm back on the fifth.

In the meantime... Fred may announce around the fourth, although I've heard it may be pushed back until the second or third week of July.

Until I get the issue fixed, I'm in limbo. Stay in touch, and email (yeah, right) with updates. See ya soon, and thanks for the continued support.

ACYIFTC

Stay true to your school.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19263100/site/newsweek/

Newsweek is out with commentary on Fred. As Glenn Reynold's says, read the whole thing.

I'll add my two cents on the main bits.

Georgette Mosbacher, and Fred the bachelor.

I'd lament missing a trip with Georgette Mosbacher, too. She's smart, savvy, connected, and wealthy. Europe with her. Ten out of ten. Newsweek's point?

Cigars and Clinton

The cigar reference is, to me, an equivocal statement, and can be read to be either supportive of Clinton and a gentle ribbing, or needling of Clinton and a gentle ribbing. I understand that not every conversation or attitude needs to be vitriolic. Attorneys do it all the time. One can have an acerbic presence in the courtroom, and still remain congenial in the hallway and in correspondence.

Fred's archives at the University of Tennessee

I'm glad Fred's records and correspondence are open for review. Today's candidates run from their history. I don't know, and I bet neither does Newsweek, if Fred believed that, "he had forever traded Washington for Hollywood when he agreed to put his eight years of Senate records, including personal correspondence, in a public archive at the University of Tennessee."

Of course, the implication is that this was somehow a tactical error, since any smart candidate would have withheld the records from public review. (Get it? It's smarter, and more politically savvy to hide your personal record from the people who have the most interest in reading them. We wouldn't want any of those pesky constituents learning the truth and making informed decisions.) I'm not so sure The Fourth Estate wishes to endorse secrecy, but by inference, they sure seem to.

Abortion

I don't see inconsistency in Fred's prior statements. See his most recent statement, below. (Straight Shooter http://fredthompsonscourt.blogspot.com/2007/06/straight-shooter.html)
Formerly, he has endorsed the rule of law, while disagreeing with the rationale. Upholding the law while not agreeing with it is not inconsistent, it's a belief in the system and the rule of law. I think not calling for anarchy is a good thing. I've always felt the logic of Roe v. Wade was squishy, and even more so today with advances in neonatal care. (Really, explain the nuance of trimester calculation and the medical intervention based upon that, and we can have a discussion or three.) I'm not sure who Fred's "opponents" are on this issue. Is it the Right to Lifers? The Pro-Choicers? Fred states he disagrees with abortion, upholds the law and seeks a political and legal solution to the issue. Is there a there, there?

McCain-Feingold

Fred led the investigation into campaign fund-raising abuses. As a former prosecutor, he did what a good former prosecutor should do, and that is, follow the evidence. So he does, and sees some untoward things by Democrats AND Republicans, and has the audacity to pursue it, and earns the enmity of his party machine, and gets bitten by the ego of Trent Lott. And now after seeing the results of this reform, Fred thinks there could be some tweaking. The result? He's being criticized by both sides of the aisle for his change of mind. I guess Congress just hates new learning curves. Once you get the money and power thing down, any change to that machine just cuts into the bottom line.

Stay true to your school, Fred, you're doing just fine.

Talk amongst yourselves.

The Fred Thompson Report on the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Just yesterday, CAIR released a report on anti-Muslim bias incidents in the US.

Agenda?

http://abcradionetworks.com/article.asp?id=427045&SPID=15663

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-cair_20jun20,1,4898266.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorthshore-hed

No Big Whoop.

Michael Bloomberg. Ken Livingstone. NYC. London.

What flies in the city, probably won't fly in the country.

What do you get with a few billion? A Nanny State of trans-fat bans, smoking bans, congestion pricing, private gun stings, and property tax rebate gimmicks to name just a few. As an added bonus, it's delivered with a whiny, patronizing tone!

Self-aggrandizement is one thing; governing is another.

Not to fear.

Welcome.

Hello to my fellow Town Committee members. Browse, comment, pass along.

Thanks!

Yup.

Fred at 28%.

One up over Rudy, and statistically insignificant, except....

he ain't runnin' yet.

Very Nice!

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/2008_republican_presidential_primary

From London on Heroes

From London on Maggie

From London on Iraq

From London on Iran

Speaking of Foreign Policy...

Two very disturbing stories, this morning.


Suicide Bomb Teams Sent to U.S., Europe
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/06/exclusive_suici.html



Muslim fury grows over Rushdie knighthood
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=462779&in_page_id=1811&ct=5

Fred to meet Maggie

From The Politico...

"Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator who is expected to announce next month he is running for president, flew to London on Monday to meet Margaret Thatcher and deliver a foreign policy speech, his advisers tell The Politico."

"On Wednesday, he will pose for photos with Thatcher, which his advisers hope will enhance his support among devotees of former President Ronald Reagan.
Thompson will deliver the foreign policy speech, "Strengthening the Transatlantic Alliance," on Tuesday at the Policy Exchange, a conservative think tank based in London."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0607/4528.html

America Decided....America. Decided.

"America decided as a nation to free Iraq and the region from Saddam Hussein's tyranny. "

http://abcradionetworks.com/article.asp?id=425306&SPID=15663

Straight Shooter

I had the pleasure of meeting Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan a number of years ago. He spoke at a conference I attended. He had the same forthright manner that Fred does, and it's good to hear his name invoked. Moynihan, too, was a straight shooter.

To the pundits that are clamoring for historical inconsistency....sorry.

Enter Stage Right

Bruce Walker sticks to his guns, in "Why the next Reagan?"

"...the Battleground Poll, the most respected and accurate of all bi-partisan polls, which reveals the internals of the poll to the public, has consistently shown in eight consecutive polls spread out by many months or years since 2002 that about sixty percent of the American people consider themselves "conservative" or "very conservative." This poll explicitly gives the responders the option of choosing, instead, to be considered a "moderate," "liberal," "very liberal," or "don't know." Six out of ten Americans, in every single Battleground Poll over the last seven years, have rejected being considered a "moderate" or "don't know" or "liberal" or "very liberal" and have instead called themselves "conservative" or "very conservative." The last poll, in January 2007, showed exactly the same ideological division in America."

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0607/0607nextreagan.htm

See also, the earlier, "The Next Reagan?"
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/01/25/the-next-reagan/

And the penultimate, "Yes, the next Reagan."

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0307/0307nextreagan.htm

TV Star is Media Savvy! I'm shocked. Shocked!

Quick blurb that Fred knows how to use multimedia, and will use the net to good effect.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/news-desk/2007/6/15/fred-thompson-goes-multimedia.html

Although calling John McCain's website, a "...“depressing” campaign site for its considerable use of black in its background." is a little harsh. The only black is in the banner, and besides, I'm obviously partial to the seriousness of it all.

Light and airy? Colorful? Nah. We're serious about stuff.

Banning Dave Barry

Fred on academic free speech.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/FredThompson/2007/06/15/banning_dave_barry&Comments=true

Fifteen minutes of Fred

Train those nurses!

I've got a friend named Jen, who recently got her RN degree. She's a vet, and a tough, smart kid. Jen's friendship grew me. Here's hoping Jen's knowledge grows us. Knowing Jen...it will.

Listen to Fred, and hist take on A Prescription for the Nursing Shortage.

Go here,

http://abcradionetworks.com/article.asp?id=423204&SPID=15663

or click The Fred Thompson Report Audio in the lower right links.

You'd think NBC would want the plug...

A link to a heavily edited version of the Leno appearance. Good enough for the good bits.

http://en.sevenload.com/videos/afdERg9/fredtts

Give it a go.

Donation Widget

Hey!

The donation widget is up! Thanks to the I'mwithFred techies for creating a few different versions.

Donate early and often, please.

Now you see it, now you don't

Update on the below video...

NBC has requested the removal from YouTube citing a copyright violation. I'm hopeful that NBC will post it, and I can link it again.

Thanks for your patience.

The Tonight Show June 12, 2007

The dice are rolling, the knives are out

From The Politico, likely avenues of attack when they come. Opposition research is huge. Count on it.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0607/4470.html

Bonus points awarded for figuring out the reference in the post's title.

No Rush

I did get to watch The Tonight Show appearance, although I didn't take notes, as during the Hannity and Colmes appearance. I'll search for a video, which I'm sure will appear somewhere, shortly.

Overall, I thought Fred did a good job of showing how amiable and forthright he is. He's easy in conversation, and doesn't lecture, like so many other candidates do.

No big surprises, nor announcements. I have seen criticism this morning regarding his lack of specifics, but I think that's a good move.

I cannot reiterate this enough. We're sixteen months away from the election. Fred's coyness keeps his name in the news, and allows the other candidates to distract themselves with the others in this feeding frenzy. We've got plenty of time to detail plans, gather money, and run an efficient campaign. Never before, and I repeat, never have we been in this early campaign cycle.

Patience. Planning.

Be there, or be square.

Do. Not. Forget.

Fred.
Jay.
11:30pm. EDT
Tonight Show.

Be there, or be square.

Alpha Male and Earth tones

One of the things that attracts me to Fred, is commentary like this.

His background--in small town America, in the South, in the law, in politics--is something that might convince potential Thompson supporters that (despite years as a TV and movie star) he is just like them. But Thompson evidently believes his experiences so inform his views that his policy advisers have to understand that background in order to understand him.

What a great article by Stephen Hayes of The Weekly Standard. If you have any inclination to see how sausage is made, check out The Zero-to-60 Thompson Run at http://news.yahoo.com/s/weeklystandard/20070611/cm_weeklystandard/thezeroto60thompsonrun. There's good detail of what makes a campaign.

But most refreshing is the honesty. Fred isn't hiding from his history; he's embracing it. His comments are forthright. It's not spin and it's not a transformation.

It's Fred informing his spinmeisters about where he's from, not the other way 'round.

That's a refreshing alternative to poll driven, media directed campaigns that create all form, and no substance.

Woof, Al Gore. Woof.

Press the Flesh

"To think that technology can replace toil and sweat is, at the least, naive, if not delusional."

A very good article from Sound Politics that looks at a Thompson campaign. While I think we've go some time, in that the election is still sixteen months out, one can't ignore the fundraising numbers.

http://soundpolitics.com/archives/008730.html

Reagan Deprivation?

Ya know, I used to love George Will. His writings were erudite, wry, and hopeful. Not only was he adept at politics, but his love of baseball was evident, and wholesome.

What on earth happened?

This article, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19140623/site/newsweek/, On Tulips and Fred Thompson, is a bitter rant, making fun of the man for his past, and now his ideas. More importantly, he chides me, a Thompson supporter.

Take this...

Some say he is the Republicans' Rorschach test: They all see in him what they crave. Or he might be the Republicans' dot-com bubble, the result of restless political investors seeking value that the untutored eye might not discern and that might be difficult to quantify but which the investors are sure must be there, somewhere, somehow.

So I can understand who I am... let's dissect.

He's what I crave. He's a dot-com bubble. (Yeah, Baby!) I'm a restless political investor, with an untutored eye (oh wait...on second read, I'm tutored,) unable to discern value while difficultly quantifying something, somewhere, somehow!

I probably even like puppies, long walks on the beach... You get the idea.

I'm so confused, you know, bein' untutored/tutored/restless, and all. I betchya I even like long, slow, deep, soft, wet, kisses that last for three days. You know, just like Kevin Costner, in Bull Durham, a movie about baseball, a topic that previously interested George. http://www.amazon.com/Men-at-Work-Craft-Baseball/dp/0785773312/ref=sr_1_1/105-9821301-8846045?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181440269&sr=1-1

Here's what I really crave: Let's keep George's baseball and Fred's intentions separate. (It does justice to the both of them. And it lessens the slight of men I respect and admire.)

Let's focus on the ISSUES.

Batter up.

Weedwhackers and Fred

Here's a completely unrelated post on the state of Ryobi weed whackers.

I owned a nice Poulon weed whacker for eleven years. It worked fine, until it died. But I must admit, for the eleven years I owned, and really worked it, it was a fine machine. I had no complaints. Ever. Pleasant. Reliable. Clean the plug and filter, fresh gas, and away she went.

Fast forward.

When the Poulon died in 2006, I went and bought a Ryobi whacker. It was one of those cool ones, where you switch the bottom piece thingy for weed whacking, blowing, edging, etc. Home Depot had a reasonable deal, so what the heck.

Big Mistake.

Ready? Here's my complaint...

For starters, Ryobi should design a product that works without causing a chiropractic dream. Either you're bending over to cut the weeds, and hence, KILLING you back, or you're weed whacking your ankles. I know, you'll say I just don't know how to adjust the strap. I've got news for you...I can figure it out, and no combination makes this comfortable.

The muffler sits right under one's right forearm. The good thing is you get a nice red burn mark on your right forearm, and it's bothersome when you're using the tool. The good news? Oh, there is none. This design is horrible! The Poulon...never an issue.

Changing the line? If you've got a degree in mechanical engineering, it's a snap. Otherwise, use a special tool to unlock the spool, wrap the line in opposite directions, depress the spring, thread the lines through opposite sides of the housing, secure the reverse threaded spool, etc., etc., etc.. My god...what a waste of time, effort, and thought. Now that I know better, almost everyone has a more efficient system.

And when you mix the appropriate oil/gas mixture, rest assured that it will run too rich, and you'll need to restart the engine every five minutes, or earlier, if you tip the engine anymore than two degrees from horizontal. Oh, and forget about running it on Run. Half choke is the best you'll do, so count on dogged power, to the point that some dandelions stall the motor.

All in all......Shame on you! But really, shame on me. I'll spread the good news to all my friends.

Ryobi? Never. Again.

Just too much work for the product. Poulon, where art thou? Or really, where are me?

And lastly, this has nothing to do with Fred; I just thought I had the venue, and I'd kvetch!

Nothing to see here, people. Move along.

This is just silly. It's supposed to intimate that Fred may have some sort of ethical problem for "endorsing" a company, whose principal had problems with the FTC more than a decade ago. Fred's connection to the company conists of a voiceover for a radio ad.

According to Thompson spokesman, Mark Corallo, ABC Radio hosts promote corporate sponsors, as part of their gig. "It's part of the contract," Corallo said. "You can't expect the individual on-air personality to do research on every company."

'Nuff said. But the LA Times manages to squeeze an entire article out of it. While it traces Maynard's history of regulatory problems, the only connection to Fred is the ad.

Title and teaser of the article?

An awkward ad by Fred Thompson
He promotes the firm of a man once accused of deceiving consumers.

And this passes as news, folks.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lifelock9jun09,1,4822141.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true

Ahem.

According to the Thompson campaign, these are the results of the first 48 hours since they launched imwithfred.com and announced it on "Hannity & Colmes" after the GOP debate:
In 48 hours since the Web site launch (with no paid advertising, or pre-oorganized push by donor operation):
29,463 registered supporters
$352,323.00 in donations
3,360 contributorsOr: $7,340 an hour.

http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2007/06/thompson-web-fundraising-results.html

Jay Leno: “Well, they’re saying it’s just a matter of time before former senator and ‘Law & Order’ actor Fred Thompson gets into the Republican race. Apparently, ten rich white guys doesn’t offer enough choice to the voters. They need 11 rich white guys.”

...this one could be a mean 'un.

A well written article on the slant against Fred by some in the MSM.

"...it seems likely the MSM will delight in trying to paint Thompson as a faux Reagan..."

http://www.americandaily.com/article/19145

Widget.

I'm trying to get past a technical issue with adding the I'm With Fred donation widget to the website. I'll keep you posted. And thanks for your patience.

Well, duh.

The four suspects in an alleged terror plot to bomb a New York airport were set up in an elaborate plan by the US Republican party to retain hold of the White House, the daughter of an arrested suspect has claimed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1944000.htm

Unknown, my eye.

Quinnipiac Poll.

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, undeclared and still largely unknown in the 2008 presidential race, has moved into second place among Florida Republicans, passing Arizona Sen. John McCain, and trailing New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic leader, by 3 percentage points, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1297.xml?ReleaseID=1074

A friend of Israel

The Town Hall editorial, Living in Terror (http://www.townhall.com/columnists/FredThompson/2007/05/30/living_in_terror) set the tone on Fred's thoughts regarding Israel and the Palestinians.

“Israel is at war,” Thompson wrote for the conservative website Townhall.com. And the Jewish state has gone to “incredible lengths to stop the war against them without harming Palestinian non-combatants.”

Now Fred will reportedly take his support for Israel one step further. According to Israel Today, he's off for a visit there sometime soon. http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=12993

While most candidates parse themselves into linguistic contortions over the Middle East, it's refreshing to see this candor.

Yessir. I'm seein' a trend alright.

Lycos has released their list of the 50 most popular Internet search results for the week ending June 1, 2007.

The top ten biggest movers and shakers for the week ending June 1,2007 were:

1. Fred Thompson 1100 %
2. David Blaine 1100 %
3. Father's Day 209 %
4. Keith Richards 200 %
5. Pirate Bay 200 %
6. Sarah Silverman 157 %
7. FIFA 117 %
8. MySpace 97 %
9. Lindsay Lohan 82 %
10. Katharine McPhee

http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/06/06/lycos-popular-internet-searches

Yawn.

There does seem to be a concerted effort to paint Fred as either “lazy,” or a “less than hard worker.” Stories touting that line have appeared in Newsweek, Time, CBS, and US News and World Report to name a few. Of course, it’s been further moved along by the wire services and the web. (Next stop... fact!)

But let’s be fair. In a reasonable answer to previous mention of the subject, Fred responded in 1998 by saying, "I don't like spending 14- and 16-hour days voting on 'sense of the Senate' resolutions on irrelevant matters."

That sits right with me. There is a lot of posturing that leads to nothing, and sixteen hours of doing nothing just creates a really good nothing. I’m reminded of the empty chamber speeches broadcast on C-Span, wherein it’s all fire and brimstone…. to an empty house. A great photo op, to be sure, just not so great for democracy.

And really, it’s not like Congress is getting anything done at all, regardless of the day’s length. I’d take a few hours less if we could solve some of the issues we put them there to solve in the first place.

Nice.

Pew Research. Charts and data.

"...37% of the Republican and Republican-leaning voters who have heard of Thompson say there is a "good chance" they will support him. "

And check out the numbers v. Giuliani. Wow! For a candidate not even in the race, that's amazing!

Top issue on the Right? Terrorism. On the Left? Health care.

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=334

Hannity and Colmes appearance

Okay, so I didn't get to watch it real time. I've got a wife of 29 years who was dead set on watching the missed episode of last Sunday's Soprano's. Capice?

But I watched it on the Foxnews.com website. It's in three parts and I've linked them below.

In a nutshell, this is what I took away from the interview.

Major issues?
Iraq - no one is looking to the day after Iraq. I don't think the American people are being apprised of how serious the threat against us is.
Globalization - millions competing against us, and people are raising protectionism. We need to discuss it.
Taxes - currently out of step
Aging / Medical care / Social Security - all will be lost unless we deal with the issue.

It's not about sound bites and applause lines. It's serious business.

The website is ImwithFred.com

I'm running for the Presidency, not against the other candidates.

Discussing his thoughts on his own candidacy:
The man has to fit the times. I think there's something going on, and it's different.

We need to come together with the rest of the world to fight terrorism. It is a battle of civilization against evil.

Terrorists look to undermine our allies. They've done it in London, Madrid, and hundreds of other places. Ultimately, the terrorists seek to have a mushroom cloud over an American city. No country can deal with the global threat alone.

Our actions in Iraq were justified. We know they were terrorists and working towards WMD. Iran is doing the same thing that Iraq previously did.

All wars have mistakes. I listen to parents and soldiers. They are optimistic and full of hope regarding their mission. Harry Reid is flat wrong. He's already admitted defeat. All we're doing now is negotiating the date of our surrender. Hillary Clinton is inconsistent with her voting. All these people will do and say anything to get elected.

We need to address Iran. If everyone in Iran had a laptop, we wouldn't be in this position now. The people of Iran may fall of it's own weight, and we should do more to insure they get information. We need to encourage liberty there.

I would support pre-emption. Iran has repeatedly invoked the destruction of Israel. That would warrant pre-emption.

Staunch supporter of Scooter Libby, and believes it was a political prosecution. The CIA, the Department of Justice, and the Special Counsel engineered this prosecution and it's a shocking injustice.

The Democratic Party thinks that by not being George Bush, they can win the election. The pendulum does swing, but it takes more than that.

Per Sean, three issues repeatedly come up.

One is abortion. I thought Roe v. Wade was a wrong decision. It's a state rights issue. I don't recall checking a box many years ago.

McCain-Feingold. Too much money being given to politicians. I think the act has done some good. Do away with the soft money. And do away with the proscription of 60 and30 days.

Clinton Impeachment. I weighed my responsibility. The vote needed to be split. I acted as a judge.

Lastly, when people attack my family, I deal with it. Being attacked by some of these "bozo's" is a badge of honor.

My thoughts?
Overall...straight shootin' and conservative. Great job! I hope it brings in some money and support.

Part 1

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?060507/060507_hc_thompson&Hannity_Colmes&Fred%20Thompson&acc&Politics&-1&News&599&&&exp

Part 2

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?060507/060507_hc_thompson2&Hannity_Colmes&Fred%20Thompson%2C%20Pt.%202&Fred%20Thompson%2C%20Pt.%202&Politics&-1&News&599&&&exp

Part 3

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?060507/060507_hc_thompson3&Hannity_Colmes&Fred%20Thompson%2C%20Pt.%203&Fred%20Thompson%2C%20Pt.%203&Politics&-1&News&599&&&exp

Official Website

The official website of the semi-official Thompson '08 campaign has been launched.

Tell your friends!

It's here http://www.imwithfred.com/index.aspx.

I expect to have a donation widget available at this site shortly.

A Story of Vigilance

I just decided that I need to get the Thompson Reports up as soon as practicable.

There's just so much good in Fred's opinion to ignore.

With that being said, go to The Fred Thompson Report Audio File at:

http://www.abcrn.com/thompson/player/thompson.html

to listen to the June 4th report, entitled, "A Story of Vigilance."

Apparently it's our fault

If you haven't caught it yet, here's MSNBC's Joe Scarborough discussing Fred's wife, Jeri, on Morning Joe.

JOE SCARBOROUGH, host, "Morning Joe": Have you seen, um, have you seen Fred Thompson's wife?
CRAIG CRAWFORD, Congressional Quarterly: Oh, yeah!
SCARBOROUGH: You think she works the pole?
CRAWFORD: That's what Hollywood careers will do for you, I guess.
SCARBOROUGH: [Laughs] What do you mean?
CRAWFORD: You get wives like that.
SCARBOROUGH: I mean, look at
that guy. God bless him, I love his voice, but I mean, you know, he ain't Robert Redford in 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.'
CRAWFORD: Well, I'd like to see him get back into politics, 'cause I think he's a lousy actor!

Pundits are understandably aghast. But how does MSNBC respond?

From The National Ledger:

A spokesman for the news network said that the comment has been taken out of context and that it is "irresponsible" to suggest Scarborough was employing sexual innuendo. According to MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines a female triathlete had been discussing her exercise routine with Joe," he said, and that routine includes a stripper's pole. "That is the context in which the issue was discussed. To suggest otherwise is irresponsible."

Get it? We're irresponsible because we take offense.

Lotta class, Joe. Too bad it's all low.

Primetime

Fred Thompson will appear on Fox News' Hannity and Colmes tonight, Tuesday, June 5th, at 9:00 PM EDT.

New Campaign Logo

Yes, Mike, it's exactly what we need.

Here he comes to save the day....

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/06/04/huckabee_says_voters_want_consistent_candidate_not_mighty_mouse/

Strategery

Very good news, indeed.

Mary Matalin is in as an advisor.

Tough. Smart. Savvy.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0607/4309.html

Such excitement!

"I have not seen such excitement since Ronald Reagan ran and won the Governorship of California in 1966."

Paul Weyrich: Observations on a Fred Thompson Presidential Run
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272613837.shtml

In his own words

There's just so much good in The Fred Thompson Report Audio files that you can't miss it.

Look to the lower right, click the link, and have a listen.

It's plain talk. Simple. To the point. Deliberative. Fair. Persuasive. Honest. American.

All Fred... and perfect.

Inspire us.

"Mr. Thompson will run an unorthodox campaign, one that will challenge the conventional wisdom about how to run for president. "

"It's like the American people are waiting for us," he continued. "They're waiting for us to remember why we're doing what we're doing, about the ideas that inspired us, to remember who the leaders were that inspired us."

http://opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110010163

I remember those people. Where are they now? I mean, other than working for Fred.

The Thompson Doctrine?

If I were President Chavez or President Putin, I'd keep an eye on Fred Thompson.

If I were a citizen of Venezuela, or a former Soviet satellite, I'd rejoice with his candidacy.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/FredThompson/2007/06/01/speaking_up_for_freedom

And a huge hat tip to Ronald Reagan. He knew the power or radio.

Right Said Fred

Fred speaks in Immigration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8AL7zMMTB4

From the audio...

"...and that would give the proponents of the bill a chance to explain why putting illegals in a more favorable position than those that play by the rules, is not really amnesty."

I agree. Tell me why it's not amnesty; explain to me why playing by the rules is wrong, and why being rewarded for not playing by the rules is not being placed in a favorable position. (Okay, a few too many negatives, I agree.)

If everything is just a misunderstanding, why are fines and applications involved? Do we expect those who ignored our rule of law will now embrace it? Other than hope, what is the basis for that belief?

Rule of law. Playing by the rules. That's the rub, I guess, for most of us that are like-minded.

I've never been an immigrant. My mom, and her mom were. My nephew is. Go back even a few more generations, and most everyone in the family was. English, Italian, Dutch, Brazilian.

Immigration was a lengthy process for all, but it was achievable. It was honorable. It was what the rules required. And it led to a naturalization certificate, the official stamp of citizenship. For my mom, she cherished that honor to her last day.

She was a war bride of an 8th Air Force Navigator. She understood, firsthand, what a force for good the United Stated could be. She married and moved. She applied. She learned the Pledge of Allegiance, she studied American history, and she wept in waves for JFK. It was what her adopted country required and deserved. She was an American.

My nephew was abandoned to an orphanage not far from São Paulo. It's been fourteen years since his adoption. He knows, firsthand, how others live, and how his life has changed. He knows that opportunity arrived, and that some friends didn't have the chance. He graduates high school in a few weeks, and longs to become a commercial artist. He is American.

So what's the big deal about illegal immigration? Obviously, immigrants do quite well.

To my mind, it's fairness. Some play by the rules; some cheat. Some are rewarded; some are punished. Some wear their citizenship discreetly, others, their non-citizenship as boldly.

If you play by the rules, you are relegated to a lengthy process that may or may not guarantee citizenship. If you cheat, just wait a bit and you'll get citizenship anyway. No problem, no pesky waiting period. Cut in line. Others are dopes. It's all about me. Game the system and win. Respect the system and lose.

The immigration bill currently under debate says all my mom did was for naught. All my sister went through was silly. Down is up, wrong is right, shield, sword, law, order, right, privilege, chaos. It's all irrelevant.

Play by the rules? Why bother?

Because in a land founded on the rule of law, it should matter.

Jay Leno Appearance?

According to MSNBC's political calendar, Fred Thompson is scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday, June 12th.

Fred Thompson Facts

http://www.imao.us/archives/cat_fred_thompson_facts.html

h/t to IMAO

Fred Speaks - Richmond Keynote 6/2/07

ON ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Fred Thompson, Former U.S. Senator from Tennessee, delivers the keynote address at a Virginia Republican Party Dinner in Richmond, Virginia. Earlier this week, he announced plans to form an exploratory presidential committee. SUNDAY, JUNE 3 AT 6:30PM ET

http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp?Cat=Series&Code=RWH&ShowVidNum=4&Rot_Cat_CD=RWH&Rot_HT=206&Rot_WD=&ShowVidDays=100&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=365

It's not a game, people.

"I listen to the Democratic congressional leaders and I hear them talking about how many (House and Senate) seats they're going to pick up because of this war," he said. "I listened to one of their presidential candidates talk about that this is a phony war, the war on terror. This is what passes for policy today in the Democratic party." June 2, 2007

Forces of Evil

Real World
In an indictment charging the four men, one of them is quoted as saying the foiled plot would “cause greater destruction than in the Sept. 11 attacks,” destroying the airport, killing several thousand people and destroying parts of New York’s borough of Queens, where the line runs underground.

Real Fred
"We've got to convince our friends around the world -- and we have a lot of friends around the world -- that this is a battle between the forces of civilization and the forces of evil." June 2, 2007