Directory:Fred Thompson

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<a href="http://amazon.com/dp/0976873710/?tag=fe01-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="" /> The Fred Factor: How Fred Thompson May Change The Face Of The '08 Campaign <img src="" vspace="3" border="0" /></a>

</embed> In less than 2 months time Fred Thompson exploded onto the scene of the 2008 Presidential Race.

THE FRED FACTOR ...How Fred Thompson May Change The Face of The '08 Campaign tracks this amazing political phenomenon in real time and lays out "what happens next" in dramatic political fashion. Fred Thompson spends time in millions of American homes each week as a star of television's Law & Order. The Fred Factor...How Fred Thompson May Change The Face of The '08 Campaign reveals the man behind the role, a man who could very well be the next President of the United States.

About the Author:

Steve Gill is an attorney and host of the most influential radio talk show in Tennessee, The Steve Gill Show . He is also the Chief Political Analyst for WKRN News 2 (ABC) in Nashville and has also made frequent appearances as a commentator on CNN, FOX News Channel and MSNBC. For the past several years Business Tennessee named Gill among the 100 Most Powerful People in Tennessee . The Nashville Post business magazine has twice recognized Steve as the most powerful media personality in Middle Tennessee. Talkers Magazine has also recognized him as one of the 100 Most Influential Talk Radio Hosts in America .

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Yahoo Fred Thompson

<feed url="http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/rss?p=Fred+Thompson" entries="5"> [{PERMALINK} {TITLE}] {DESCRIPTION} {DATE} {AUTHOR} </feed> <keywords content="Fred Thompson" /> Thompson, Fred (1942- ), Republican member of the United States Senate from Tennessee (1995- ). Born in Sheffield, Alabama, Thompson earned a bachelor's degree from Memphis State University in 1964 and a law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1967. From 1969 to 1972 he was the assistant United States attorney for the Middle Tennessee District. Thompson was the minority counsel for the U.S. Senate Watergate Committee for 1973 to 1974. It was during Thompson's questioning of Alexander Butterfield, one of President Richard Nixon's White House aides, that the public first learned of the secret taping system that recorded all conversations in the president's office. In 1980 Thompson was a special counsel to Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, and from 1980 to 1982 he served as special counsel for two Senate committees. Thompson then pursued an acting career. An accomplished character actor, he appeared in 17 movies, including The Hunt for Red October and In the Line of Fire. He usually played an authority figure, such as CIA chief, FBI director, or White House chief of staff. In one movie, Born Yesterday, he played a U.S. senator. In 1994 Thompson was elected to the Senate after defeating Democrat Jim Cooper. Template:Cquote2 Name: Fred Thompson Web: [www.fred08.com www.fred08.com] Share this page <sharethis /> <embed> <textarea rows="1" cols="1"> At Long Last, Fred Takes the Big Plunge U.S. News & World Report, DC - 21 minutes ago DES MOINES—The crowd was modest in size, but it did respond well to Fred Thompson's applause lines. "Preseason is over," the former Tennessee senator ... Fred Thompson's campaign team brushes off flat debut New York Daily News Fred Thompson ready for his close-up Toronto Star Former Senator Fred Thompson officially on the campaign trail WQAD Washington Post - Knoxville News Sentinel all 244 news articles » Evangelicals Hesitant About Thompson The Associated Press - 2 hours ago Prominent evangelical leaders who spent the summer hoping Fred Thompson would emerge as their favored Republican presidential contender are having doubts as ... Telegraph.co.uk Fred Thompson makes his first NH stop Boston Globe, United States - 13 hours ago By James W. Pindell, Globe Correspondent | September 9, 2007 STRATHAM, NH - Former US Senator Fred Thompson made his first New Hampshire campaign stop as an ... Thompson makes first trip to NH as candidate Boston Globe The Buzz: Fred Thompson draws more viewers than GOP debate Kansas City Star Thompson makes first trip to NH as candidate WCAX The Union Leader - Telegraph.co.uk all 45 news articles » Fred Thompson!!! Yahoo! News - 17 hours ago But Fred Thompson is like Ronald Reagan! He was a Republican! He hated commies! Fred Thompson hates commies, too, I bet! I hate commies! Russians! Hate 'em! ... In the Guise of Fred Thompson, Ronald Reagan Rides Again OpEdNews WHAT UNITES POLITICIANS: BIG GOVERNMENT Yahoo! News all 9 news articles » Boston Globe Fred Thompson Warns of al-Qaida Threats ABC News - Sep 7, 2007 (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) The Associated Press By MIKE GLOVER Associated Press Writer Republican Fred Thompson said Friday that terrorist mastermind Osama bin ... Thompson Revisits bin Laden Comments Washington Post Funnies: Will The Real Bin Laden Please Stand Up ABC News The Symbiotic, Symbolistic Brotherhood of Bush and bin Laden OpEdNews New York Post - Wake Up America all 210 news articles » The Associated Press Thompson Urges No Letup in Terror Fight The Associated Press - 17 hours ago CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Republican Fred Thompson said Saturday people around the world are looking for any signs the US is relenting in combating Islamic ... Thompson urges no letup in combating Islamic radicals WOI Thompson hits his slow stride The Tennessean all 73 news articles » Daily Mail Fred Thompson, The Tennessee stud Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 19 hours ago ... but now the talking is over and the new definition of American conservatism is the holding of views identical to those of Fred Thompson. ... Revealed: US presidential candidate Fred Thompson's womanising ways Daily Mail all 4 news articles » Telegraph.co.uk Valium Fred, the panacea of the people Times Online, UK - 20 hours ago People like Fred Thompson. So far as I can tell, that is currently the prime rationale for his candidacy for president of the United States. ... NATIONAL POLITICAL DIGEST Detroit Free Press Fred Thompson stumbles on to election stage Telegraph.co.uk Conservatives, Beware of Fred Thompson Free Market News Network New York Times - Guardian Unlimited all 36 news articles » National Ledger Underestimating Fred Thompson's appeal would be a mistake TriCities.com, TN - 14 hours ago BY Andrea Hopkins Fred Thompson, who famously drove a pickup truck across Tennessee in his bid for the Senate, is auditioning for a new role: president. ... Fred Thompson Goes to Hollywood to Enter Race NPR 'Special Report' Panel on Fred Thompson Factor; Progress in Iraq FOX News Easygoing Fred Thompson Faces Hardest Role Bloomberg Yahoo! News - Salt Lake Tribune all 40 news articles » Lightning sparks 2 fires WCAX, VT - 3 hours ago ... that sparked two fires, and high winds that caused some havoc at a gathering in Stratham, just before presidential hopeful Fred Thompson arrived. ... Fred Thompson is a Republican Party primary candidate to represent his party in the 2008 United States presidential election. Thompson has worked as a lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor, and he represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S. Senate from 1994 through 2003. Campaign development Prelude File:CroppedMidWestLeaderCong25Aug2007.jpg In Indianapolis on August 25, 2007. On March 11 2007, Thompson appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss the possibility of a 2008 candidacy for president. The announcement spurred several grassroots draft movements, including a well-organized draft campaign started by Dean Rice, a former Thompson political aide, in Knoxville, Tennessee. While Thompson had not yet formally announced his intentions, he said he would "leave the door open." He stated that he would not be interested in accepting a hypothetical nomination for vice president, explaining "I don't think I would ever want to do that and be in the second position." Thompson's March 11 announcement spurred a flurry of conjecture, discussion, and activity on the Internet. A "Draft Fred Thompson" forum site became a particularly popular online forum for supporters. One group of supporters organized under the banner "FredHeadsUSA" with a plan to build a grassroots political movement to expand on Thompson's support on the Internet. On May 15, Thompson published a video in which he declined to debate Michael Moore about Cuba. On May 18, he continued his Internet campaign by posting a letter to Pajamas Media acknowledging his online supporters. Thompson formed an exploratory committee on June 1, 2007. Unlike most candidate exploratory groups, his organized as a 527 group. Thompson made his first public appearance after this exploratory committee formed on June 2 at the Virginia Republicans annual fund-raising gala in Richmond, Virginia. Shortly thereafter, on June 5, 2007, Thompson launched his official website. The same day, there was a Republican Presidential candidates debate with the then current 10 candidates, from New Hampshire, broadcast on CNN. Thompson was mentioned repeatedly as one of the poll front runners, even though he did not participate. On June 12, 2007, Thompson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He would not announce his candidacy, but referred to his presidential exploratory committee, which he stated had yielded positive prospects. Leno mentioned that Thompson was #2 in the polls, and asked him if he would at least state if he would like the job of President. Thompson responded that, while he did not crave the job itself, there were things he would like to do that he could only do by holding that office. File:Thompson-Mondale-MN state fair-20070827.jpg Interviewed by Eleanor Mondale of WCCO radio at the Minnesota State Fair on August 27, 2007. In early July 2007, Liz Sidoti of the Associated Press wrote: "Thompson's easygoing, no-nonsense style is clearly his strength and undoubtedly has helped him soar in presidential polls." Tucker Eskew, a Republican strategist unaligned in the race, said, "Smooth is good, but sometimes nitty gritty is essential" and "He'll be tested (but) he has a little time." In July 2007, a New York Times article cited Thompson's aides as saying on July 18 that he planned to enter the race just after Labor Day (the first Monday in September), followed by a national announcement tour. On July 31, 2007, the Thompson committee reported to the IRS that it had raised almost $3.5 million and spent $625,000 in its first month. Thompson visited Iowa on August 17, 2007, but did not then officially launch his presidential campaign. Thompson was asked by NBC if he was officially in the race for president. Thompson replied with a simple "No." It was also noted that Thompson was already prepping for the Republican debates, so that he would be able to join the other Republican candidates on stage at the events after becoming an announced candidate. Prior to Thompson's entry into the presidential race on September 5, 2007, the September 10, 2007 issue of Newsweek hit newsstands with a detailed cover story about him. Official announcement File:Lazy Like a Fox.jpeg September 10, 2007 issue. Thompson is a Republican Party primary candidate to represent his party in the 2008 United States presidential election. He declared his intent to seek the nomination on September 5, 2007. Thompson announced his candidacy on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno, accompanied by a 15-minute web video. He then began a five-day tour of early voting states, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Campaign staff Political insiders in Tennessee expected the inner circle of a Thompson campaign to include, in addition to his politically experienced wife, a number of functionaries with whom Thompson has been associated in the past. Also said to be likely senior advisers were former Republican National Committee chair Ed Gillespie, former vice president of the food and tobacco company Altria Tom Collamore, PR man Mark Corallo, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission Michael E. Toner, former Senate aide Tom Daffron, longtime Tennessee politician Tom Ingram and Congressman Zach Wamp. On July 24, 2007, Thompson announced he was replacing his acting campaign manager, Tom Collamore, with former Michigan Senator and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Florida GOP strategist Randy Enright. Collamore would remain as an advisor, Enright would be political director, and Abraham did not have a title. On August 8, 2007, Bill Lacy was named manager of Thompson's "testing the waters committee". Lacy had worked in the campaigns of Presidents Reagan and Bush, as well as Senator Bob Dole, and had worked on Thompson's 1994 campaign. Polls Template:Main Public opinion polls indicate strength nationwide, and in the states that vote early in the caucus and primary schedule. First Six Republican Primaries and Caucuses, plus California and New York Iowa 701px Michigan 700px South Carolina 701px Nevada 700px New Hampshire 700px Florida 700px California 700px New York 700px Hypothetical Presidential Matchups Obama v. Thompson 700px Clinton v. Thompson 700px Edwards v. Thompson 700px Endorsements As of September 6 2007, Thompson had been endorsed by 20 current members of Congress, including both Tennessee senators. Also, on June 12 2007 former U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato (New York) endorsed Thompson for president. Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker of Tennessee also expressed his support, saying: "If I had to pick one thing that qualifies him to be president, it's this: he approaches things calmly, deliberately—and he doesn't shoot from the hip." Political positions Template:Main Federalism is his lodestar, providing "a basis for a proper analysis of most issues: 'Is this something government should be doing? If so, at what level of government?'" Thompson supports free trade and low taxes. He says that Roe v. Wade was a wrong decision that ought to be overturned, and that he is pro-life, but he also has said that states should decide not to criminalize young women for early term abortions. Thompson is skeptical that humanity is to blame for global warming. He says citizens are entitled to keep and bear arms if they do not have criminal records. Thompson's support of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation brought criticism from groups such as Gun Owners of America (GOA), who said that the legislation limited their ability to inform the public about the gun rights voting records of incumbent politicians. Thompson now says that the limitation on political speech within thirty or sixty days of an election was wrong and should be repealed.Thompson says U.S. borders need to be secured before considering comprehensive immigration reform. Thompson supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but he believes that mistakes have been made since then. He is opposed to withdrawal from Iraq. He also believes that Iran should be taken seriously. Footnotes See also United States Republican presidential candidates, 2008 Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008 Senator | name=Fred Dalton Thompson

image name=Fred_Thompson_Iowa.jpg

imagesize=200px

jr/sr=United States Senator

state=Tennessee

party=Republican

term_start=December 2 1994

term_end=January 3 2003

preceded=Harlan Mathews

succeeded=Lamar Alexander

date of birth=Template:Birth date and age

place of birth=Sheffield, Alabama, USA

dead=alive

date of death=

place of death=

spouse=(1) Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey (Knestrick), 1959–1985; divorced (2) Jeri Kehn, 2002–Present

alma_mater=Memphis State University, Vanderbilt University

profession=character actor, senator, lawyer, lobbyist, public speaker, radio personality

religion= Church of Christ

}} Freddie Dalton "Fred" Thompson (born August 19 1942) is an American politician, lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor. He represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S. Senate from 1994 through 2003. Thompson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in national security and intelligence. He resides in McLean, Virginia near Washington, D.C.. As an actor, Thompson has performed in film and on television. He has frequently portrayed governmental figures. In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing New York City District Attorney Arthur Branch. On May 30, 2007, Thompson asked to be released from his television duties, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid. Then, on June 1 2007, he formed a presidential exploratory committee regarding his possible 2008 campaign for president. On September 5, 2007, Thompson announced on The Tonight Show: "I'm running for president of the United States," and he steered viewers to his web site for a 15-minute video announcement of his candidacy. Early life and education Thompson was born in Sheffield, Alabama to Ruth Inez (Bradley) and Fletcher Session Thompson. He attended public school in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, graduating from Lawrence County High School. After graduation, he worked days in the local post office and nights at a bicycle assembly plant. Thompson entered Florence State College, now the University of North Alabama, becoming the first member of his family to go to college. He subsequently transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis, where he earned a double-major in philosophy and political science in 1964, as well as scholarships to both Tulane and Vanderbilt law schools. He went on to earn his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt in 1967. Attorney Thompson was admitted to the State Bar of Tennessee in 1967. He worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972. In that position, he successfully prosecuted bank robbery and other cases. At that time, he shortened his first name from Freddie to Fred. In 1972, he was the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator Howard Baker's successful re-election campaign, which led to a close friendship with Baker. He later served as co-chief counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal, (1973–1974), and afterwards wrote a book about it. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Thompson worked primarily as an attorney, with law offices in Nashville and Washington, DC. Among the cases Thompson handled in his private law practice were personal injury claims and the defense of individuals accused of white collar crimes. While in private practice, he also accepted appointments as Special Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1980–1981), Special Counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee (1982), and Member of the Appellate Court Nominating Commission for the State of Tennessee (1985–1987). His clients included foreign corporations, such as a German mining group and Japan's Toyota Motors Corporation. Thompson has served on various corporate boards. For example, in the 1990s, he did legal work for the engineering firm Stone & Webster, while also serving on its board of directors. Role in Watergate hearings Template:Main File:ThompsonWatergate.jpg From left to right: Fred Thompson (minority counsel), Howard Baker, and Sam Ervin of the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973. Thompson was appointed minority counsel for the hearings surrounding the Watergate scandal. He was responsible for Baker's asking one of the questions that is said to have led directly to the downfall of President Richard Nixon: "What did the President know, and when did he know it?" Thompson himself asked former White House aide Alexander Butterfield at a public committee hearing about listening devices in the White House, although the committee already knew the answer to that question (Butterfield had been interviewed earlier by Senate investigators in closed session). Nixon was reportedly angry that Thompson had been selected as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee; Nixon believed the young Thompson was not skilled enough to interrogate unfriendly witnesses and would be outfoxed by committee Democrats. According to historian Stanley Kutler, Thompson and Baker "carried water for the White House, but I have to give them credit — they were watching out for their interests, too... They weren't going to mindlessly go down the tubes" for Nixon. In his Watergate memoir, Thompson acknowledged that he provided information to Nixon's lawyer even though he had no authority to act for the committee. Thompson "believed it would be in everyone's interest if the White House realized, before making any public statements, the probable position of both the majority and the minority of the Watergate committee" regarding the Watergate tapes. In response to renewed interest in this matter, Thompson says, "I'm glad all of this has finally caused someone to read my Watergate book, even though it's taken them over 30 years." Corruption case against Tennessee Governor In 1977, Thompson represented Marie Ragghianti, a former Tennessee Parole Board chair. Ragghianti had refused to release felons who had bribed aides to Democratic Governor Ray Blanton in order to obtain clemency. With Thompson's assistance, Ragghianti filed a wrongful termination suit against Blanton's office. Thompson helped to expose the cash-for-clemency scheme that eventually led to Blanton's removal from the Governor's office. In July 1978, a jury awarded Ragghianti $38,000 in back pay, and ordered her reinstatement. Ragghianti's case would garner national attention, leading to the publication of a book titled, Marie, and a film of the same name. Lobbyist Thompson has been a lobbyist intermittently since 1975, and has earned about $1 million from his lobbying efforts during that time. He said that criticism about his lobbying activities likely would intensify as he got closer to announcing his candidacy, but that he expected that such criticism would likely produce “the same results” as it did during his 1994 and 1996 Senate races. Except for the year 1981, his lobbying never amounted to more than a third of his income. According to the Commercial Appeal newspaper: Fred Thompson earned about half a million dollars from Washington lobbying from 1975 through 1993....Lobbyist disclosure records show Thompson had six lobbying clients: Westinghouse, two cable television companies, the Tennessee Savings and Loan League, the Teamsters Union's Central States Pension Fund, and a Baltimore-based business coalition that lobbied for federal grants. For example, in 1982, on behalf of the Tennessee Savings and Loan League, Thompson lobbied Congress to pass the Garn - St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 which deregulated the Savings and Loan (S&L) industry. This Act was supported by President Ronald Reagan and a large congressional majority, but it turned out to be one of many contributing factors that led to the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s. Thompson received $1600 for communicating with some congressional staffers on this issue. Thompson also did some lobbying for free. For example, when Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in 1991, Thompson made a telephone call to John H. Sununu, then White House Chief of Staff, in order to advocate restoration of Aristide's government. In 1994, Aristide was restored to power by U.S. troops under President Bill Clinton. Billing records show that Thompson, who describes his position as pro-life, was paid for about 20 hours of work in 1991 and 1992 on behalf of a family planning group trying to ease a departmental regulation on abortion counseling in federally-funded clinics. President George H.W. Bush eased the departmental regulation when he sent a memo to Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan stating that the regulation should allow referrals of women to facilities that perform abortion, but not to facilities whose principal business is providing abortions. With this easing of the regulation, Congress failed by 12 votes to override a veto by President George H.W. Bush of legislation that would have completely overturned the regulation. After leaving the Senate in 2003, Thompson's only lobbying work was for the London-based reinsurance company Equitas Ltd. He was paid $760,000 between 2004 and 2006 in order to help prevent passage of legislation that Equitas said unfairly singled them out for unfavorable treatment regarding asbestos claims. Thompson spokesman Mark Corrallo said that Thompson was proud to have been a lobbyist and believed in Equitas' cause. Character actor The 1977 corruption case against Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton later became the subject of a 1983 book, Marie, by Peter Maas. Director Roger Donaldson bought the film rights and traveled to Nashville to speak with the people involved with the original case. After meeting with Thompson, Donaldson asked Thompson if he wanted to play himself in the movie; Thompson agreed. The resulting film, Marie, was released in 1985. Donaldson then cast Thompson in the part of the CIA Director in his next movie, No Way Out, in 1987. Thompson would go on to appear in many films and television shows. A 1994 New York Times profile wrote that "When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to [Thompson]." In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing District Attorney Arthur Branch. Thompson began filming during the August 2002 Senate recess. He has also made occasional appearances in the same role on other TV shows, such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and the pilot episode of Conviction. On May 30 2007, he asked to be released from the role, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid. Due to concerns about the equal-time rule, scenes with Branch will be excised from reruns shown on NBC, but TNT episodes will be unaffected. Senate (1994–2003) Two campaigns for U.S. Senate In 1994, Thompson was elected to finish the remaining two years of Al Gore's unexpired U.S. Senate term. Gore had been elected Vice President of the United States in 1992, and resigned his Senate seat leaving Harlan Mathews as "caretaker" of the seat. During the 1994 campaign, Thompson's opponent was longtime Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper. Thompson campaigned in a red pickup truck, and Cooper charged that Thompson "is a lobbyist and actor who talks about lower taxes, talks about change, while he drives a rented stage prop." In a good year for Republican candidates, Thompson defeated Cooper in a landslide upset victory, overcoming Cooper's early 20 percent margin in the polls to defeat Cooper by an even greater margin. On the same night Thompson was elected to fill Gore's unexpired term, political newcomer Bill Frist, a Nashville heart surgeon, defeated three-term incumbent Democrat Jim Sasser, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, for Tennessee's other U.S. Senate seat, which was up for a full six-year term. The twin victories by Thompson and Frist gave Republicans control of both of Tennessee's Senate seats for the first time since Sasser ousted incumbent Bill Brock in 1976. In 1996, Thompson was re-elected (for the term ending January 3, 2003) with 61 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic attorney Houston Gordon of Covington, Tennessee, even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state by less than three percentage points on his way to re-election. The GOP continues to hold the seat, as it was won by former Tennessee Governor and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in 2002. Senate career File:Troops.JPG Senator Thompson meeting with U.S. soldiers in South Korea. While in the Senate, Thompson served as the chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs from 1997 to 2001. The committee investigated alleged Chinese attempts to influence American politics prior to the 1996 elections. However, Thompson was "largely stymied" during those investigations, with witnesses declining to testify, claiming the right not to incriminate themselves, or simply leaving the United States' jurisdiction. Thompson's final report on the matter also pointed to another problem: "Our work was affected tremendously by the fact that Congress is a much more partisan institution than it used to be." When control of the Senate passed from Republicans to Democrats in 2001, Thompson became the ranking minority member of the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Among his other assignments during his years in the Senate were the Finance Committee (dealing with health care, trade, Social Security, and taxation), the Intelligence Committee, and the National Security Working Group. Thompson's work as a senator included investigation of the Umm Hajul controversy involving the death of Tennessean Lance Fielder during the Gulf War, support for campaign finance reform, opposing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and promoting government efficiency and accountability. One of his more unusual acting roles was serving as a Clinton stand-in, to help prepare Bob Dole for presidential debates in 1996. File:Girl scouts.JPG Senator Thompson meeting with girl scouts. Thompson has an 86.1 percent lifetime (1995–2002) American Conservative Union vote rating, compared to 89.3 for Bill Frist and 82.3 for John McCain. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) characterized her colleague this way: "I believe that Fred is a fearless senator. By that I mean he was never afraid to cast a vote or take a stand, regardless of the political consequences." Thompson was "on the short end of a couple of 99-1 votes," voting against those who wanted to federalize matters that he believed were properly left to state and local officials. On February 12 1999, the Senate voted on the Clinton impeachment. The perjury charge was defeated with 45 votes for conviction, and 55 including Thompson against. The obstruction of justice charge was defeated with 50 including Thompson for conviction, and 50 against. Conviction on impeachment charges requires the affirmative votes of 67 senators. In the 2000 Republican presidential primaries, Thompson initially backed former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, who eventually succeeded Thompson in the Senate, two years later. When Alexander dropped out of the presidential race, Thompson endorsed Senator John McCain's bid and became his national co-chairman. Both McCain and Thompson were contenders to be George W. Bush's running mate in 2000. Post-Senate activities Thompson was not a candidate for re-election in 2002. He had publicly stated his unwillingness to have the Senate become a long-term career. Although he announced in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks his intention to seek re-election ("Now is not the time for me to leave," said Thompson at the time), upon further reflection he decided against it. The decision seems to have been prompted in large part by the death of his daughter. Political work File:Fred Thompson visits Dallas.jpg Fred Thompson on July 25, 2007 in Dallas. In March 2003, Thompson was featured in a commercial by the conservative non-profit group Citizens United that advocated the invasion of Iraq, stating: "When people ask what has Saddam done to us, I ask, what had the 9/11 hijackers done to us -- before 9/11." He has remained supportive of that invasion. Thompson did voice-over work at the 2004 Republican National Convention. While narrating a video for that convention, Thompson observed: "History throws you what it throws you, and you never know what’s coming." After the retirement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2005, Bush appointed him to an informal position to help guide the nomination of John Roberts through the United States Senate confirmation process. Roberts was subsequently confirmed as Chief Justice. Until July 2007, Thompson was Chair of the International Security Advisory Board, a bipartisan advisory panel that reports to the Secretary of State and focuses on emerging strategic threats. In that capacity, he advised the State Department about all aspects of arms control, disarmament, international security, and related aspects of public diplomacy. Legal defense for Lewis Libby Template:Main In 2006, he served on the advisory board of the legal defense fund for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr, who was indicted and later convicted of lying to federal investigators during their investigation of the Plame affair. Thompson, who had never met Libby before volunteering for the advisory board, said he was convinced Libby was innocent. The Scooter Libby Legal Defense Fund Trust set out to raise more than $5 million to help finance the legal defense of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff. Thompson hosted a fundraiser for the Libby defense fund at his home in McLean, Virginia. After Bush commuted Libby's sentence, Thompson released a statement: "I am very happy for Scooter Libby. I know that this is a great relief to him, his wife and children. This will allow a good American, who has done a lot for his country, to resume his life." Radio analyst In 2006, he signed on with ABC News Radio to serve as senior analyst and vacation replacement for Paul Harvey. He used that platform to spell out his positions on a number of political issues. A July 3, 2007 update to Thompson's ABC News Radio home page referred to him as a "former ABC News Radio contributor," indicating that Thompson has been released from his contract with the broadcaster. Controversy Template:Main Fred Thompson has seen some controversy, most notably allegations about pro-choice lobbying, allegations about using his political action committee to benefit his son, and allegations about his role during Watergate. Political positions Template:Main File:IowaStateFair17Aug2007.jpg At Iowa State Fair August 17, 2007. Thompson has said that federalism is his "lodestar," providing "a basis for a proper analysis of most issues: 'Is this something government should be doing? If so, at what level of government?'" Thompson supports free trade and low taxes. He says that Roe v. Wade was a wrong decision that ought to be overturned, and that he is pro-life, but he also has said that states should decide not to criminalize young women for early term abortions. On August 17, 2007, Thompson said that if elected president, he would work to overturn Roe vs. Wade. He also said he does not support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but that if necessary he would support one preserving each state's right to decide the matter for itself. Thompson has voiced skepticism that humanity is to blame for global warming. He says citizens are entitled to keep and bear arms if they do not have criminal records. Thompson's support of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation brought criticism from groups such as Gun Owners of America (GOA), who said that the legislation limited their ability to inform the public about the gun rights voting records of incumbent politicians. Thompson now says that the limitation on political speech within 30 or 60 days of an election was wrong and should be repealed. Thompson says U.S. borders need to be secured before considering comprehensive immigration reform, and federal law must be enforced in sanctuary cities which currently ban cooperation between local officials and federal immigration officials. Thompson supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but he has said that "mistakes have been made" since then. He is opposed to withdrawal from Iraq. He has also said that statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should not be dismissed. 2008 presidential election campaign Template:Future election candidate Template:Main File:CroppedMidWestLeaderCong25Aug2007.jpg In Indianapolis on August 25, 2007. On March 11 2007, Thompson appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss the possibility of a 2008 candidacy for president. Thompson's March 11 announcement spurred a flurry of activity. One group of supporters organized under the banner "FredHeadsUSA" with a plan to build a grassroots political movement to expand on Thompson's support on the Internet. On May 15, Thompson published a video in which he declined to debate Michael Moore about Cuba. On May 18, he continued his Internet campaign by posting a letter to Pajamas Media acknowledging his online supporters. Thompson formed an exploratory committee on June 1, 2007. Unlike most candidate exploratory groups, his organized as a 527 group. On June 12, 2007, Thompson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He would not announce his candidacy, but referred to his presidential exploratory committee, which he stated had yielded positive prospects. Leno mentioned that Thompson was #2 in the polls, and asked him if he would at least state if he would like the job of President. Thompson responded that, while he did not crave the job itself, there were things he would like to do that he could only do by holding that office. A New York Times article cited Thompson's aides as saying on July 18 that he planned to enter the race just after Labor Day (the first Monday in September), followed by a national announcement tour. On August 8, 2007, Bill Lacy was named manager of Thompson's "testing the waters committee". Lacy had worked in the campaigns of Presidents Reagan and Bush, as well as Senator Bob Dole, and had worked on Thompson's 1994 campaign. Prior to Thompson's entry into the presidential race on September 5, 2007, the September 10, 2007 issue of Newsweek hit newsstands with a detailed cover story about him. On September 5, 2007, Thompson made his candidacy official, announcing on The Tonight Show: "I'm running for president of the United States." He steered viewers to his web site for a 15-minute video announcement of his candidacy. He also ran an ad on FOX News just before the Republican debate. Personal life File:The Thompson Family.jpg Fred and Jeri Thompson with children in September of 2007. In September 1959, at the age of 17, Thompson married Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey. Their son, Freddie Dalton "Tony" Thompson Jr., was born in April 1960. Another son and a daughter were born soon thereafter. While Thompson was attending law school, both he and his wife worked to pay for his education and support their three children. The couple divorced in 1985. They have two surviving children, as well as five grandchildren. Thompson's daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs on January 30, 2002. Prior to his second marriage, Thompson had been romantically linked to country singer Lorrie Morgan, Republican fundraiser Georgette Mosbacher and columnist Margaret Carlson. Thompson met Republican consultant Jeri Kehn in July 1996 and the two married on June 29, 2002. They have two children. Thompson has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a form of cancer. "I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My life expectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future — and with no debilitating side effects," Thompson said. Like many patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Thompson received treatment with Rituxan. Thompson's cancer, though currently incurable, is reportedly indolent, the lowest of three grades of NHL. Thompson has nodal marginal zone lymphoma, a rare form of NHL, accounting for only one to three percent of all NHLs. Coincidentally, two other potential Republican presidential nominees have also had cancer: John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. Thompson is a member of the Churches of Christ, a non-denominational group of Christian churches affiliated with the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. Filmography Movies Template:Col-1-of-3 Marie (1985) No Way Out (1987) Feds (1988) Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) The Hunt for Red October (1990) Days of Thunder (1990) Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) Flight of the Intruder (1991) (uncredited) Class Action (1991) Necessary Roughness (1991) Curly Sue (1991) Cape Fear (1991) Template:Col-2-of-3 Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992) Thunderheart (1992) White Sands (1992) (uncredited) Born Yesterday (1993) In the Line of Fire (1993) Barbarians at the Gate (1993) Baby's Day Out (1994) Celsius 41.11 (2004) Racing Stripes (2005, voice) Last Best Chance (2005) Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005) Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) Template:Col-3-of-3Template:Col-end TV series Law & Order (2002–2007) Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005–2006) Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (11 episodes, 2003–2006) Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2 episodes, 2005) Conviction (1 episode, 2006) Sex and the City (1 episode, 2000, as "Politician on TV") Matlock (1 episode in 1989 as "Gordon Lewis" and 1 episode in 1993 as "Prosecutor Mr. McGonigal") Roseanne (1 episode, 1989, as "Keith Faber") China Beach (1 episode, 1989, as "Lt. Col. Reinhardt") Wiseguy (3 episodes, 1988, as "Knox Pooley") Electoral history Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box majority Template:Election box gain with party link Template:Election box end </textarea> </embed>