Fire Society is setting up a series of Threads devoted to information about the potential candidates for 2008.

These threads are an area to post news articles about your candidate, his/her beliefs, and upcoming news conferences / appearances.

These threads are not for discussions, debate, or bashing the candidates. Anyone who posts anything in these threads besides news articles, links to information about the candidate, or information about upcoming appearances will be given an immediate 3 day suspension.

Moderators will be monitoring these threads and have my full permission to edit, delete, or move anything that does not belong in them.

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The Unofficial Fred Thompson Candidate Thread

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Melinda in TN suggested a good site: draftfredthompson.com

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Fred Fixes a Date!

Fred Thompson's new campaign manager, Bill Lacy, forces out communications director Linda Rozett and suddenly we have a date for Fred's announcement:

Sources tell numerous outlets that Thompson will announce his campaign September 4th, and that he will participate in his first debate on September 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore. His first major appearance at a GOP event will be at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in Michigan around a week earlier.

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Thompson announcement date likely to come today

Fred Thompson's campaign-in-waiting will hold a 4 p.m. conference call today with supporters to brief them on plans for the former Tennessee senator's presidential announcement next week, according to an e-mail obtained by Politico.com.

Randy Enwright, Thompson's political director, said in the message that they will "discuss the next steps as we move forward as an organization."  A Thompson aide confirms that they'll share the news about the long-awaited formal launch.  "By the end of the day, we'll have more clarity," the aide said, declining to reveal which day the announcement would take place.

Read more

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Thompson to Tell Supporters He's In Today

Fred Dalton Thompson will tell his supporters that he is running for president today in a 4 p.m. conference call with 800 to 1,000 elected and party officials from around the country, a source close to the campaign said today.

On the call, Thompson will detail his plans for the future, which are expected to include an appearance on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" on Wednesday night -- even as his rivals debate on Fox -- and could be followed by a formal announcement the next day.

The confirmation of Thompson's plans end a months-long flirtation with the public about whether the former senator and Hollywood actor would seek the Republican nomination for the presidency.

Washington Post article

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From imwithfred.com

Thompson to Announce Run for President with Online Video Followed by Three-State Campaign Tour

McLean, VA – On September 6, 2007, Fred Thompson will be announcing his intention to run for President of the United States with a webcast available to millions at www.imwithfred.com. The launch of the video will be followed by a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

“I believe that there are millions of Americans who know that our security and prosperity are at risk if we don’t address the challenges of our time; the global threat of terrorism; taxes and spending that will bankrupt future generations, and a government that can’t seem to get the most basic responsibilities right for its citizens,” stated Fred Thompson.

“The response that we’ve received makes me confident that we have an opportunity to change politics in Washington and across the country, and take on these challenges the way every generation of Americans has faced the challenges of their time – with unity, hard work and a belief that we will come out on the winning side,” continued Thompson.

“We enter this campaign in a strong position,” said committee manager Bill Lacy. “Fred is consistently near the top in the polls, and conservatives across the country have put together the closest thing to a draft in recent presidential campaign history in an effort to bring about this day. The next few weeks will only serve to build upon those efforts, with house parties nationwide on the 6th, and visits to the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, quickly followed by stops in Florida and a homecoming in Lawrenceburg, TN on the 15th.”

“By announcing via webcast, Fred is able to take his consistently mainstream conservative message directly to the voters, who are already responding to that message with a strong upwelling of grassroots support. The webcast and the following campaign tour will play to Fred’s strengths, a consistent record of conservatism, his ability to clearly spread his message, and his ability to work with and connect with Americans from all walks of life,” said Lacy.

The committee will file our formal paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission within 15 days, the time allowed by law after Fred decided to run. Additionally, we will begin to consider candidate based events following Fred’s broadcast on September 6, 2007.

Campaign tour cities and dates are listed below. Exact event locations will be released in the coming days.

Thursday, September 6

Afternoon Des Moines, IA

Evening Council Bluffs, IA

Friday, September 7

Morning Sioux City, IA

Evening Mason City, IA

Saturday, September 8

Morning Cedar Rapids, IA

Afternoon Davenport, IA

Evening Portsmouth, NH

Sunday, September 9

Afternoon Manchester, NH

Evening Nashua, NH

Monday, September 10

Morning Charleston, SC

Afternoon Columbia, SC

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Fred Thompson wins Minnesota Straw Poll as Write-in

 Minnesota House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) Straw Poll Results:

21% - Fred Thompson (write-in)

20% - Mitt Romney

16% - Ron Paul

13% - Rudy Guliani

11% - John McCain

8% - Mike Huckabee

4% - John Cox (only candidate to attended straw ballot)

2% - Newt Gingrich, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, and Sam Brownback

http://tinyurl.com/ywuymo

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Where Fred Stands
Fred Thompson FAQ ^ | September 2, 2007 | Fred Thompson

Posted on 09/02/2007 10:57:09 AM EDT by Sturm Ruger

Fred Thompson on the issues, in his own words.

*

Abortion:

"I think Roe vs. Wade was bad law and bad medical science. And the way to address that is through good judges."

"I am pro-life. I have a 100% pro-life voting record on life issues... Intellectually, politically and from a policy standpoint, I've always voted that way ever since I've been in the Senate and felt that way. But I must say that it has meant more to me since I first saw the sonogram of my little (now) three-year-old daughter. I'll never feel the same way about that again. So not only is it in my head, it's in my heart now."

"I think the Supreme Court was absolutely right in its partial-birth abortion decision. The very idea that we could even have a debate over whether or not that atrocious activity should be allowable is very unfortunate, to say the least. I think a president has limited responsibility in that, but people deserve to know how you feel. And that's how I feel about it."

*

American Exceptionalism:

"Sadly, too many of our young people today are not only unaware of the great story of America, they are lacking an understanding of why this country is so special and why we must fight hard to protect it," he said. "We must teach them about the Constitution and how it has framed our freedoms for over 200 years. We must teach them about the sacrifices of this and past generations and remind them that future sacrifices are inevitable. We must teach them that America has a mission and that we stand for what is good and right in the world."

"America's government is bringing America down, and the only thing that can change that is a return to the basics. We will get back to basics and make the sacrifices and once again amaze the world at how, in America, ordinary people can do very extraordinary things."

*

Bill Clinton Impeachment (Obstruction):

"Each and every allegation of obstruction of justice and witness tampering has thus been proven..."

"Time and again, and with premeditation, he was willing to use government personnel to assist in his coverup and his lies, acknowledging part of the truth only when confronted with physical evidence. And he carried his lies and cover up right on into legal proceedings with the grace and ease of someone who regarded a court of law as deserving of no more respect than if he were dealing with a stranger on the street. It is this persistent relentless, remorseless pattern of conduct that requires a verdict of guilty. He was willing to lie, defame, hide evidence and enlist anyone necessary, including government employees over and over again. At every juncture when he had the opportunity to stop, relent or come clean with a forgiving public, he chose instead to go forward. And even today he refuses to acknowledge the damage he has done to the Presidency and the Judiciary, choosing instead to rely upon his high job approval rating and acknowledging only what he is forced to after the production of physical evidence."

"At a time when all of our institutions are under assault, when the Presidency has been diminished and the Congress is viewed with scepticism, our Judiciary and our court system have remarkably maintained the public's confidence. Now the President's actions are known to every school child in America. And in the midst of these partisan battles, many people still think this matter is just `lying about sex.' But little by little, there will be a growing appreciation that it is about much more than that. And in years to come, in every court house in every town in America, juries, judges, and litigants will have the President's actions as a bench mark against which to measure any attempted subversion of the judicial process. The notion that anyone, no matter how powerless, can get equal justice will be seen by some as a farce. And our rule of law — the principle that many other countries still dream about — the principle that sets us apart, will have been severely damaged. If this does not constitute damage to our government and our society, I cannot imagine what does. And for that he should be convicted."

Bill Clinton Impeachment (Perjury):

"Never has the Senate convicted on an article worded such as this. Several crimes or categories of crimes (the exact number cannot be determined from reading the article) are charged in this one article. The perjurious statements are not described, nor are their dates. In large part, this article charges that the President committed perjury because he denied prior perjury. At the outset, it is clear that a count such as this in an indictment would not survive court challenge..."

*

Big government:

"The growth of government is not solving... problems; it's causing a lot of them. Every level of new bureaucracy that is created develops a level of bureaucracy beneath it, which creates another one. Pretty soon there is no accountability in the system."

"Our attitude should be, let the federal government do what it is supposed to be doing — competently. Then maybe we will give it something else to do.

*

Campaign Finance Reform:

Part of (McCain Feingold) is good law, and part of it is not. We were saying, "Let's raise the hard money limit up to some higher level - it's still not high enough. I did quite a bit on that and got it up to $2,000 plus inflation. It's unrealistically low. From a thousand to two is progress, but you get rid of the soft money. I came to Washington promising to try to change the way Washington did business. The way Washington wound up doing business, especially after the Clinton guys proved that you could do some things differently and not go to jail, was trading the tradtional limitations for huge sums of money. Instead of a thousand, you know, it was a hundred thousand.

"Giving large sums of money to politicians that you have business before is not a good idea. I stand by that and feel like that was good... Barry Goldwater in his heyday felt the same thing. So that's not a non-conservative position, although I agree that a lot of people have interpreted it that way."

"This business of trying to regulate television ads and so forth has not worked out, was not a good idea, shouldn't have been done. As I look at it now and see these cases come before the Supreme Court, they're parsing the words. 'Is this an issue ad or not?' And so forth, and so on. I thought it would be evident, self-evident, the answer to that. But it's not, and the Supreme Court can't handle all of these cases. We can't afford the bureaucracy necessary to monitor all of these cases. So, I split down the middle on that."

"I wonder if we shouldn't just take off the limits and have full disclosure with harsh penalties for not reporting everything on the Internet immediately."

*

Capital Punishment:

"The reliable two-thirds of Americans who have always supported the death penalty probably wouldn't be surprised to find out that study after study has shown that the death penalty deters murders. Some studies show really dramatic effects, with each execution of a murderer deterring as many as 18 or more murders. That’s according to Emory University professors, who found as well that delaying execution also leads to further murders. Most studies have concluded that some number of murders between three and 18 are prevented for every application of capital punishment."

"I guess the most surprising thing to me was seeing an article about these findings just a few weeks ago by the Associated Press. The most interesting quote was from a well-known opponent of capital punishment who looked at the evidence and said, 'Abolitionists or others, like me, who are skeptical about the death penalty haven't given adequate consideration to the possibility that innocent life is saved by the death penalty.'"

"Certainly, the use of DNA evidence to clear long-held prisoners from murder charges proves that we need to be more careful about handing out death sentences; and science must be used even more and earlier in the criminal process to protect the innocent and convict the guilty. However, these studies are important in properly analyzing the effect of the death penalty."

*

China:

"I think that our relationship with China over the next few decades is probably the single most important issue facing our country."

"They're still a totalitarian government that is building up their military tremendously and has 200 missiles pointed toward Taiwan."

"They are making great strides in technology. They are getting technology from all over the world including the United States -- something that I'm very concerned about. I think we've been blind to that. We've assisted them in ways that we shouldn't be assisting. We're concerned about what's going out the back door in terms of theft of sensitive nuclear technology. But we've been negligent in terms of what we're giving them out the front door in terms of our trade and dual-use items -- things that can be used for military purposes."

*

Civil Unions:

"That ought to be left up to the states. I personally do not think that that is a good idea, but I believe in many of these cases where there's real dispute in the country, these things are not going to be ever resolved. People are going to have different ideas. That's why we have states. We ought to give great leeway to states and not have the federal government and not have the Supreme Court of the United States making social policy that's contrary to the traditions of this country and changing that overnight. And that's what's happened in a lot of these areas. "

*

Darfur:

"Recently, the new UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the root cause of the current genocide in Darfur is … global warming. Now if you've been following the tragedy of the Darfur region in the African nation of Sudan, you know how absurd that statement is."

"There's not room here for even a good summary, but let me make a few points. Sudan straddles the line between Christian African and Muslim Arabic cultures, bordering Egypt and Libya on the north. Bloody regional warfare stretches back centuries but, in modern times, the country has been in pretty much of a constant state of war since the 1950s. It's safe to say that millions have died in wars that are often aimed at control of the rich oil fields in the South. Today, however, the vastly reduced African Christian population isn't even involved. Two Muslim factions, divided along racial lines, are fighting for control of Darfur."

"Now it’s true that the return of cyclical droughts has made agriculture and life more and more difficult for the people in the region. The impact of the weather, however, doesn’t approach the destruction that generations of warfare have worked on the land and the people. With peace and freedom, the economy of Darfur could have easily adapted to any climate change – no matter the cause."

*

Defense:

"The writers of the Constitution understood that protecting national security is our first priority."

*

Democrat Congress:

"You ever wonder why, when our politics are getting bigger, so many of our politicians seem to be getting smaller?"

"We look at our friends on the Democratic side who have clearly decided not what is best for their country, but what is best for the Democratic Party, and how they might get additional votes in future elections."

"We must push back and push back hard. Remember how we won in the 1980. We stuck to our conservative principles."

"The only debate going on with regard to this most important issue (jihadism) facing our country on the Democratic side of the aisle is the date of our surrender."

"The Democrats, of course, want to raise taxes. They only want to target the rich, they say. A word of advice to anyone in the middle class — don't stand anywhere near that target. Wouldn't it be great if, instead of worrying so much about how to divide the pie, we could work together on how to make the pie bigger?"

"If you are out at a parade and see anyone of our Democratic delegation, let em know what you think. Remind them of what this country is about and why we need to toss them in 2008."

*

Energy Independence:

We can't ever be totally independent of it, but we can do some things to make it a lot better. We're going to have to look at fuel emission standards and things of that nature, things that we don't like to look at. And things have got to be on the table, because we can't keep funding a part of the world that's causing us so much problems.

*

Entitlements:

"We argue about little budgetary matters. Just one example, budgetary matters and the deficit and so forth, and that is important. But it is minuscule compared to the avalanche of debt we are going to be facing with the retirement of the Baby Boomers and our entitlement programs."

"We've got an entitlement program that's bankrupting us."

*

Fairness Doctrine:

"We've been hearing threats to use the obsolete Fairness Doctrine to go after talk radio ever since the left-leaning talk radio network, Air America, failed. Ironically, I think Air America might have had a shot if its target audience hadn’t already been served so well by many in the mainstream media. But regardless, giving the government veto power over radio stations' programming decisions is wrong. I don't think forcing the one sector of the media where conservatives have a clear voice to provide equal time to liberals is the American way. At the very least, it has a chilling effect on station owners."

*

Federalism:

“Our government, under our Constitution, was established upon the principles of Federalism—that the federal government would have limited enumerated powers and the rest would be left to the states. It not only prevented tyranny, it just made good sense. States become laboratories for democracy and experiment with different kinds of laws. One state might try one welfare reform approach, for example. Another state might try another approach. One would work and the other would not… Federalism also allows for the diversity that exists among the country’s people. Citizens of our various states have different views as to how traditional state responsibilities should be handled. This way, states compete with each other to attract people and businesses—and that is a good thing. Everyone in Washington embraces Federalism until it comes to someone’s pet project designed to appeal to the voters. Then, oftentimes, even the most ardent Federalist throws in with the ‘Washington solution’ crowd… if conservatives use Federalism as a tool with which to reward our friends and strike our enemies, instead of treating it as a valued principle, we are doing a disservice to our country—as well as to the cause of conservatism.”

*

Foreign Policy:

"Every foreign policy of every major nation involves reason, common sense, carrots and sticks. You can't have all carrots and no sticks."

“It's not preordained that we're going to remain the strongest and freest nation in the history of the world. We've got to do some things well. We've got to do some things differently.”

*

France:

"The election of Nicolas Sarkozy to the presidency of France has been a serious blow to those who claim that America has earned the undying hatred of Europeans. Oh, to be sure, the French media hates us, but there are a lot of people who say ours does too. Regardless, Sarkozy's victory has sent shock waves through the world's media centers."

"A French president who openly admires America is an embarrassment to those who view us as the bumpkin cousins of the sophisticated Europeans. American pundits and politicians who say we should change our foreign policies to win the European popularity contest ought to be feeling a little embarrassed too."

"From the beginning, Sarkozy pledged to help heal the ill feelings that have existed between our two countries -- especially over Iraq. He outraged French Socialists and journalists by coming to America during his campaign to meet with our president. He has praised America's dynamism, freedoms and prosperity, and he promises to work for reforms that will make France more like the U.S."

"Sarkozy’s victory over anti-American political forces was not just decisive; it was far more of a mandate than our own current congress claims. In his first post-election speech, he went out of his way to say, 'I want to call out to our American friends to tell them that they can count on our friendship.'"

"So what’s happening here? Could it be that we've mistaken the French media for the French people?"

*

Free Trade:

"Some want us, to the extent possible, to withdraw from the world that presents us with so many problems, in the hope they will go away. Some would push us towards protectionist trade policies. Others see a solution in raising taxes and redistributing the income among our citizens. Wrong on all counts. These are defensive, defeatist policies that have consistently been proven wrong. They are not what America is all about."

"Free trade and market economies have done more for freedom and prosperity than a central planner could ever dream and we're the world's best example of that. So, why do we want to take investment dollars out of growth, and invest it in government?"

*

Gay Marriage:

"Marriage is between a man and a woman, and I don't believe judges ought to come along and change that. " – Fred Thompson

*

Gay Rights:

"We ought to be a tolerant nation. I think we ought to be tolerant people. But we shouldn't set up special categories for anybody. And I'm for the rights of everybody, including gays, but not any special rights. "

*

Global Warming:

"NASA says the Martian South Pole's ice cap has been shrinking for three summers in a row. Maybe Mars got its fever from earth. If so, I guess Jupiter's caught the same cold, because it's warming up too, like Pluto.

This has led some people, not necessarily scientists, to wonder if Mars and Jupiter, non-signatories to the Kyoto Treaty, are actually inhabited by alien SUV-driving industrialists who run their air-conditioning at 60 degrees and refuse to recycle."

*

Government Waste:

"Audits have shown we've lost control of the waste and mismanagement in our most important agencies. It's getting so bad it's affecting our national security."

*

Gun Control:

"I'm against gun control generally. You know, you check my record. You'll find I'm pretty consistent on that issue… The court basically said the Constitution means what it says, and I agree with that."

*

Illegal Immigration:

"It's an impossible situation to deal with. I mean, there's really no good solution. So what do you do? You have to start over. Well, I'm concerned about the next 12 million or 20 million. So that's why enforcement, and enforcement at the border, has to be primary. I think most people feel disillusioned after 1986 when we had this deal offered to them before, and now we're insisting that, you know, we solve the security problem first, and then we'll talk about what to do with regard to other things."

*

Intelligence:

"The CIA has better politicians than it has spies."

"Sept. 11 was evidence of a decline that we had in our ability to collect, analyze and disseminate intelligence information. Would Sept. 11 have happened if we had done everything perfectly and we had not seen that decline? Perhaps. From here on out, there's never going to be a fail-safe system. We're never going to achieve total perfection in our ability to predict precise acts. But we can do much better."

"The irony here is that intelligence services had consistently over the years understated the capabilities of enemies and potential enemies. Now, here there was unanimity among the intelligence services, some of whom are supposed to be better than ours. . . . People don't understand intelligence. They don't understand. It's seldom clear. It's often caveated. It's sometimes flat-out wrong. Different people often have different ideas. That's what a president is faced with. And some today would say that politically a president has got to have unanimity before he can make a choice. And then they say that if he has that unanimity, the president has to make that choice--at the same time talking about how deficient our capabilities are. But if those deficient capabilities produced a recommendation, the president of the United States and leader of the free world has to take that recommendation. That has been so faulty in the past. It's absurd."

"Presidents in the future, as always, have to make a determination based on a lot of things, and intelligence is one of them. And the president not only has the right to evaluate the intelligence that he's receiving, he has a duty to do that. He listens to the British. I mean, if history was any judge, I don't know about now, but if the Brits tell me that there's an (Iraqi) deal with Niger and our guys don't know whether there was or not, I tend to rely on the Brits. I mean, those are the calls the president's got to make, and the question is really: Which way do you want the president to lean? Caution--that it's probably not so? When bad news is delivered, he gets mixed messages, he gets various intelligence reports of various kinds. Did you want him all balled up in all of that, you know, trying to apply some kind of a scientific equation to it for fear that somebody in an intelligence committee is going to wave it around at a hearing later on or something like that? Is that what it's come to? If so, the world is going to be a lot more dangerous than it otherwise already is."

"The next report says somebody's got weapons of mass destruction, you know what're we going to do with that? You know, just because history--a cat won't sit on a hot stove twice, but he won't sit on a cold stove either."

*

Iran:

"Kidnapping and hostage-taking have been the hallmark of this regime since it came into power. Unfortunately, it has never paid a serious price for the tactic -- even the holding of embassy personnel during the Carter administration. Having gotten away with it for so long, I suppose it's not surprising that they continue this activity. Journalists and human rights activists in Iran are also reminded that they can be punished if they say anything that might be read as support for democratic reform."

"In reaction to the President's statement, Iran has condemned America for interfering with its 'internal affairs.' This has been a favorite line of tyrants for as long as I can remember."

"There’s a silver lining here though. Everyday in every way, Americans are learning exactly what we’re dealing with here. It's valuable information for those who may be tempted to think that, in order to end hostilities, all we have to do is sit down across the table from these guys."

*

Iraq:

"I would do essentially what the president's doing. I know it's not popular right now, but I think we have to look down the road and consider the consequences of where we are. We're the leader of the free world whether we like it or not. People are looking to us to test our resolve and see what we're willing to do in resolving the situation that we have there. People think that if we hadn't gone down there, things would have been lovely. If Saddam Hussein was still around today with his sons looking at Iran developing a nuclear capability, he undoubtedly would have reconstituted his nuclear capability. Things would be worse than what they are today. We've got to rectify the mistakes that we've made. We went in there too light, wrong rules of engagement, wrong strategy, placed too much emphasis on just holding things in place while we built up the Iraqi army, took longer than we figured. Wars are full of mistakes. You rectify things. I think we're doing that now. We're coming in with good people. We're coming in with a lot of different people. I know General Petraeus from when he was in Tennessee at Fort Campbell. He believes in the plan. He's convinced me that they can do the job. Why would we not take any chance, even though there's certainly no guarantees, to not be run out of that place? I mean, we've got to take that opportunity and give it a chance to work."

*

Israel:

"Imagine what it would be like to live, knowing that a rocket could fall on you or your children at any minute. Half of those who live nearest to Gaza have fled their homes. Those remaining are traumatized by daily warning sirens and explosions."

"The irony is that Israel has the military might to easily win the war that is being waged against them today. They haven't used that might, in the past, out of compassion for Palestinian civilians and because it could trigger a wider regional conflict."

"That balance of power is about to change, though. If Iran develops nuclear weapons, the very existence of this tiny nation of Israel will be threatened. The Iranian regime has left little doubt that it intends to see Israel 'wiped off the map.' Hamas is using the same language, not coincidentally, and has announced it will begin launching missiles into Israel from the West Bank too."

"If the world doesn't act to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions, it must be prepared for the consequences of Israel defending itself."

*

Judges:

Our nation is based upon the proposition that our statutes, common law and the Constitution will not only be applied fairly between litigants, but will also be observed by the government. People will be able to rely upon the rules, usually long established, and their consistent application. This engenders respect for the law. It is a sad irony that a nation that is so dedicated to the rule of law is doing so much to undermine the respect for it.

Our founders established an independent federal judiciary to decide cases, not social policy. Yet more and more that is exactly what it is doing. Roe v. Wade is a classic example. And nowhere is it more apparent than with regard to the issue of church and state.

Many federal judges seem intent on eliminating God from the public schools and the public square in ways that would astound our founding fathers. We never know when a five to four Supreme Court decision will uphold them. They ignore the fact that the founders were protecting the church from the state and not the other way around. Instead of having the basic rules of society changed in the way clearly set forth in the Constitution by two-thirds votes of both Houses and by three-fourths of the states, the entire process is reversed by the stroke of a pen and supporters of the rule of law have the burden placed upon them, which is usually insurmountable.

We have always held our federal judiciary in high esteem, even at a time when most of our institutions are under assault. However, if judges continue to act like politicians they will get the respect currently given to politicians. It is already rapidly headed in that direction. The antidote for this, of course, is good judges...

We have road maps — at least two of them in fact — the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution — to guide us. How can we look at the world without thinking about inalienable rights, and doing everything necessary to protect our country? How can we think of fiscal policy or even health-care policy without remembering the limitations appropriately placed upon government and the importance of individual freedom?

This is a message that needs to be delivered.

*

Latin America:

"When Hugo Chavez officially killed press freedoms, even a big part of Venezuela's far left seemed to realize that they’d created a monster. Unfortunately, it may be too late. He's already packed Venezuela's high court, legislature and military with his loyalists. Right now, he's operating without any check or balance."

"During his rise, Venezuelans say that Chavez spent hours a day on the phone with Castro. Additionally, Castro sent thousands of his Communist apparatchiks to help transition Venezuela from a free country to a totalitarian state."

"Without Cuban 'help,' Venezuela wouldn’t be in the terrible mess it is today. Castro, after all, has been at this since the 1960's and he's given Chavez the benefit of his experience."

"The Venezuelan and Cuban axis of influence operates openly in Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua. They meddled in America's free trade negotiations with Costa Rica and support anti-American candidates and movements all over Latin America. Chavez proved and he still believes that democracies can and should be overthrown by force when he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the democratic Venezuelan government in 1992. After his pardon, he lived in Cuba for two years."

"Today, he's building up Venezuela's military strength rapidly -- claiming it’s to prevent a U.S. invasion. Perhaps the biggest reason for concern is that Chavez has formed strong bonds with Iranian President Ahmadinejad."

"America is facing a growing threat from Latin American totalitarianism and we need to call on those who are most familiar with it to lead the resistance. And the least we can do is free Radio and TV Marti and let them fight for freedom in the realm of ideas."

*

Mexico:

"Let's be realistic about the world we live in. Mexican leaders apparently have an economic policy based on exporting their own citizens, while complaining about US immigration policies that are far less exclusionary than their own.

*

Missile Defense:

"Deterrence alone is no longer an effective strategy. We must also develop the means to defend ourselves from the unpredictable and ever-changing threats we face today. Moreover, by building a missile defense system, we will also prevent the blackmail and coercion that adversaries may employ to limit our freedom of action abroad when our allies or interests are threatened. In addition, we may also deter potential adversaries from pursuing costly and time-consuming programs to build these destructive weapons."

"We all agree that the United States should seek to counter the threat posed by terrorists armed with a weapon of mass destruction. This is why we spend more than $11 billion a year to deal with threat of terrorist attacks. At the same time, though, the $2 billion we spend annually on missile defense is wholly inadequate for addressing the rapidly growing threat of a missile attack. We need to do both in a balanced manner."

"But first, we must change our way of thinking as we seek to develop and employ new systems and technologies. What Thomas Jefferson said 200 years ago still rings true: 'The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.'"

*

National Security:

"National security has to be the overriding issue. We are going into a different era. We've got Islamic fundamentalism, suicide maniacs trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons that says it all."

*

Political Correctness:

"There was a time when American universities were known as havens of free speech, places where controversial ideas could be expressed and discussed. Unfortunately, political correctness has crept into the halls of academia. Then it chained the doors and started duct taping the mouths of anybody who voiced unapproved opinions."

"One of the strangest examples comes from Marquette University in Wisconsin -- where a Dave Barry quip was banned. Last fall, Ph.D. student Stuart Ditsler printed out a short blurb from one of Barry's humor columns and stuck it on his office door. It read, "As Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful and relentless. I refer, of course, to the federal government." Of course, anybody who has ever heard of Dave Barry would know that he wasn't exactly suggesting insurrection."

"The head of Marquette's philosophy department apparently didn't get it. He took down Barry's words and issued a statement that included the words, "while I am a strong supporter of academic freedom. I'm afraid that hallways and office doors are not free-speech zones." Since then, the Marquette philosophy department has stuck to its stance that Barry's words are 'patently offensive,' despite the fact that lots of other doors had slogans pasted on them."

"The thing is that Barry's joke appeared in newspapers all across America. It was and still is available online. Apparently, the blurb is safe for family reading on U.S. breakfast tables and computer screens, but not on a door at a major American University. That's funny too, in a sad sort of way."

*

President Bush:

"It is amazing to me how a man that they say is so dumb fooled so many real smart people. But that's what they're saying about Bush. Bush canoodled the entire Democratic establishment. Absurd on its face, and yet some people want to believe that sort of thing."

*

Republican Party:

"My friends, that's the party (a GOP strong on national defense and smaller government) that I joined and I bet you that's the party you joined. I'm sure that's the party our country needs tonight. We need to make sure that's still our party."

"Pork barrel spending, backbiting and battles over all things large and small are creating a cynicism. I think the American people are looking for somewhere to go and we have to give them somewhere to go."

*

Russia:

"Here is a government apparently run by ex-KGB agents who have no problem blackmailing whole countries by turning the crank on their oil pipelines. They're not doing anything shady, they say. They can’t help it if their opponents are so notoriously accident-prone. Criticize these guys and you might accidentally drink a cup of tea laced with a few million dollars worth of deadly, and extremely rare, radioactive poison. Oppose the Russian leadership, and you could trip and fall off a tall building or stumble into the path of a bullet."

*

Senate Majority Leader Reid:

"Well, you've heard by now that Senate leader Harry Reid insulted one of this country's brightest military minds, Marine Corps General Peter Pace -- calling him 'incompetent.' Saying General Pace is incompetent doesn't even rank near the top of his bizarre statements."

"How could anyone possibly believe, as Reid charges, that our commanding general in Iraq, David Petraeus, is out of touch with what's going on. Surely someone in Reid's position would know that Petraeus is briefed daily on all aspects of Iraq -- from civil to military. Surely he has to know that Petraeus is a true warrior scholar who literally wrote the Army's book on counterinsurgency warfare."

"But Reid's comments are not meant for logical analysis. He proclaimed the war lost some time ago, and the surge as a failure even before the additional troops were on the ground. The problem is that every one of Reid's comments I've noted here has also been reported gleefully by Al Jazeera and other anti-American media. Whether he means to or not, he’s encouraging our enemies to believe that they are winning the critical war of will."

*

Socialized Medicine:

"We're being told that government bureaucrats can take over our entire medical industry -- which by the way is the best and most complex in the world -- and make it better."

"It used to be a lot easier to make the case for nationalizing health care before we actually started looking at the countries that have it. A lot of people don't seem to have noticed but, in recent years, the grand experiments in bureaucratic medicine are coming apart at the seams."

*

Stem Cell Research:

"I'm for adult stem cell research, not stem cell research where embryos of unborn children are destroyed. It looks to me like there is a lot of promising developments as far as adult stem cell research is concerned anyway, and we don't need to go down that other road."

*

Taxes:

"Lower marginal tax rates have proven to be a key to prosperity now by Kennedy, Reagan and Bush. It's time millionaires serving in the Senate learned not to overly tax other people trying to get wealthy."

"Tax rates should be as low as possible. This isn't anything ideological, and it really isn't some great insight. It's common sense arithmetic."

"The Democrats, of course, want to raise taxes. They only want to target the rich, they say. A word of advice to anyone in the middle class — don't stand anywhere near that target. Wouldn't it be great if, instead of worrying so much about how to divide the pie, we could work together on how to make the pie bigger?"

*

Term Limits:

"George Washington served eight years and left town, and I think his example ought to be more the rule than the exception."

"Sometimes I think that I'm the last guy around who still thinks term limits is a good idea. The professionalization of politics saps people's courage. Their desire to keep their job and not upset anybody overrides all else — even if it hurts the country."

*

Terrorism:

"We're living in a nation beset by suicidal maniacs."

"For years, CAIR has claimed to represent millions of American Muslims. In fact, they claim to represent more Muslim in American than ... there are in America. This has alarmed Americans in general as the group often seems to be more aligned with our enemies than us — which isn't surprising as it spun off from a group funded by Hamas. As you know, Hamas has been waging a terrorist war against Israel and calls for its total destruction. It also promises to see America destroyed. Nowadays, Hamas is busy murdering its Palestinian political rivals."

"I warned that there should be no place on Earth where terrorists can rest and train and practice their deadly skills. I meant it. I said that we would act with others, if possible, and alone if necessary to ensure that terrorists have no sanctuary anywhere."

"Our choice is not whether or not we will fight. Our choice is where we will fight."

*

Tort Reform:

"I wonder if Jefferson and Madison thought that we should pick the result we want based upon who we perceive to be the good guys and the bad guys, then get there any way we can?"

"For the record, I oppose the federal regulation of any fees negotiated by two competent parties at the state and local level. This goes for lawyers, doctors, butchers, bakers, or the occasional candlestick maker. Even if excessive fees offend congressional sensibilities, there are other remedies that make far more sense than the federal one."

*

Washington:

"I think the biggest problem we have is the disconnect between Washington and the rest of the United States."

"Too many leaders encourage you to just send all your money to Washington and tell you they will solve all your problems. They'll spend your money and at the same time take away your freedom."

*

War and Peace:

"Hopefully, we can build bridges, but we also have to draw lines."

"You can't buy peace by just wishing it and avoiding the challenges that other nations present to you."

*

Zimbabwe:

"If there's a hell on earth, it's probably Zimbabwe. Life expectancies in the landlocked nation in the South of Africa are the world's lowest. Reports say women live an average of 35 years; men a bit longer. Four in five people are unemployed. Government printing presses run day and night to produce enough money to keep the military from rebelling, so inflation is at an annual rate of 3,700 percent and rising. Cash loses over ten percent of its value everyday."

"It wasn't always that way. Before Robert Mugabe's government took power a quarter of a century ago, this land was one of the most prosperous in Africa. Known as the breadbasket of south Africa, it exported food to the rest of the continent. Then Mugabe was elected. He used his office to destroy his own market economy, silence the press, murder his opposition and persecute minority ethnic groups, black and white alike. Zimbabwe was, by any account, the most disastrously managed economy on the planet."

"Two United Nations agencies have just released a report saying that 4 million people in Zimbabwe are in danger of starving. That's a third of the entire country's population. Take note that I said 'two United Nations agencies' are predicting the mass starvation."

"The reason I want you to take note of that is that, last month, the same United Nations elected Mugabe's Zimbabwe to lead the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. That's the organization charged with promoting sound long-term economies."

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‘Superfit’ Fred hits campaign trail running

HE IS running for president – literally. Every day Fred Thompson rises at dawn and hits the gym to get himself into shape for the White House race, according to a close confidant.

“He’s really prepping himself physically and mentally for the campaign. It’s like Bruce Spring-steen getting ready for the big tour,” the source added.

The fitness drive is part of Thompson’s attempt to inject energy into his 2008 presidential bid, which he will launch formally on Thursday.

At 6ft 5in in his gym shoes, the former senator for Tennessee and star of the television series Law & Order is not short on stature, but he has been putting aside time for a personal trainer and is said to be “svelte and in tremendous shape”.

A battle bus is ready to roll with the slogan “Security, Unity and Prosperity”, taking him to five states. He will appear on the Jay Leno Show, where Arnold Schwarzenegger launched his campaign for California governor.

He had better get cracking, Republicans warn. Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W Bush, said: “From the moment that Thompson declares, he has about a one-week window for people to say he’s for real or not. If people get a let-down feeling after his announcement, because he got in so late, it will be harder for him to recover.”

After a phenomenal start to his unofficial bid for the White House last spring, Thompson’s campaign nearly ran out of puff over the summer as the would-be candidate dithered about when to enter the race.

The high point was an audience with Baroness Thatcher in London in June – the nearest thing to a blessing from the late President Ronald Reagan. Thompson had been expected to announce a fortnight later, but feared his organisation was in poor shape. As the weeks drifted by, the enthusiasm of his “Fredhead” supporters waned, his fundraising hit a wall and his poll numbers deflated.

A series of top aides were hired and fired and his wife Jeri, a former Republican consultant, was accused of micro-managing his campaign. She was the one person on top of the job, friends say, and will remain influential.

By the time Thompson was lolling around the Iowa State Fair last month, wearing Gucci loafers on a golf cart instead of going on a walkabout like every other candidate, his closest advisers were appalled by the squandered momentum. The YouTube clips of a seemingly “lazy” Thompson played to the image of a candidate who lacked the fire in the belly to run.

Speculation mounted that Thompson, 65 – who has suffered from lymphoma, a form of cancer, which is in remission – was in poor health. He was losing weight, it was noted. But he was in reality turning into a lean campaigning machine, according to friends. “He knows the race is going to be physically gruelling and he is all psyched up,” one said. “It’s look at you, man!”

Supporters hope Thompson’s summer of playing “footsie” with the voters will be forgotten once he campaigns in earnest. He intends to fill a gap in the presidential market for a robust conservative with a populist touch.

“You look at my voting record on taxes, regulations, national security, abortion-related issues and guns,” Thompson said. “By any measure, I’ve got a conservative voting record and I think those are the principles our country was founded on.”

The mantra of the new revitalised effort is “Let Fred be Fred”. Bill Lacy, who recently took charge of his White House bid, ran Thompson’s senatorial campaign in Tennessee in 1994. He was lagging in the polls when he climbed into a red pickup truck, drove around the state and impressed people with his southern good ol’ boy style. Lacy had initially thought the truck was a bad idea. “Fred had the good sense to ignore my advice,” he recalled. “It was classic Hollywood. A happy ending.”

This time, Thompson intends to use the internet to maximum effect, having noted early on how a video produced by a supporter of Barack Obama showing Hillary Clinton as 1984’s Big Brother went viral.

He is pursuing a risky strategy, however, by snubbing traditional voters in New Hampshire, a key primary state. He is skipping this week’s Republican presidential debate, although the other top contenders will all be present. Thompson also faces a strong rival in Rudolph Giuliani, who has consolidated his position as Republican frontrunner over the summer and leads him by nearly 12 points. However, the thrice-married former mayor of New York is vulnerable to attacks over his private life.

Thompson will be seeking to detach voters from Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a Mormon, who has a slick, well financed campaign and is beginning to win over evangelical Christian voters. “If we had Romney’s organisation and Fred’s personality, the race would be over,” said a Thompson insider. He has already had a near fatal impact on John McCain’s campaign. The Vietnam war hero is now down to 11% in the polls.

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HURON – Fred Thompson won the first-ever South Dakota Republican Party Presidential Straw Poll at the South Dakota State Fair Aug. 30 through Sept. 3, 2007.

Thompson bested the field of nine garnering 25 percent of the vote. He was followed by Rudy Giuliani who received 19 percent; John McCain received 14 percent, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney each received 13 percent; Ron Paul received 8 percent; Duncan Hunter received 4 percent; Sam Brownback received 3 percent; and Tom Tancredo received 1 percent of the vote.

More than 500 people voted in the poll which was conducted at the South Dakota State Fair. Voting was open to anyone who will be 18 by the June 3, 2008, primary.

“We had a phenomenal response from the voters in South Dakota,” said South Dakota Republican Party Executive Director Max Wetz. “This was a unique opportunity for voters to support their favorite candidate and we are very pleased with the turnout.”

 

http://www.southdakotagop.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=5984

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 Fred Thompson Announces His Candidacy For President

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Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is planning to endorse former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) when Thompson announces his entry into the presidential race Thursday.

A spokesman for Cochran said the senator will support Thompson, but won’t release a statement expressing his support until after Thompson announces his bid.

Thompson is expected to make his announcement in a 15-minute video on his website, and then head out on a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. Including Cochran’s, Thompson has 20 endorsements from Capitol Hill lawmakers.

A constantly updated list of congressional endorsements for the White House can be found at http://thehill.com/endorsements-2008.....

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