Los Angeles Times: Fred Thompson calls for continued presence in Iraq

Actor and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson — whose potential candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination has drawn more attention than some of the declared candidates — Friday urged a continued military presence in Iraq as a barrier to even further destabilization in the Middle East.

“I don’t think it’s any question that if we leave Iraq before there is some semblance of stability brought about in that nation … that the world is going to be a more dangerous place,” Thompson said, adding that “as long as those brave people on the front lines who are making our sacrifices for us … say that they have a chance, we need to give them that opportunity to make that work there.”

Thompson, speaking before about 450 people at the annual Lincoln Club of Orange County dinner, warned that failure to stabilize Iraq would lead to more troubles in the future.

“Under the worst set of circumstance there, we’re going to leave a new haven for terrorism; we’re going to leave an area of the world that becomes more and more nuclear,” he said. “Those Sunni nations surrounding Iraq will respond to what Iran is doing … and the whole place will be nuclearized, and that will be bad for us.”

Thompson, who spoke for more than 30 minutes, strayed far from prepared remarks he had posted earlier in the day on his blog at ABCRadio.com.

The prepared text is here.

The San Francisco Chronicle: TV actor, a former senator, lets buzz build in GOP race

OC Register: Thompson makes a pitch

Los Angeles Times: Fred Thompson: Actor. Senator. Presidential candidate?

As a candidate, Thompson would bring a compelling personal saga worthy of People magazine: From humble beginnings, he married at 17, did a star turn in the Senate’s Watergate hearings, dated splashy younger women after his divorce, won a Senate seat and then left it amid the pain of a daughter’s death. Now, at 64, he finds himself the remarried father of an infant and a toddler.

But some associates doubt that Thompson has the driving ambition needed to run for president. Many of the key decisions and opportunities of Thompson’s life have been thrust upon him, not passionately made or sought. He became chairman of a Senate committee by a fluke, not by a laborious climb up the seniority ladder. His acting career began spontaneously, and since then he has not chosen roles that expand his range or challenge his skills.

“Fred is generally playing a version of himself,” said producer Mace Neufeld, who has worked with Thompson on five films. “I wouldn’t cast him as a Frenchman or a villain.”

Thompson did not make his mark with any big legislative initiatives. “It never occurred to us he would bring much more than his one vote,” said a senior GOP Senate strategist.

He cast the only vote against a bill setting a tougher federal standard for drunk driving, and the lone vote against a bill banning guns in schools. Mark Corallo, who is helping Thompson deal with the media, says those votes reflected Thompson’s view that many issues are better handled by the states.

That belief is also behind the fact that Thompson, while saying he opposes abortion, did not support a constitutional amendment banning abortion, which many conservatives favor.

One big departure from conservatives was Thompson’s support for campaign finance legislation they bitterly opposed. Otherwise, his voting record was in sync with party orthodoxy on such issues as tax cuts, gun control and national security.

Associates say Thompson found the Senate intensely frustrating, with its endless meetings and sluggish procedures.

“One got the impression that he wasn’t excited about being a United States senator,” said G. William Hoagland, a former Senate aide. What is more, he missed acting.

An interview with Fred Thompson after his Lincoln Club Speech is here.

The scrutiny of Fred Thompson has just begun.

Hugh Hewitt who attended last night’s Lincoln Club event said Thompson’s speech was “workmanlike, but given the build-up, underwhelming. With Bob Novak, Carl Cameron, John Fund etc in the room, I was expecting Big Fred to use the occasion to, if not declare, at least show the stuff that has many excited about the prospect of a Thompson race. He may have the music, but he didn’t bring the band last night…. “

“….a man of accomplishment though looking older than I had expected. Is he, I wondered, really running for veep? From six feet away I just didn’t see the energy that will be absolutely required to power the next year-and-a-half of daily meet-and-greets, or the display of the sort of grasp of the new and the emerging to keep an electorate interested.” Emphasis Flap’s

But, of course, Hugh is a flak for the Mitt Romney campaign and knows like Flap that a Fred Thompson candidacy would be a “STAKE IN THE HEART” of a Romney candidacy.

Flap continues to believe that Thompson will be Rudy’s Vice Presidential pick and that indeed he will NOT declare his Presidential candidacy.

If Thompson does declare, the scrutiny will intensify and he will sink like a stone in the polls, delivering the nomination to Rudy Giuliani.

Stay tuned……..

Update:

From David Brody at Christian News

I thought the speech was a mixed bag. It was folksy and funny at times, yet it also felt a little dull and rambling. But that’s the style part. In terms of the more important substance, he seemed to hit all the main conservative red meat themes.

Actor, and former U.S. Senator, Fred Thompson shakes hands with one of the Sea Scouts who performed as color guard at a Lincoln Club Dinner in Newport Beach, California May 4, 2007.

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Fred Thompson Watch: The Southern Problem

Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson to Announce for Presidency in Summer?

Giuliani Notes: Giuliani – Thompson Ticket?

Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson Has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson Takes Bites Out of Rudy and Mitt

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If Fred Thompson gets into the Presidential arena, it will be a stake in Mitt Romney’s heart.

The likely scenario, barring a major gaffe, is that Rudy Giuliani is the next President.

Update:

Hotline has this regarding Thompson’s speech tonight in California. 

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Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson to Announce for Presidency in Summer?

Giuliani Notes: Giuliani – Thompson Ticket?

Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson Has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson Takes Bites Out of Rudy and Mitt

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Actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, center, Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla, left, arrives at the Capitol Hill Club on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 18, 2007 to speak to Republican House members.

Thompson mulling summer announcement

Advisers to Fred Thompson have begun exploring a range of staffing options — including talking to potential campaign managers — as the actor and former Tennessee senator firms up his plans to enter the Republican presidential contest, according to people involved in the conversations.

Thompson has not made a final decision but is on track to be ready to announce his candidacy in June or July, his advisers say. Thompson has already been polling better than some of the announced GOP candidates, and his entry would shake up a field that has left many Republican faithful dissatisfied.

June or July in this Presidential election cycle is too late in the game.

Flap continues to think that this is all bluster and hype so that Thompson can negotiate a better deal for his radio and televison career.

However, should Thompson run, it would put a stake in the heart of Mitt Romney’s candidacy and maybe even McCain’s.

A Giuliani v. Thompson primary battle would be an interesting race.

Would one then consent to be the Vice President?

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Giuliani Notes: Giuliani – Thompson Ticket?

Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson Has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

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Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson Takes Bites Out of Rudy and Mitt

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In this frame grab suppled by Fox News, Republican Fred Thompson, right, the actor-politician who is considering a bid for president, pictured, is intervewed by Fox News Channel’s Neil Cavuto in New York, Wednesday, April 11, 2007. Thompson, 64, told Cavuto that he has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer, but hasn’t been ill or had any symptoms.

AP: Fred Thompson Says He Has Cancer

Republican Fred Thompson, the actor-politician who is considering a bid for president, said Wednesday he has lymphoma, a form of cancer.

In an interview with Fox News, the former Tennessee senator said he is in remission and the diagnosis shouldn’t affect his life expectancy.

Thompson, 64, told Fox News Channel’s Neil Cavuto that he has non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but hasn’t been ill or had any symptoms.

“I am in remission and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future,” the Republican said in a statement to Fox.

Lymphoma is an immune-system cancer that strikes more than 71,000 Americans a year. The vast majority have the non-Hodgkin’s form of lymphoma, a term that encompasses more than 30 different subtypes of the disease.

Some of these subtypes are termed “indolent,” meaning they typically respond well to treatment—patients often go into remission for long periods, but the disease is not cured and may need to be battled back again periodically.

Obviously, Fred Thompson will NOT be a serious contender for the Presidency in 2008. Flap wishes him well but his health at age 64 does not bode well for the stressful and demanding job of the presidency.

This revelation alone is a disqualifier.

But, interesting that this comes out now after a few polls where he has polled better than Mitt Romney and the hordes of third tier candidates. Shouldn’t have Thompson’s health status been released earlier?

But, in any event, put a fork in him for 2008 – Thompson is done.

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Fred Thompson Watch: Thompson Takes Bites Out of Rudy and Mitt

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The New York Sun: Thompson Takes Bites Out of Giuliani, Romney.

The latest USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted Friday through Sunday, on the presidential race is out, and it’s a humdinger. It’s hard to say what the headline even is. Here are a few tries, though:

* Romney’s support drops to within the margin of error of not existing (that’s 3% support in a poll where the margin of error is 3%).

* Giuliani’s support drops 13 percentage points since the last USA Today/ Gallup poll, March 2-4 (that’s gotta hurt).

* Fred Thompson (not running, by the way) is now the No. 3 in the GOP field, at 12%.
Emphasis Cox & Forkum

CBS News: Possible Fred Thompson Candidacy Animates Conservatives.

The possibility that former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee might run for president has animated many conservative leaders who are unhappy with the GOP choices that exist now.They consider Thompson a strong conservative with stellar communications skills and an interesting resume that includes success and fame as a movie and TV actor. All this reminds many of Ronald Reagan, an icon of the right.

“Fred says he might run and he would be a real threat for the Republican nomination,” says a prominent conservative who is neutral in the presidential race so far. The problem: Is Thompson willing to devote the time and energy needed for a run?

So, has Rudy maxed out, Romney died and McCain stopped the bleeding?

Will the conservative White Knight of Fred Thompson move into the arena?

Possibly

A most probable analysis except – Can Thompson beat Hillary?

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New Iowa, New Hampshire Numbers

Did all that access McCain gave to local press on the Straight Talk Express last week pay off?

ARG has new poll numbers out today (methodology and trendlines in the links) from Iowa and New Hampshire that Dick Bennett, the group’s pollster, says reflect two things. First, including Fred Thompson in the mix, which Bennett did, takes support away from Rudy. Second, McCain’s hitting the trail in earnest last week in the two early states has helped him reclaim some Independents who had strayed.

In Iowa, ARG now has McCain and Rudy tied at 29%, with Thompson at 12% and Romney at 10%. 11% of likely caucus goers — a notoriously tough universe to sample — said they were undecided. McCain leads Giuliani 39%-30% among Independents in the Hawkeye State.

In New Hampshire, ARG has McCain at 23% to Rudy’s 19%. Romney gets 17%, Newt 11% and Thompson 10%. 15% of likely Granite State primary voters are undecided. Among Indepdenents there — the folks who powered the maverick to victory in the 2000 New Hampshire primary — McCain’s lead over Rudy grows to 33%-22%.

Lets look at the numbers:

A Fred Thompson candidacy does not bode well for Mayor Giuliani in New Hampshire or Iowa.

But, will Thompson run?

Perhaps – especially since he is polling well without even campaigning.

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The Rudy Giuliani Files

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