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FRED THOMPSON
"Global competition and a
growing economic disparity among our citizens are challenges. But how
we react to them is more important than the challenges themselves.
Some want us 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. We're not afraid
of globalization. It works to our benefit. We innovate more and invest
in that innovation better than anywhere else in the world. Same thing
goes for services. 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?" -
Fred Thompson
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Statistics
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| CAMPAIGN
SLOGAN: "SECURITY. UNITY. PROSPERITY." |
| FULL
NAME: Frederick Dalton
Thompson |
| DATE
OF BIRTH: August 19, 1942 |
| AGE: 65 |
| ASTROLOGICAL
SIGN: Leo |
| SPOUSE: Jeri
Kehn |
| CHILDREN: Tony,
Daniel, Hayden, and Samual |
| PETS: None |
| RESIDENCE: McLean,
VA |
| RELIGION: United
Church of Christ |
| PROFESSION: Attorney |
| ALTERNATE
CAREER CHOICE: Actor |
| TALENTS: Acting |
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QUICK
FACT: In 1977
Fred represented Marie Ragghianti, a Tennessee Parole Board
chairperson, in a case involving firing under suspicious circumstances. The
jury found that Marie had been fired "arbitrarily and capriciously"
and ordered her reinstatement with an award of $38,000. The scandal
later became the subject of a 1983 book, Marie, by Peter Maas,
and then a movie directed by Roger Donaldson. Donaldson asked Fred if
he would play himself in the movie, and Fred agreed. The resulting
film, Marie, was released in 1985.
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| OFFICIAL
WEBSITE: http://www.fred08.com/Index.aspx |
| CONTACT:
http://www.fred08.com/Contact/Contact.aspx |
Biography -
Frederick Dalton "Fred" Thompson
is an American lawyer, lobbyist,
and character
actor. He represented Tennessee
as a Republican
in the U.S. Senate from 1994 through 2003. He is a member of the Council
on Foreign Relations and a Visiting Fellow with the American
Enterprise Institute, specializing in national
security and intelligence. As an actor, Thompson has performed in film and on television. He has
frequently portrayed governmental
figures. Thompson describes himself as a conservative.
He 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?'"
Fred Thompson was born
in Sheffield, Alabama,
to Ruth Inez (Bradley) and Fletcher Session Thompson, an automobile
salesman. He attended public school in Lawrenceburg,
Tennessee, including Lawrence County High School. In
1959, at the age of 17, Thompson married Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey, and their first child, a son, was born in
1960.
Another son and a daughter were born soon thereafter. Thompson entered Florence State College,
becoming the first member of his family to go to
college.
He subsequently transferred to Memphis
State University where he earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy
and political
science in 1964. While Thompson was
attending law school, both he and his wife worked to pay for his education
and support their three children. Thompson earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt
University Law School in 1967 and was admitted to the State
Bar of Tennessee that same year. He worked as an assistant U.S.
attorney from 1969 to 1972.
Thompson was the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator
Howard
Baker's successful re-election in 1972, which led to a close
personal 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. According to
Fox
News, Thompson was responsible for Sen. Baker 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?" 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 thirty years."
In 1977
Thompson took on the case of Marie Ragghianti, a wrongly fired Tennessee Parole Board
chairperson. Thompson confirmed that
her firing was due to her refusal to release from prison felons who
had bribed aides of Governor Ray
Blanton to buy their freedom. A jury found that
Governor Blanton had fired her "arbitrarily and capriciously" and
ordered her reinstatement with an award of $38,000 for back pay. Thompson's work in helping to expose this
cash-for-clemency scheme ultimately toppled Blanton from power. The 1977
Tennessee Parole Board scandal later became the subject of a 1983 book, Marie,
and a 1985 movie, also titled Marie. That same year Fred and his wife Sarah
divorced.
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Thompson worked primarily as an
attorney, with law offices in Nashville and Washington, DC. His work
included serving as special counsel to the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee in 1980 and the Senate
Intelligence Committee in 1982.
Among the cases Thompson handled in his private law practice were personal
injury claims and the defense of individuals accused of white
collar crimes.
Some of his clients have been foreign corporations, such as a German mining
group and Japan's Toyota Motors Corporation.
Thompson has also served on various corporate boards; for example, in the
1990s, he did legal work for the engineering firm Stone
& Webster, while serving on its board
of directors.
In 1994, Thompson was elected to finish the remaining two years of
Al
Gore's Senate term due to the election of Gore as Vice
President of the United States. During the 1994 campaign,
Thompson's opponent was longtime Nashville Congressman Jim
Cooper. Thompson defeated Cooper in a landslide upset victory, and was
re-elected in 1996.
Senator Susan
Collins of Maine has said: "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." In the 2000 Republican presidential primaries, Thompson
endorsed Senator John
McCain's bid and became his national co-chairman. When control of the Senate passed from Republican to Democratic in 2001,
Thompson became the ranking minority member of the Committee on
Governmental Affairs.
In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the
cast of the NBC television
series Law
& Order, playing Arthur
Branch. While Thompson was still serving in the Senate, he filmed
his parts during Senate recesses. Thompson has made occasional appearances in the same role on Law
& Order: Special Victims Unit, Law
& Order: Criminal Intent, and Conviction. On June 29, 2002, Thompson married Republican
consultant Jeri Kehn. They have two children together. 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,"
and remains supportive of that invasion.
After the retirement of
Supreme
Court Associate
Justice Sandra
Day O'Connor in 2005, Thompson was appointed by
President Bush to guide the nomination of John
Roberts through the United
States Senate confirmation process. In 2006 he served on the advisory
board of the legal defense fund for I.
Lewis ("Scooter") Libby, Jr. who was indicted and convicted of lying to federal investigators during their investigation of
the Plame
affair. The Scooter Libby Legal Defense Fund Trust raised more than $5
million to finance the legal defense of Vice President Dick Cheney's
former chief of staff. After President 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."
In 2006, Thompson 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, such as: Thompson supports free
trade and low taxes; Thompson supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq,
but believes mistakes have been made since then; and Thompson believes Iran's
threats of war should be taken seriously.
(See http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=22003.)
(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Thompson.)
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Platform
Issues -
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| National
Security: |
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The first
responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the
homeland, and our way of life. Today we face the urgent threat of
radical Islamic terrorists. Al Qaeda is committed to attacking us here
at home, and wants to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to kill
millions. We must never give them that opportunity. We must defeat the
terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the
central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the
will to fight and win. A weakened America - or an America that appears
weaker - will only encourage further attacks. We must persevere. As
Commander-in-Chief, the president must ensure the United States has
the means to achieve victory. Presidential leadership requires talking
to the American people about these stakes, mapping out a clear vision
for success, and devising a comprehensive strategy for achieving it.
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| Federal
Budget & Spending/Budgetary Reform: |
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In a few short
years—not a generation from now—a fiscal tsunami that could
imperil our security and economic prosperity will hit our nation and
place an unfair burden of debt on our children and grandchildren. The
tens of trillions of dollars in debt that will be accumulated over the
next few decades will do immense harm to our economy. This burden is
now estimated at $170,000 per person and $440,000 per family. Time is
running out to address this looming crisis. We need market-based
approaches to reform that guarantee benefits for those who need them
and embrace personal responsibility and cost-effectiveness without
raising taxes. Given the scope and urgency of this problem, and the
burden it will place on our children, reform is not only an economic
necessity, it is a moral imperative that requires action now.
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| Tax
Reform: |
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The U.S. tax
code is broken and a burden on U.S. taxpayers and businesses, large
and small. Today’s tax code is particularly hostile to savings and
investment, and it shows. To make matters worse, its complexity is a
drag on our productivity and economic growth. Moreover, taxpayers
spend billions of dollars and untold hours each year filling out
complicated tax returns, just so they can send more money to
Washington, much of it for wasteful programs and the pet projects of
special interests. We need lower taxes, and we need to let taxpayers
keep more of their hard-earned dollars—they know best where and how
to spend them. And we need to make the system simpler and fairer for
all.
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| Healthcare: |
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Americans have
the best healthcare in the world. Some, however, choose not be
insured; others cannot afford it. Every American should be able to get
health insurance coverage that is affordable, fully accessible, and
portable. Coverage should meet their individual needs and put them in
control. Those who propose a one-size-fits-all Washington-controlled
program ignore the cost, inefficiency, and inadequate care that such a
system offers. Access to affordable, portable health care can be made
available for all Americans without imposing new mandates or raising
taxes. Current government programs must also be streamlined and
improved so that those who truly need help can get the health care
they need.
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| Government
Effectiveness: |
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Our government
is outdated, inefficient, and wasteful. It is often unable to perform
even the most basic tasks our citizens expect. It is no longer enough
just to want limited government; the American people deserve more
effective government. Given today’s challenges, we cannot
afford—and shouldn’t accept—anything less than a nimble,
effective, and efficient government that is able to focus its
resources on the important issues facing our country. It must be able
act on behalf of the American people and our national interests in a
timely manner. The key to competent government is strong, committed
leadership from the top. The key to good government is good people who
are well-managed and put the national interest first.
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| Building
Strong Families: |
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Strong families
are the bedrock of our nation and our culture. They are built
around the sanctity of life and the institution of marriage, which is
the union of a man and a woman. To counter coarseness in
today’s culture that oftentimes victimizes our children and
undermines the traditional values parents want to instill, we must not
only protect but strengthen the institutions of family and marriage. |
| Immigration: |
|
The United
States is a nation of immigrants. Throughout our history, legal
immigrants have brought energy, ideas, strength, and diversity to our
country, our economy, and our culture. This must continue. But in the
post-9/11 world, immigration is more of a national security issue. A
government that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter
and who may not, abrogates a fundamental responsibility. |
| Education: |
|
A well-educated
citizenry is vital to our security, our economy, and our democracy.
Despite the tens of billions of dollars spent on education by
Washington each year, and the hundreds of federal education programs
now in place, our children are still falling behind, particularly in
subjects crucial to the global economy in which we live. At a time
when America is behind other developed countries in education
excellence, the federal role in education is too intrusive and too
bureaucratic, and has become part of the problem. State and local
governments are closest to the parents, the kids, and the schools, and
best situated to implement changes and innovations that best educate
children. |
| Appointing
Judges Faithful to our Constitution: |
|
Activist judges
across the country seem intent on legislating from the bench to
promote a culture of abortion, redefine marriage, and undermine
families—in effect re-shaping the values of our entire society
without the consent of the people. We need judges who recognize
their role in our democracy is to interpret, not make, the law. |
| Energy
Security: |
|
The energy
challenges our nation faces today are real and significant. Our
dependence on foreign sources of oil threatens our national security
and puts our economic prosperity at risk. America must rise to the
challenge and take the steps necessary to become more energy
independent before this becomes a crisis. No one solution will solve
the energy challenges we face; all ideas must be on the table. Greater
energy security will enhance our ability to pursue our foreign policy
and national security objectives. Increasing our energy independence
and investing in alternative energy sources will also produce a
healthier environment. And while we don’t know for certain how or
why climate change is occurring, it makes sense to take reasonable
steps to reduce CO2 emissions without harming our economy. |
| Second
Amendment: |
|
I strongly
support the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects an
individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Gun control is touted as a
major crime-control measure. But some of the places with the strictest
gun-control laws also have high violent-crime rates. Disarming
law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime. The answer to violent
crime is smart, effective, and aggressive law enforcement. The real
effect of these gun-control measures is to place onerous restrictions
on law-abiding citizens who use firearms for such legal activities as
self-defense, sport-shooting, hunting, and collecting. |
(See http://www.fred08.com/Principles/PrinciplesSummary.aspx.)
(See http://www.issues2000.org.)
FRED THOMPSON QUOTES
"In the post-9/11
world, immigration is much more of a national security issue. A government
that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter and who may not,
fails in a fundamental responsibility. As we take steps to secure our
borders and enforce our laws, we must also ensure that our immigration laws
and policies advance our national interests in a variety of areas, and that
the immigration process itself is as fair, efficient, and effective as
possible."
"The United States is
committed to the security of Israel and the safety of the Israeli people.
The historical, familial and cultural ties of our peoples are the basis of
this commitment. It is strengthened by the shared values and shared
interests of our nations. Our mutual goal is an economically and militarily
strong Israel at peace with its neighbors. We must exercise our traditional
leadership role in the region and continue our longstanding support to
Israel to achieve this vision."
(See http://www.fred08.com/index.aspx.)
We thank the following resources:
Fred Thompson Official Website
http://www.fred08.com/index.aspx
Project Vote Smart
http://www.vote-smart.org
Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.com
On the Issues
http://www.issues2000.org
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