09/06/2007
Former Senator Fred Thompson Joins GOP Presidential Candidates
The GOP has another potential candidate, as former Tennessee senator and actor Fred Thompson finally announced his candidacy last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He also posted a web video announcing his run (below, right) that, among other things, took direct aim at Hillary Clinton.
Thompson on Leno: "I'm running for President of the United States. A lot of people have been, of course, running for some time. Everybody kind of changed the rules. Usually you don't announce until after Labor Day, but they started running a lot earlier, spending millions of dollars and so forth, and everyone said that you couldn't run this year without raising a hundred million dollars and starting much earlier. I don't believe that. I wasn't in the room when they made the rules; so I had to kind of follow my own lead. So we started around the kitchen table in late March talking about it, thinking about it, thinking about what kind of world and what kind of country our kids were going to grow up in and how many people have a chance to do something about it. And I decided that it was time for me to step up. So I did."
Thompson's voting record on gay rights is not surprising. He voted "no" on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation, he voted "yes" on DOMA, he voted "no" on a federal bill to prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and his position on a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage is "against", preferring to let the states decide.
He has said: "I think that 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."
(Tonight Show video via Talking Points Memo)
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 8:35 AM EST by Andy in Election 2008, Fred Thompson, News, Republican Party, Tennessee | Permalink
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"And I'm for the rights of everybody, including gays, but not any special rights."
And there's your talking point.
He's trying to come across as a laid back, tolerant "conservative". The whole "state's rights" nonsense is a throwback to the days of segregation - and is a common GOP meme. The "Party of Lincoln" no more, y'all.
I'd love for someone to actually ask Republicans exactly what "special rights" they're talking about. From my perspective, it seems that all that the gay and lesbian community wants is the same rights as everyone else.
Posted by: Jonathon | Sep 6, 2007 8:56:52 AM
That's why it is important that we use the term "marriage equality" and NOT "gay marriage". "Gay marriage" makes it sound like we're asking for something special, something new, something different when what we're really asking for is to be fully and equally included in an EXISTING institution; nothing more, nothing less, NOTHING special.
On a lighter note: Is Kelsey Grammar Fred Thompson's love child?
Posted by: Zeke | Sep 6, 2007 9:07:56 AM
"Special Rights" are the ones reserved for heterosexual, so it's important that no one else gets them.
Posted by: Robguy | Sep 6, 2007 9:21:28 AM
Yeah, that's just what we need, folks -- another rotting, sepulchre of bigotry and ignorance. Another republican fossil. Screw you, Fred Thompson and your "special rights." The rights we claim are those promised ALL citizens in the Bill of Rights. Read it, motherfucker, and weep!
Posted by: the queen | Sep 6, 2007 9:40:56 AM
He's a little more fun than the others but nothing really like the character he plays in L&O.
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Sep 6, 2007 9:45:49 AM
He'll never make it. An empty suit.
Oh, and why didn't Jay ask him exactly what rights are "Special rights"?
Jay an asshole.
Posted by: dc-20008 | Sep 6, 2007 9:53:03 AM
I think there should be a moratorium on rich white men from being president. Why has America...the land of opportunity and diversity voted for stupid white men 100% of the time? Yet they only represent 37% of the population. Wake up America! O say can't you see that these idiots are ruining this country...and world!
Posted by: vinny | Sep 6, 2007 9:57:37 AM
Isn't limiting marriage to heterosexuals a special right just for them?
Posted by: Patrick | Sep 6, 2007 10:00:41 AM
This bitch will always be the evil Mr. Wellman of Wellman Plastics to me.
Posted by: Rey | Sep 6, 2007 10:15:15 AM
Bigotry thy name is GOP.
Posted by: Gary | Sep 6, 2007 10:17:12 AM
Honestly I am a registered Republican, but Id like to see a Republican defeat in 2008.
Until we have equality the Republican Party should be defeated until they get the message right.
Posted by: Matt from California | Sep 6, 2007 10:53:44 AM
The last line made me verbalize "fuck you" at work... Here's some hate right back at you: I hope you perish from this Earth the way Regan did, ass.
Posted by: Russell | Sep 6, 2007 11:24:23 AM
The last line made me verbalize "fuck you" at work... Here's some hate right back at you: I hope you perish from this Earth the way Regan did, ass.
Posted by: Russell | Sep 6, 2007 11:24:47 AM
When will all the gays in the world be happy?
Posted by: John | Sep 6, 2007 11:33:37 AM
ENOUGH preaching to each other on blogs and print gay media! We're deep in this election campaign, we've had the exalted HRC candidates forum, etc., so it is far past time that we demand that HRC, NGLTF, etc., stop being worthless,paper tiger pansies and join together and, taking a page from the GOP tactics book Hillary finally learned from, FIGHT THE FUCK BACK everytime someone like Thompson utters such dishonest bullshit before millions of people. Pester the news networks, newspapers, etc, until they allow them on to refute such crap. Don't wait for a fucking invitation. Don't just send out another worthless, self-righteous press release that just gets ignored. Flood their switchboards. Show up at their offices unannounced. Chain yourself to their doors but FIGHT goddamn it!!!!!! It's 2000 fucking 7 and our PAID "leaders" are STILL letting the homohaters control the floor. Grab the ball back!!!
FIGHT goddamn it!!!!!!
FIGHT goddamn it!!!!!!
FIGHT goddamn it!!!!!!
FIGHT goddamn it!!!!!!
FIGHT goddamn it!!!!!!
Posted by: Leland Frances | Sep 6, 2007 12:06:55 PM
Right on, Leland!
Posted by: the queen | Sep 6, 2007 12:20:38 PM
That was the best call to arms I've heard since the soul stirring battle cry of the blue-faced and kilted William Wallace in Braveheart.
I'm with ya brother!
Posted by: Zeke | Sep 6, 2007 12:56:18 PM
Thompson is a bigger idiot than Reagan and possibly Bush (but that's a big mountain to climb).
I have a friend who lives in Nashville, and it was in the Tennessean newspaper today all about him: and he believes the solar system is warming the earth, (NOT global warming). He is against Roe vs. Wade, against gun control (of course), is for the war, (natch), is for a flat 23% national sales tax instead of all federal taxes (?), opposes a gas tax to raise money to repair crumbling bridges & roads (since they don't need repair). All in addition to being against the gay rights issue.
Not only am I going to fight against this bastard, but my friend is taking it one step further, and is going to infiltrate his campaign headquarters as a "volunteer" in order to sabotage in some way, which he is very capable of doing, since he has a flawless background and is well-connected, but hates Republicans (even though his family are rabid old-schoolers). I can smell another Republican scandal in the works.
Posted by: Jordan | Sep 6, 2007 1:18:24 PM
With the advent of Thompsons announcement the Republicans have their own well rounded field of candidates to choose from.
McCain flew attack missions during the LBJ/Nixon Democrat/Republican illegal war against the Vietnamese. He wants to be treated like a hero for killing Vietnamese. He wants to be commander in chief and organize the killing of a lot of Iraqis. He needs to be institutionalized.
Brownback is a christian totalitarian and proud of it. Keep your eye on this one – his audacity and reactionary views will attract those in need of a fuehrer. He knows all about the camps and what ‘up the chimney’ means.
Giuliani in or out of drag takes one step forward and two steps backward every time he opens his mouth about gay and lesbian equality, not unlike Senator Clinton. His pandering will earn him our contempt AND that of the totalitarian christians.
Ala Reagan, Fred Thompson, another soon to be senile old actor, will do and say what his coaches tell him to do to get elected. However, his antigay hatred is genuine, not scripted.
And there’s that twit from Arkansas, but he doesn’t play the sax, like the other twit from Arkansas, so who cares?
Opposed are the serious Democrat candidates who are unanimous in their opposition to full equality for gays and lesbians, who would extend the war in the Persian Gulf, who oppose universal citizenship and constitutional rights for immigrant workers, socialized medicine, and who voted to extend Bush’s Enabling Act, the Patriot Act.
Edwards, who invested his fortune (how DO politicians manage to get so rich?) in a mortgage company that’s currently foreclosing like madm is not the friend of working people he pretends to be.
Clinton agrees with Bush’s almost completed plan to use nukes against Iran and his opposition to the Cuban Revolution.
Obama talks to god. Kucinich and Gravel are too radical to be approved by the party owners.
So, hold you nose and take your pick. In the one paw you have the Democrat/Republicans, and in the other the Republican/Democrats. Of course, you don’t have to vote for your enemies if you don’t want to. Vote for socialist, communist or anticapitalist green parties, or vote for and help build the US Labor Party, funded and controlled by trade unions.
Posted by: Bill Perdue | Sep 6, 2007 3:04:38 PM
Fred Thompson is the NEXT Ronald Reagan!
Discuss Fred at the Neoconservative Fans of Fred Thompson
http://www.fredthompsonforum.com/
Posted by: Fred Thompson Fan | Sep 9, 2007 4:08:51 AM