Presidential Nominee Profile #1--Fred Thompson

"Republicans need someone like Ronald Reagan, someone everyone knows, someone everyone likes, someone who is conservative and – most importantly – someone who would hold the presidency for eight years. What qualifications would such a candidate need? He would have to be someone who is very articulate and convincing in front of the camera, someone who exudes confidence, someone who naturally appeals to women voters, someone familiar with the news media, someone who has kept very much in the public eye and yet someone who has been away from the mess in Washington for awhile.

Is there such a man? Yes, there is: Fred Thompson. He has been consistently conservative on social policy and his help in getting John Roberts confirmed as Chief Justice to the Supreme Court was critical. Thompson has a record in the Senate and he voted conservative, according to the American Conservative Union, eighty-six percent of the time."--Bruce Walker

I have to say that when I first heard about Fred Thompson's possible run for the White House I wasn't that impressed. I thought, first of all I don't know how impressive this guy is, and if I'm going to get behind an ideal guy who doesn't have a chance I'd get behind Duncan Hunter.

That has all changed for me. I'm not one of these people predicting that he's our next Reagan but I like what I'm seeing. First of all, to know Fred Thompson is to love him, the more I hear, the more I like. Second of all, the fact that he is #2 and even #1 in some polls and has already gotten the backing of some influential people shows that his viability is real. In fact, I will go out on a limb even before he has declared and predict that this race is now his to lose. I think its very likely that Fred Thompson will be the Republican nominee for President in 2008.

WHO IS FRED THOMPSON?

Personal:

--born August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama
--married Sarah Lindsey in 1959 at age 17
--had 3 children with Sarah, 1 whom died in 2002 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs
--divorced from Sarah in 1984 after 25 yrs. of marriage, it was reportedly amicable and according to sources she will help with his campaign for president
--married Jeri Kehn in 2002
--had 2 children with Jeri, one just born in 2006
--he has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but is in remission, it is reportedly indolent, and the lowest of the three grades of NHL, he has said it should not affect his life expectancy
--is a member of the Church of Christ

Schooling:

--Florence State College
--Memphis State University--Degree in philosophy and political science
--Vanderbilt University Law School--JD Degree
--admitted to the State Bar of Tennessee

Law & Political Career:

--assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972
--campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator Howard Baker's successful re-election campaign in 1972
--co-chief counsel to "Watergate Committee" from 1973 to 1974
--maintained law offices in Nashville and Washington, D.C. for the rest of the 70's
--special counsel to Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander in 1980
--special counsel, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1980-1981
--Special counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 1982
--member of the Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission 1985-1987
--worked as a corporate lobbyist in Washington, D.C. from 1975-1992
--elected in landslides to be the U.S. Senator from Tennessee in 1994 and 96

Acting Career:

Most well known for his role in the movie Die Hard 2 and the TV show Law and Order. To see the rest of his acting career go here.

Where he stands on the issues:

--against abortion
--against same-sex marriage
--for school vouchers
--for abstinence education
--for drilling in Anwar
--for Presidential line-item veto
--against gun-control
--for national missile defense system
--for personal social security accounts
--for tax cuts
--strong supporter of the war on terror
--against the current immigration bill, for securing the borders first, for a comprehensive post on his immigration stance, go here
My only 2 qualms:
--supported McCain/Feingold
--voted yes on funding the National Endowment for the Arts (I guess we have to give him this one since he's been an actor)
For a comprehensive list of where Fred Thompson stands on the issues, go here!!

My favorite thing about Fred that I have seen so far is his willingness to be candid and not nauseatingly, politically correct. He has supported Scooter Libby without hesitation, he took on Michael Moore and he seems to have the same core today that he had 30 years ago.

There are a plethora of articles and blog posts out there on Fred Thompson. I have yet to encounter a conservative in the blog world that isn't impressed with him. Below are just some of the many pieces on him.

Sources:
My previous posts on Thompson
Patrick's long list of Fred posts
Astute Blogger posts on Fred
Conservapedia
Wikipedia
Hawks for Thompson
The Next Reagan?
Key Bush Backers rally to Fred Thompson
Peter Robinson interview with Fred
Republican Thompson to meet with Thatcher

Support for Fred Thompson:
I'm with Fred
The Fred Thompson Report
His articles for National Review Online
Maine for Fred Thompson

Freedom

William Wallace Speech

Sir William Wallace of Elerslie is still regarded as Scotlands greatest hero and patriot.

Freedom is always worth fighting for. As I'm preparing for my radio show I've been reflecting on my philosophy towards life and what inspires me. As most of you know Braveheart is my all time favorite movie. It inspires me in a way that no other movie has come close to. Amazing Grace is the only one that has even gotten close.

"Sir William Wallace of Elerslie, hero of Scotland and true patriot, his desire for peace and freedom united the clans, gained the loyalty of the people, struck fear into his enemies and defied the cruel hand of an evil, waring and invading King - Edward 'Longshanks' Plantagenet I of England."

Braveheart was based on some of the true history of Scotland's fight for independence and the man, William Wallace. The movie isn't completely accurate but does base a lot of it on William Wallace's real life. This site prides itself on telling the true story of William Wallace.

"We fight not for glory nor for wealth nor honours; but only and alone we fight for freedom, which no good man surrenders but with his life."--from the Scottish Declaration of Independence signed in 1320 at Arbroath Abbey on the east coast of Scotland.

One of these days I will do a historical profile on William Wallace, but until then watch the William Wallace speech and be inspired to fight for whatever cause it is that you most believe in.

Books:
In Freedom's Cause by G.A. Henty

Freedom Writers

I saw a great movie yesterday. Freedom Writers goes on my list for being one of those movies that empowers and inspires. It is based on the true story of Erin Gruwell, a teacher who reaches out to kids who everyone else has given up on and helps them find their voice. Here is a description of the book on which the movie is based:

"The Freedom Writers Diary is the amazing true story of strength, courage, and achievement in the face of adversity. In the fall of 1994, in Room 203 at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, an idealistic teacher named Erin Gruwell faced her first group of students, dubbed by the administration as "unteachable, at-risk" teenagers. The class was a diverse mix of African-American, Latino, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Caucasian students, many of whom had grown up in rough neighborhoods in Long Beach. In the first few weeks of class, the students made it clear that they were not interested in what their teacher had to say, and made bets about how long she would last in their classroom.

Then a pivotal moment changed their lives forever. When a racial caricature of one of the African-American students circulated the classroom, Erin Gruwell angrily intercepted the drawing and compared it to the Nazi caricatures of Jews during the Holocaust. To her amazement, the students responded with puzzled looks. Erin Gruwell was appalled to discover that many of her students had never heard of the Holocaust. When she asked how many in her class had been shot at, however, almost all of them raised their hands, and began lifting their shirts to show their scars. This initiated a battle-scar show-and-tell that left Erin Gruwell shocked and inspired to take advantage of the powerful energy she had sparked.

By fostering an educational philosophy that valued and promoted diversity, she transformed her students' lives. She encouraged them to rethink rigid beliefs about themselves and others, to reconsider daily decisions, and to rechart their futures. With Erin's steadfast support, her students shattered stereotypes to become critical thinkers, aspiring college students, and citizens for change. They even dubbed themselves the "Freedom Writers" - in homage to the Civil Rights activists the "Freedom Riders" - and published a book."

Erin Gruwell faced a lot of obstacles, not only did people not support her but many tried to thwart her every step of the way. It was a good reminder for me that when you have a cause worth fighting for you can persevere even if you don't get the support that you would desire. In fact, sometimes you will be abandoned in your cause, that doesn't make it any less worthy.

May God Comfort Kelsey Smith's Loved Ones

A local Kansas City girl, Kelsey Smith (18) disappeared Saturday night after going on a short errand to Target. Her body was found by searchers yesterday around 1:30 pm. Late last night the police announced that they had arrested 26 year old Edwin Hall in connection with her kidnapping and murder.

News of her disappearance made it on the national news and Greta spent a good portion of her show yesterday and the day before talking about it. It is a tragedy whenever this happens. A friend and I were talking about how unsettling it is because she didn't do anything that would've remotely put herself in danger. Alls she did was make a routine trip to Target.

Kudos to the police and all those who helped the family in their search. Despite how heartbreaking all of this has been I'm so relieved for the family that they found her and her killer so quickly. It always bothers me when families don't have any kind of closure and continue to be tortured by not knowing.

That said, my heart and prayers go out to Kelsey's family and friends. May God bless and comfort them. Kelsey's father made a statement and included Psalm 46. Here are the first 3 verses:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

President Bush Fed Up With UN's Lack of Action on Darfur

"I promise this to the people of Darfur: the United States will not avert our eyes from a crisis that challenges the conscience of the world."--President George W. Bush

The genocide in Darfur is one of those issues that I care deeply about. I did a comprehensive post on it a year ago where I highlight what was going on and what could be done to stop it. As I pointed out a year ago, I was skeptical that the UN would make any real steps to actually solve the problem. They have done nothing but pass resolutions which isn't effective in curbing the violence and President Bush has had enough.

Steve Paterno, a Sudanese man living in the US, points out how Bush has cared about this issue and has done much more than past administrations to change things in the Sudan and of course, has gotten little credit for it. Here is some of what he had to say:

"When it comes to Sudan, President Bush knows it too well that he dedicated most of his efforts and time to issues affecting Sudan. There are even rumors that he has been nicknamed within the White House circles as "Sudan Desk Officer." It has been alleged that President Bush does not only passionately taken into heart the problems affecting Sudan but also developed some level of expertise on Sudan in the course of his tenure as president of the U.S."

"It was in 2002, that the U.S. under the leadership of President George W. Bush took serious initiatives to broker a peaceful settlement between the North and South Sudan. If history will record Iraq, Iran, North Korea as President Bush’s international diplomatic blunders, and then the same history will favorably record the peaceful settlement between the North and South Sudan as President Bush’s successful diplomatic legacy. President Bush enthusiastically involved in the North-South peace agreement."

Now Bush is taking things a step further and issuing tough economic sanctions. He spoke on this last Tuesday. Here is some of what he had to say:

"For too long, the people of Darfur have suffered at the hands of a government that is complicit in the bombing, murder, and rape of innocent civilians. My administration has called these actions by their rightful name: genocide. The world has a responsibility to help put an end to it.

Last month I announced that the United States was prepared to take new steps if the government of Sudan did not allow the full deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force; if the government did not begin living up to its many commitments, that the United States would act. I made clear that the time for promises was over, and that President Bashir had to do something to end the suffering.

I held off implementing these steps because the United Nations believed that President Bashir could meet his obligations to stop the killing, and would meet his obligations to stop the killing. Unfortunately, he hasn't met those obligations. President Bashir's actions over the past few weeks follow a long pattern of promising cooperation while finding new methods for obstruction.

One day after I spoke, the military bombed a meeting of rebel commanders designed to discuss a possible peace deal with the government. In following weeks, he used his army and government-sponsored militias to attack rebels and civilians in South Darfur. He's taken no steps to disarm these militias in the year since the Darfur peace agreement was signed. Senior officials continue to oppose the deployment of the U.N. peacekeeping force.

The result is that the dire security situation on the ground in Darfur has not changed. And so today, at my instruction, the United States has taken the steps I announced in April. First, the Department of Treasury is tightening U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan. With this new effort, the United States will more aggressively enforce existing sanctions against Sudan's government."

Once again I am extremely proud of my President for standing up to evil and doing something about it. A liberal whined last week that I hadn't done any I love Bush posts lately, well consider this the latest edition ;-)!!

Others blogging:
Gateway Pundit
Politik Ditto (He named Bush his person of the week for his action on Darfur!)

I Thank You American Heroes!

"People across this country are praying."

"We thank God that Liberty found such brave defenders."

"I want you to know that our nation appreciates your commitment and your sacrifice in the cause of peace and freedom."--President George W. Bush

I can't believe I didn't think to dig this up for Memorial Day. What made me think of it was when there was a clip of Bush's speech on Fox News from this video. This is on the Wow 2004 video, I cry every time I watch it. The song by Rebecca St.James is awesome and the clips of Bush's words and others are very moving.

It is such a great reminder of how important it is to pray for, appreciate and support our troops. I love you and thank-you American heroes!!