October 27, 2009 12:20 PM

Fred Thompson Stars in Ad for Conservative House Candidate

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Congress
Fred Thompson, the former senator and candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, is upping the ante in the inner Republican party battle over the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district by starring in an ad for Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate.

Thompson, who first endorsed Hoffman last month, has recently been joined by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in endorsing him over the Republican Party nominee, Republican State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava. The election, which happens a week from today, is being held up as a case study of the current conflict within the Republican party.

"Big government, high taxes, deficits, broken promises -- America is in trouble," Thompson says in the ad. "So when your grandchildren ask you why you didn't do something, be able to tell them that you voted for Doug Hoffman."

Local Republican representatives chose to back Scozzafava for her political experience and commitment to family values, even though she goes against the party on some social issues like abortion. Conservative activists, however, are getting behind Doug Hoffman. The split among conservatives has left their Democratic opponent, Bill Owens, in the lead in the most recent non-partisan poll of the race.

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrinch, who is also considering a 2012 presidential run, is supporting Scozzafava, arguing that Republicans need to welcome in more moderates.

"This idea that we're suddenly going to establish litmus tests, and all across the country, we're going to purge the party of anybody who doesn't agree with us 100 percent -- that guarantees Obama's reelection," Gingrich said on Fox News Tuesday night. "That guarantees Pelosi is Speaker for life. I mean, I think that is a very destructive model for the Republican Party."

More on the race from CBSNews.com:

Pawlenty Backs Conservative Doug Hoffman in N.Y. House Race
Steve Chaggaris: Palin Snubs Republican Candidate in House Race
Charles Cooper: Republicans Taking A Page From Democrats' Playbook?

Add a Comment
by cjp314 October 27, 2009 3:21 PM EDT
One can feel the glee CBS has in reporting this story. And we all know how fair and balanced CBS is...yeah, right.
Elect the person that is on the republican ticket. The ONLY way short of anarchy that the republicans can take control is to have more seats than Pelosi. Get smart people. Dede could be an Irish setter and I would sooner vote for her than a democrat.
Reply to this comment
by ianlou October 27, 2009 2:18 PM EDT
Fred Thompson?
Isn't he the guy who thought he could become President by simply announcing he wanted the job on the Jay Leno Show?
Reply to this comment
by thebob-bob October 27, 2009 1:43 PM EDT
Fred? Hey Fred! Wake up!! The old dude slept through the presidential primary. Hey Fred! Wake up! Obama won! Voters rejected the Republican extremists and the anti-government Party of No. Fred? Never mind, go back to sleep.
Reply to this comment
by lawyerose October 27, 2009 1:37 PM EDT
Fred is so irrelevant that he is boring even on reruns of Law and Order... another B actor bites the dust. Reagan proved the folly of electing B actors to anything, and Schwarzenegger merely flogged that dead horse.
Reply to this comment
by Billbil October 27, 2009 4:10 PM EDT
Say what you want about him (and I could say plenty), you cannot say that Arnold was a B-movie actor. He was a pretty big star in some pretty big movies.
by merlgrey October 27, 2009 1:12 PM EDT
'Thompson says in the ad. So when your grandchildren ask you why you didn't do something, be able to tell them that you voted for Doug Hoffman.'

what? what does that even mean? because most grandkids are so politically inclined...

fred you old gas bag. sure you care about this race... about as much as you really cared about running for president in 08. the acting offers must be running low.
Reply to this comment
by Billbil October 27, 2009 4:12 PM EDT
I also like the premise of Fred's question, which is that the grandparents who voted for Hoffman didn't do anything.
by stn_sage October 27, 2009 12:37 PM EDT
Amazing! Scozzafava was chosen for her political experience and commitment to 'family values' by local Republicans...yet many national 'outsiders' appear to be 'ganging up' on her in an attempt to see that the other Republican gets elected...because they don't believe she's EXTREME enough!

This truly is too bad! But, vividly demonstrates that the GOP's current, real party platform has become EXTREMISM...to the consternation of real
Republicans!
Reply to this comment
by sassafrass019 October 27, 2009 1:10 PM EDT
Does this mean they really want the Democrat to be elected?
.

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