Thompson To Take First Step Toward '08 Run
Fred Thompson, a former Republican senator from Tennessee and now an actor on "Law & Order," is methodically moving ahead with a likely presidential bid, several officials with knowledge of the plans said Wednesday.
An all-but-declared candidate for months, Thompson will establish an official organization next week to weigh a White House bid while launching his first major fundraising effort. He also may visit early primary states in late June and could officially enter the race as early as the first week in July, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans were not public.
Despite the movement, they cautioned that Thompson has made no final decision about whether to run or where and when to get in the race should he decide to go forward.
They said he is considering several options for a possible formal announcement, and that one scenario has him officially announcing his candidacy over the July 4 holiday. It's also possible, they said, that Thompson could wait until later in the summer to declare his intentions.
"Senator Thompson is still seriously considering getting into the presidential contest and he is doing everything he has to do to make that final decision," said Mark Corallo, a Thompson spokesman. "Stay tuned."
A summertime announcement has been widely expected and numerous signs have pointed to a Thompson candidacy, including his disclosure in April that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, but is in remission. Officials say it's more likely than not he will join a crowded GOP field that's led by Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney.
Thompson has been competitive with the top-tier trio in national popularity polls, which largely measure name recognition early in the campaign. He is well-known nationally for his acting role as gruff district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's long-running drama "Law & Order."
His expected entrance in the race could dramatically shake up the GOP field, but it's unclear exactly who among the top GOP candidates — Giuliani, McCain or Romney — would be affected the most by his candidacy.
Thompson has been casting himself as a straight-talking conservative in the mold of former President Reagan — even though as a senator, he took some positions that angered the party's base.
According to a CBS News/New York Times poll taken last week, just 38 percent of Republican primary voters said they were satisfied with their current choices while 57 percent said they wanted more options in the race.
While former New York City Mayor Giuliani led in that poll, there are concerns among Republicans. The poll found that less than half of GOP respondents said that Giuliani shares Republican values. Many in the party are upset with McCain, once viewed as the party's front-runner, for co-sponsoring the immigration bill now under debate in the Senate. Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, has surged in surveys of late but is still less well known than many others in the field.
"Conservatives are looking for a candidate they can buy into," said CBSNews.com Senior Political Editor Vaughn Ververs, "and for the moment at least, Fred Thompson is filling that void."
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. An all-but-declared candidate for months, Thompson will establish an official organization next week to weigh a White House bid while launching his first major fundraising effort. He also may visit early primary states in late June and could officially enter the race as early as the first week in July, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans were not public.
Despite the movement, they cautioned that Thompson has made no final decision about whether to run or where and when to get in the race should he decide to go forward.
They said he is considering several options for a possible formal announcement, and that one scenario has him officially announcing his candidacy over the July 4 holiday. It's also possible, they said, that Thompson could wait until later in the summer to declare his intentions.
"Senator Thompson is still seriously considering getting into the presidential contest and he is doing everything he has to do to make that final decision," said Mark Corallo, a Thompson spokesman. "Stay tuned."
A summertime announcement has been widely expected and numerous signs have pointed to a Thompson candidacy, including his disclosure in April that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, but is in remission. Officials say it's more likely than not he will join a crowded GOP field that's led by Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney.
Thompson has been competitive with the top-tier trio in national popularity polls, which largely measure name recognition early in the campaign. He is well-known nationally for his acting role as gruff district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's long-running drama "Law & Order."
His expected entrance in the race could dramatically shake up the GOP field, but it's unclear exactly who among the top GOP candidates — Giuliani, McCain or Romney — would be affected the most by his candidacy.
Thompson has been casting himself as a straight-talking conservative in the mold of former President Reagan — even though as a senator, he took some positions that angered the party's base.
According to a CBS News/New York Times poll taken last week, just 38 percent of Republican primary voters said they were satisfied with their current choices while 57 percent said they wanted more options in the race.
While former New York City Mayor Giuliani led in that poll, there are concerns among Republicans. The poll found that less than half of GOP respondents said that Giuliani shares Republican values. Many in the party are upset with McCain, once viewed as the party's front-runner, for co-sponsoring the immigration bill now under debate in the Senate. Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, has surged in surveys of late but is still less well known than many others in the field.
"Conservatives are looking for a candidate they can buy into," said CBSNews.com Senior Political Editor Vaughn Ververs, "and for the moment at least, Fred Thompson is filling that void."
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The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, signed on May 9, 2007, would place all governmental power in the hands of the President and effectively abolish the checks and balances in the Constitution.
If a "catastrophic emergency" - which could include a terrorist attack or a natural disaster - occurs, Bush's new directive says: "The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government."
One wonders what Bush & Co. are setting up with the new Presidential Directive. What if, heaven forbid, some sort of catastrophic event were to occur just before the 2008 election? Bush could use this directive to suspend the election. This administration has gone to great lengths to remain in Iraq . It has built huge permanent military bases and pushed to privatize Iraq 's oil. Bush and Cheney may be unwilling to relinquish power to a successor administration.
In a November 2000 speech to the Federalist Society, then Judge Samuel Alito said the Constitution "makes the president the head of the executive branch, but it does more than that. The president has not just some executive powers, but the executive power -- the whole thing."
China
Last December the administration gave the go ahead to sell China a state of the art nuclear reactor, which has a lot of technology applicable to China's growing nuclear powered fleet of ships. If the national security issue wasn't bad enough, the Bush White House decided the sale was going to be financed by the US taxpayer (Export-Import Bank), supposedly because it was going to mean "jobs for Americans." China has billions in reserves. Why do we continue to insist on giving China government loans?"
5 Year 53%
10 year 43%
15 year 37%
It is ridiculous for him to waste our time and his donor's money with a run when he is disqualified.
http://www.lymphomation.org/statistics.htm
What this country does not need is another actor for president.
Still it looks good on the resume doesn't it, even a failed run which of course it will be.
Freddy, keep your day job in the the phony world of television.
Sheeeeeeesh!