Thompson To Enter GOP Presidential Race

Former U.S. Senator And Actor Will Announce Campaign Details Via Webcast On Sept. 6

(CBS/AP)  Republican Fred Thompson, whose entry into the presidential race has been long anticipated, will officially launch his candidacy Sept. 6 in a Webcast on his campaign site, followed by a five-day tour of early primary states.

The preliminary campaign of the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" star disclosed details about how he will formally enter the race in a Thursday afternoon conference call with supporters.

House parties will be held nationwide on Sept. 6. A tour of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina will quickly follow the Internet announcement on www.imwithfred.com, with later stops in Florida, and a homecoming event in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., on Sept. 15.

Next Wednesday, Thompson will appear on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" but he won't participate with his Republican rivals in a debate that same night in New Hampshire.

Now that Thompson's entry into the race is practically a done deal, CBS News chief political correspondent Jeff Greenfield reports that Republicans are asking what he’ll bring to the table.

For openers, there's his 35 years in the public limelight, from Watergate, to eight years in the U.S. Senate, to all his acting roles - most recently as the "Law & Order" district attorney Arthur Branch. It's a blend of experience and celebrity that should play well in the view of Tennessee Rep. Zach Wamp, an ardent supporter.

"He's very smart and savvy politically, and I think he'll present the kind of united front that our party needs," Wamp tells CBS News.

Thompson, 65, brings to the eight-man GOP field a right-leaning Senate voting record with a few digressions from party orthodoxy and a healthy dose of Hollywood star power. He is hoping to attract conservatives who are lukewarm about the current crop of candidates.

Earlier this year, Thompson saw his popularity soar in polls when he acknowledged he was considering a run. Since then, he's consistently ranked among the top Republicans in national polls and surveys in key states alike. In April, he disclosed that he was diagnosed in 2004 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a highly treatable form of cancer.

He has spent months "testing the waters" of a presidential campaign, playing coy with the public about his intentions even as he opened campaign offices, started raising money and hired a campaign staff. But his preliminary campaign stumbled this summer, fueling doubts that Thompson has what it takes to mount a challenge to top contenders Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain.

"The level of excitement over Thompson's candidacy has waned somewhat over the course of the summer," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "It's not too late, but he needs jump into this thing with full force in order to regain some of that momentum."

Organizationally, Thompson underwent a series of staffing changes, including the replacement of his manager-in-waiting, and other aide departures amid consternation about the active role of Thompson's wife, Jeri. At the same time, little progress was made setting up organizations in key states.

Thompson also failed on the fundraising front to reach the $5 million goal his backers had set for the first month he sought to bring in cash, and he dramatically lags his top rivals in money. He reported a lackluster $3.5 million.

He also faced questions this summer about his career as a lobbyist, including his work for a family planning group seeking to relax an abortion rule and work on behalf of a Tennessee savings and loans in favor of legislation that loosened federal oversight.

His delayed entrance into the race - which at one point was to occur in July - has prompted rumblings in Washington and early primary states that he may have missed his window.

[undermyboot]

Posted by jwhitmann at 09:32 AM : Aug 31, 2007
---
Hey moron, being uneducated is not a virtue, especially in your case. Being a shill for your ignorant right wing talk show masters is not a substitute for actual thought.

Hey monkey. Now it is clear that you also hear voices or imagine reading things that were never there. You make sh*t up because (like your zoo cousins) throwing sh*t is the only thing you can do.

"A moron is a moron is a moron. Except to other morons who think they are a genius" Hey genius, you are a useless chimp-in-chief following monkey who just proved that what passes for your thoughts are nothing more than Fake News and the government propaganda talking points. Guess what? They can''t just be copied and pasted as an answer to everything. That only works on shows on Fox, Rush, Morgan,... Please crawl away and die so I can save the ammo. ROFLMFAO

[kansas1946]

Yawn. This is about as exciting as watching grass grow. Thompson is kind of like the girl that kept protecting her virtue until she was 80 years old, and then found out there weren''t any takers.

[gina128]

Sorry, Fred, but you''re too late. He who hesitates, and all that. Rudy is a done deal.

[perception5]

Fred it''s too late. We are going with either Mitt Romney or Rudy this election cylce. Mitt and Rudy both "moderate" conservatives who owe their political careers to the Democrats who elected them both are the only two candidates that can unite America.

All the Junior Senators running on the Dem side have moved to the "far left" pandering to hate groups like MoveOn and DailyKos. Really sad indeed.

[usayesterday]

Thompson''''s law and order mate Sam Waterson is involved with a group(the name escapes me, America United, I think?)

Posted by realpatriot1 at 09:32 AM : Aug 31, 2007
............

The group is called " Unity''08 "

www.unity08.com

I saw Sam Waterson interviewed a couple of times on various news stations, and the group/idea seems like it might just have some legs.

The big problem is, no matter what independent candidate is the choice of Unity''08, the criminals who fight to keep the two-party system as only two parties, will ensure that the independent does not get any debate time, especially the nationally televised ones.

[mbcsmith]

The fellow actually suggested on an ABC podcast that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized JCS Chairman Gen. Peter Pace to appeal to %u201Cfringe%u201D anti-American elements %u201Cwho think the 9/11 attacks were an inside job.%u201D

Wonka wonka wonka...
Posted by ibsteve2u at 07:51 AM : Aug 31, 2007


Then you tell us, pray tell, why LIB Reid dissed a great military man in uniform like General Pace. Your word "criticize" does not reflect the true content of Harry "I surrender" Reid''s words in attacking the General.

[lostcountry1]

i guess this means that california will be a red state after this election. we know they cant say no to an ACTOR. just what we need, an ACTOR, ACTING, like a PRESIDENT!only real question, does he have enough money?

[realpatriot1]

USAyesterday,

Bloomberg has announced that he''s not going to run.
Thompson''s law and order mate Sam Waterson is involved with a group(the name escapes me, America United, I think?) that''s trying to form a middle of the road third political force. I opted off their e-mail but there was some talk of them trying to form a ticket with say Chuck Hagel & Sam Nunn or some kind of similar bipartison ticket. It just might happen if she gets the democratic nod.

[jwhitmann]

A TYPICAL LIBERAL

Whut this country needs is a commanist revolushun!! Baa, Baa, Baa

Everbudy knows their is no god !!! Baa, Baa, Baa

WE all know that it takes a villuge!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And Bush is the devil!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And we hate everbudy who disugrees with us, because we''''re tolerent!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And everbudy else is intolerent,,, except us!!! Baa, Baa, Baa.

LOL

.

[jwhitmann]

A TYPICAL LIBERAL

Whut this country needs is a commanist revolushun!! Baa, Baa, Baa

Everbudy knows their is no god !!! Baa, Baa, Baa

WE all know that it takes a villuge!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And Bush is the devil!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And we hate everbudy who disugrees with us, because we''''re tolerent!!! Baa, Baa, Baa

And everbudy else is intolerent,,, except us!!! Baa, Baa, Baa.

LOL

.

[hungry1968]

Were is he?
Posted by pwrslm at 08:30 AM : Aug 31, 2007


Mike Bloomberg - New York City. He''s got my vote just to shake the establishment.

[lars008-2009]

it is fascist nazi terrorislam stupid%u2026.

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside...

I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair''s bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770
Bless the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical mo for terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/bless-the-beasts-and-children.htm

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

[usayesterday]

To expand on what ''pwrslm'' said earlier..

...a race between Hillary Clinton and Fred Thompson would surely pave the way for an independent opportunity. Perhaps Michael Bloomberg would be just the independent candidate America needs. Either way, Hillary versus Fred would just be a repeat (of extremists) as George versus Al in 2000.

And if ''pwrslm'' is part of the 101st Keyboardist brigade, then I''m the "sharp-typer".

:-)

[wfbdem]

pwrslm: Proud member of the 101st fighting Keyboardist. Risking carpal tunnel so other can die instead.

[briannorwood]

Just what this country needs. Another stupid actor!

[pwrslm]

If it comes down to it, you have Hillary the communist supported sympathiser who refuses to expose her record (ewww..surely if you have nothing to hide, why hide it?), Obama, the boy raised in an Islamic family by an Islamic father, or Thompson, the guy who walked away from politics years ago, there is only one choice.

Then again, we have some time before the election, no? Sure would be nice is someone interested in the American People as much as Ross Perot was could show up and run independent again.

Edwards said it nicely, you have the old school thieves on one side, and the new school thieves on the other, why do we think replacing one with the other is progress?

Reality check people,its time to dump the Demoncraps and Republicans (yes, I honor the Repubs for the sake of Abraham Lincoln). Its time to elect independent people who are not part of the establishment, nor owe the establishment anything to boot.

Were is he?

[mcvet]

Well we FINALLY have the Snake Oil Salesman who will sell the Christian Reich their "Family Values" hate and division. We''ve got to have MORE of that "Family Values" Snake Oil for those who are so stupid they will sell their vote to those who pass out the OIL!! Sieg Heil and Amen

[briannorwood]

"Oh ***, that kid," Nixon said when told by his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, of Thompson''s appointment on Feb. 22, 1973.
"Well, we''re stuck with him," Haldeman said.

Nixon expressed concern that Thompson was not "very smart."

"Not extremely so," [Nixon lawyer Fred] Buzhardt agreed.

"But he''s friendly," Nixon said.

"But he''s friendly," Buzhardt agreed. "We are hoping, though, to work with Thompson and prepare him, if Dean does appear next week, to do a very thorough cross-examination."

Five days later, Buzhardt reported to Nixon that he had primed Thompson for the Dean cross-examination.

"I found Thompson most cooperative, feeling more Republican every day," Buzhardt said.

[hungry1968]

The Next President of the United States of America - FRED DALTON THOMPSON.

Choke on that one, MoveOn.Org Kool-Aid swillers and spewers.
Posted by USAisdway189 at 01:19 AM : Aug 31, 2007


It''ll be a very cold day in hell before another Republican is elected again. I don''t care who the candidate is - the republican party is stained and soiled like a rotten garbage can covered in flies. Bush and the last 12 years of Congress saw to that.

[missingamerica]

Mr. Thompson is one if the scarier AEI neocons, if you ask me. Some of the things he says makes me suspect a neurological disorder.

The fellow actually suggested on an ABC podcast that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized JCS Chairman Gen. Peter Pace to appeal to %u201Cfringe%u201D anti-American elements %u201Cwho think the 9/11 attacks were an inside job.%u201D

Wonka wonka wonka...