This Says Everything
This Politico.com article tells you everything you need to know about who Democrats fear most:
Even before his expected July announcement, Fred Thompson’s all-but-declared entry into the Republican presidential stakes has prompted the Democratic National Committee to attack him as a potential GOP front-runner and to use his prospective candidacy to raise money.
Democratic strategists say Thompson’s populist style and show-biz allure could prove extremely appealing in a general election at a time when voters are so down on Washington. So the party has launched a preemptive campaign against him that includes a DNC fundraising e-mail branding Thompson, “The inside-outsider.”
“Remember the Republican culture of corruption?” the letter asks. “The revolving door of Republican politicians moving in and out of top political offices and Washington, D.C., lobbying firms? That’s Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson. For years, acting wasn’t the ‘Law & Order’ star’s profession — it was a hobby. In the real world, Thompson has made a fortune in a decades-long career as a Washington lobbyist. And just this month, as part of his role as the ultimate Washington insider, Thompson offered to host yet another fundraising event for Scooter Libby’s legal defense fund. Thompson has been vocal in his support of Libby, saying that he would ‘absolutely’ pardon him. As he runs for president, he’ll try his hardest to hide the truth from the American people. And we need to stop him. Support our efforts to get the truth out about Fred Thompson.”
That email fundraiser sounds like a breathlessly desperate attempt to smear Fred Thompson. The reason for that is simple: They know that Fred Thompson is the most appealing and worrisome GOP candidate this cycle.
The DNC whining that Fred Thompson was a lobbyist is pathetic. The truth is that all of their past leaders are currently lobbyists. At the top of that list is none other than Tom Daschle. Of course, the DNC isn’t the least bit worried that Harry Reid’s three sons and his son-in-law lobby ‘Dear old Dad’. They don’t seem to mind Nancy Pelosi’s daughter lobbying Mom, either.
If the DNC is so worried about Thompson’s lobbyist past, why hasn’t the DNC denounced the lobbyist pasts of Tarryl Clark and Amy Klobuchar? The obvious answer is that they aren’t worried about lobbyists in general. They’re only scared of this lobbyist. Here’s another DNC smear tactic:
Another DNC research report sketches likely lines of attack on Thompson: “reliable supporter, defender of President Bush,” “staunch supporter of Scooter Libby,” “key role in Bush Supreme Court nominations,” “already has a flip-flop problem,” “ill-equipped for the campaign,” “a thin Senate record, questions of ‘work ethic’, ” “controversial legal clients may cause problems,” “lobbying careers full of land mines.”
This won’t work to the DNC’s benefit. In fact, I’ll predict right now that it’ll backfire badly. Telling people that Thompson thinks that Scooter Libby’s trial was a travesty of justice won’t win over many independents and moderates. In fact, I’d bet that this will rally conservatives to him in droves. I’d also suggest that ‘accusing’ Sen. Thompson of playing a “key role in Bush Supreme Court nominations” is another way of appealing to conservatives and sane-thinking moderates/independents.
The rest of their smear list is dubious at best.
In my final analysis, this is about raising money. The DNC is hoping that Fred Thompson is a cash cow for their fundraisers. Instead of it being a cash cow for them, I think that they’re piling more trouble onto themselves. Conservatives will read this article and think that Fred Thompson is the candidate Democrats would least like to face in 2008. If they think that and if they couple that with his stands on illegal immigration, the Supreme Court and tax cuts, I think the DNC will have done conservatives a big favor, one that they’ll live to regret.
Technorati Tags: Fred Thompson, John Roberts, Scooter Libby, Bush Tax Cuts, Law And Order, GOP, Tarryl Clark, Amy Klobuchar, Lobbyists, DNC, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
June 25th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
[...] Cross-posted at California Conservative Categories: SCOTUS, DNC, Conservatism, Scandals, Taxes, Special Interests, Election 2008, Klobuchar, Tarryl Clark, Fred Thompson | [...]
June 25th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Oh please, please nominate Fred. Watching the implosion has been full-on schadenfreude, and this would be… too much.
But I thought you loved Rudy!
June 25th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Hey, Rocky, the last time the elephants ran an actor the donkeys chirped pretty much the same songs, just different words. But I guess that someone who believes $90,000 cold cash in a donkey’s freezer is ok, or that funneling defense contracts to one’s own husband’s companies is ok, or making a killing off of minimal investments in a place where even the air tends to cost a fortune (Vegas)is ok since all three of the above indict donkeys not elephants, well, there’s not much anyone can say to an ethicist that thinks like that.
And, BTW, I hear the Edwards campaign is about to implode over a couple of NPOs he set up.
Gosh, don’t you just love talking about the issues?
June 26th, 2007 at 7:13 am
C’mon Carlos, don’t you like slinging mud more than anything? But let me answer your questions. Re Representative Jefferson: no, throw the book at him. He broke the law, he should pay the consequences. Re Senator Fienstein: Unsupported allegations do not make for an indictment. If you have the proof, make your case (or shut up). Re Senator Reid: Ditto. Re Senator Edwards: While he would make a terrific president, his chances are nil. If it isn’t liberal bloggers, its NPOs (although I have to admit, I don’t know what you’re talking about).
Meanwhile, we have Dirty Dick deciding he’s the fourth branch of government, and he gets to make his own rules; high school students are the only citizens with the balls to take Bush to task on torture; and, surprise, the Supremes declared that the separation of church and state is just silly.
To recap, let’s compare: a representative takes bribes, gets caught, and is going to have his day in court, versus a vice president who is shredding the Constitution with impunity. Which is worse? The republican.
Senators who funnel contracts to relatives, and whose friends help them make money, versus the presnit disregarding the Geneva conventions, lying about the rationale for going to war, and undoing a generations’ work in the middle east. Which is worse? The republican.
You see, the democrats might be dirty, but you can ALWAYS find republicans being dirtier. And now, more than just a little bit. There’s dirt out there on Fred, its just not yet in sight. And besides, everybody loves the undeclared candidate… until he declares, and then he’s just like the rest of ‘em.
Its time for a total re-rack.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:31 am
You mean that public disclosure of e-mails and such about/from both Lady Di and Dingy Harry aren’t enough to throw a little suspicion on them for you, Rocky?
And as for “presnit” (as you call him) shredding the Constitution, then he must be in cahoots with the donkeys ’cause they’re the ones who control the part of Congress that would indict him on impeachment charges.
Gosh, ya think mebbe the charges ain’t got no substance? What with all the talk ’bout lyin’ an’ cheatin’ an’ torturin’ an’ stuff, you’d think there’d be ‘nough there ta throw ‘way the key!
Meanwhile, Jefferson et al are still holding onto their britches and seats and only J has as much as an indictment.
That, by the way, is not to cover for the jackass wannabes. It’s my personal opinion that every one of them should be tossed out on their cold butts (whether they’ve “done something ‘wrong’” or not) and whoever is elected to replace them should be limited to two terms max. And don’t even think about lobbying. K street should be nuked. Then maybe our “elected representatives” might be able to get down to the business of representing us.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
The GOP couldn’t give the American people a clearer choice next year…a Democratic candidate (any of them qualify) who will uphold the American Dream of equal opportuity and the liberties promised in the Bill of Rights
versus
a Republican who worked for foreign interests to further “their cause” at the expense of American workers and taxpayers.
Thompson is the personification of outsourcing, illegal hiring, unfair trade deals, payola/bribes, and a tax structure that is killing the Middle Class and Working Poor…and he has a resume to show it, all the while claiming to be a “pickup truck” Washington outsider.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Well, no sooner than I say the dirt has yet to surface…
Yeah, that’s Fred “American values” Thompson. Maybe he needs a new set of tires for that ol’ pickup!
June 27th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Yeah, I know all about the donkeys’ “American Dream” scenario. It starts with everyone beholdin’ to the breast of government milk, because guvmint is the source of everything good.
Which implies is that if it doesn’t come from the guvmint, it ain’t good and is, in fact, more than likely evil today and if not today certainly will be tomorrow.
Next is the drive for votes. Oops, I mean making sure every citizen in the country has the same opportunity. I mean life enrichments. Because those mean old rich folk steal from us po’ ol’ po’ folk an’ that ain’t right so we’ll just punish them for stealin’ from everyone.
And oh, BTW, don’t ever think that just ’cause we, your elected guardians, have more than you that we don’t feel your pain and, since we’re protecting you so well, we deserve to have more than you.
As a matter of fact, don’t think at all, we’ll do it for you. So in our guvmint screwls we’ll teach you what mush to have in your mind and pretend it’s “thinking”, and soon you’ll “think” that, if you don’t have exactly what everyone else has, whether you earned it or not, you are a victim of society and deserve to be made whole.
And on, and on.
Yes, it’s easy to see how one could get excited to vote for any donkey over anyone else. By the gods, it is Utopia!
Now, why don’t you wake up and try reality? I’ll guarantee you that eventually (unless you happen to be one of the rulers) they’ll come after you for making someone else a victim.