Comin' after Fred!

Here's a nother thing we knew was inevitable. We knew the Democrats would draw out the knives on Fred Thompson, and it speaks volumes as the man hasn't even officially entered the race yet. But today, they launched the first salvo. From The Politico:

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."

You know you've hit a nerve when the man's not even officially running yet, and they're drawing out long knives for the man. As Captain Ed astutely notes Fred Thompson has done far more than most Democrats who make a career of Congress. In fact, he compiles the following list from Thomas.gov's database:

* S.3040 - Privacy Commission Act
* S.3030 - Amending Title 31 to provide for audits in executive agencies
* S.2805 - Federal Property Asset Management Reform Act of 2000
* S.2752 - Accountability to Congress for Nuclear Transfers to North Korea Act of 2000
* S.2645 - China Nonproliferation Act
* S.2306 - Government for the 21st Century Act
* S.1993 - Government Information Security Act of 1999
* S.1991 - Amending the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to enhance criminal penalties for election law violations
* S.1503 - Office of Government Ethics Authorization Act of 1999

That was all during the 106th Congress, and the man was either the main sponsor or a significant co-sponsor of all of those pieces of legislation. Can Obama, Edwards, or Hillary claim similar achievements? Not even close.

And this brings me to an e-mail we received recently about our our column about fred Thompson that we wrote last month. The e-mailer (name withheld for professional reasons) was a typical Ron Paul nutter that threw out every little talking point and straw man to dismantle the piece we put together. Granted, the e-mailer's arguments don't bear any weight against what we wrote. Ours was a concise piece that dealt with Fred's record regarding his federalist stance on issues. It revolved around the sort of man he is, and the sort of leader he could be. All the criticism in the e-mail focused literally around emotion, and that was directed towards their support of Ron Paul.

Fred Thompson is someone that scares the Democrats, and the nutter Republicans that think he could be worse that President Bush. No offense intended, and people know that we support President Bush, but to compare the two is like comparing apples and oranges. The president has shown his colors lately, and that is of a coward; content with the lame duck status a weak Democratic-controlled Congress has painted of the man. the brash and bold president we saw in the aftermath of the attacks on 11 September is long gone. It's been replaced by a man seeking a legacy, and seeking a concensus among a party that literally hates his guts. How do I know this? I see it nightly, folks, when I decide to venture into the political chats. I see the fever swamp in action, and obviously so has the president.

Fred's not the sort of guy to cave into such things. Unlike Hillary's "Im in it to win it" talking point, Fred means it. He's not settling for second tier status. He wants the presidency, and he's running to win it. The desperation of the Left to paint him as something other than who he is is utterly futile and completely transparent. They fear him, and now we know it. Let the fear prevail in them. In the ned they'll also see that he's not the boogeyman or Washington insider they paint him to be. He's the same man that served this nation in the Senate respectably and professionally.

That's a far cry from where their party sits today. No wonder they're so damned determined to paint him as something else to cover their craven and inept hopefuls.

Publius II