Thompson Doesn’t Want to “Talk[] About Abortion”

Former Senator Fred D. Thompson doesn’t like to talk about abortion, or at least that’s what he said in 1998. When considering at 2000 bid for President, Thompson said he would rather hang out with the good old boys in the senate than spend “two months in Iowa talking about abortion.”

Mr. Thompson, with all due respect (and I actually do respect him), if you would like to be my President and the President of oh so many Americans that wish to see the vile practice of infanticide (abortion if you prefer) ended, then why don’t you want to discuss the issue? The President is the one politician that must actually deal with the issue because he (or she) has the power to appoint the judges that could either overturn Roe v. Wade and let it be dealt with in the states or further entrench and expand the genocidal practice. (I happen to live in one that would “deal” it a death blow.) Given your previous statements regarding abortion, you may want to find some time to talk about it.

If you don’t have the time to spend “two months in Iowa talking about abortion,” then I know a few candidates who will (and have for that matter).

Sure seemed to be worth the time of the three candidates who the people of Iowa think are the best hope for the Republican Party: Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Sam Brownback.

H/T David and Marc Ambinder

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Thompson’s Troubles Continue

Earlier we reported on Fred Thompson’s Pro-Choice Past, “Is Fred Thompson Really Pro-Life,” but this past weekend disturbing new information came out that confirms Thompson’s past on the issue.

According to an LA Times article reports that the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association claims that they hired Thompson to lobby against the White House’s stance on abortion in 1991. They hired him to lobby the H. W. Bush White House to relax its antiabortion policies. A Thompson spokesperson denies that this ever happened but the Family Planning Association insists that its board meeting minutes show otherwise.

The LA Times further reports that former Representative Michael Barnes, a colleague of Thompson at the time, says, “I talked to him [Thompson] while he was doing it, and I talked to [the head of the Family Planning Association] about the fact that she was very pleased with the work that he was doing for her organization. . . . I have strong, total recollection of that. This is not something I dreamed up or she dreamed up. This is fact.”

Even worse is the fact that Bush 41 was not his strongest on the pro-life issue. By some accounts he was at best a moderate. If Thompson was willing to work to lessen restraints that a moderate put in place, what Thompson would we end up with in the White House?

Red State a reputable conservative blog comes to Thompson’s defense claiming that the only two people claiming Thompson worked for this company were both leftwing nut jobs. However the LA Times is not the only one running the story. The NY Times also independently reports on this same story. The bottom line is either Thompson did or he did not lobby for the company. Thompson has some explaining to do.

If true this would be a deafening blow to Thompson’s “Mr. Conservative” image. Statements that Thompson has made in the past, as noted above, along with a this new revelation should knock Thompson out of the number 1/2 spots that he has taken since his quasi campaign began.

The Richmond Democrat has done several fine pieces on this story over the weekend. The most interesting development from these are the responses. RD notes that Fredheads were commenting on his site almost immediately. He does a little digging to find that “Fred Thompson had some sort of blogger rapid response team.” That is right. There is a group of bloggers who have joined together to find every weakness that Thompson has and prepare a response for each and everyone. The team mobilizes when an attack is made and they respond in numbers. This is quite an impressive use of the blogosphere. Other campaigns and blogs would be well advised to form such a team. Responding to attacks will clearly help a candidate. The more organized these groups become the better they will be at this, and their respective candidates will reap the benefits.

The AP reported Friday that Thompson will not be reporting his financial data along with the rest of the candidates. His spokesperson said, “We're not putting out numbers or goals. . . . Our goal, if Fred Thompson gets into the race is to raise enough money to win.” This after an earlier report where the Thompson camp said they wanted to raise $5 million by the end of the quarter. One can only speculate as to why Thompson would withhold his financial status, but conventional wisdom is that if you are doing well you tell everyone about it.

Thompson’s faltering will boost Mitt Romney into a solid second place barely behind Giuliani and in some polls the lead.

This is already apparent in Virginia. A poll being conducted by on of Virginia’s premiere conservative blogs Bearing Drift shows that Romney (38%) has taken a slight lead over Thompson (35%) in the race for the GOP nomination.

Soon we will have a monthly national poll up where you vote and see how each candidate is doing over the next few months.

H/T Raising Kaine and Richmond Democrat. Read More. . . .

This Just Ain't [a] Right

Thanks to Rebekah Giannini at the VCAP Blog for bringing my attention to the recently proposed Access to Birth Control Act. This bill would require any pharmacy that sells any form of birth control to provide the Plan B "morning after" pill.

The list of the bill's findings includes that "Access to legal contraception is a fundamental right...and should not be impeded by a person's personal beliefs." This seems particularly odd, since the Bill of Rights explicitly states the right to freely exercise one's religion
but makes no mention of the right to "access to legal contraception."

Congress has no right to demand that a business owner stock or order any specific product. Requiring a Catholic pharmacy owner to sell the morning after pill would in some ways be like requiring the Reebok outlet to sell Nike shoes because runners have a fundamental right to Nikes. Ridiculous as that would be, mandating that a business owner violate his ethical principles would be even more reprehensible than demanding that he sell his competitor's product. Many pharmacists and pharmacy owners will be torn between following their conscience and following the law.

The Access to Birth Control Act might actually convince some pharmacies to take all contraceptives off of their shelves, in order to avoid falling under the law, most of which applies to only those pharmacies that "in the normal course of business stock contraception." Wouldn't that be an ironic result from a law intended to expand access to birth control?

Read here for more on The Virginian Federalist's understanding of fundamental rights.
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Just In Case You Thought CNN Was Unbiased...

On most issues, CNN's Election Center 2008 gives a fair assessment of the candidates' views. However, when it comes to abortion, the candidates are given only two options - they can either be in support of abortion rights or opposed to abortion rights. None of the Republican candidates (all the D's "support abortion rights"), are allowed by CNN to "oppose killing the unborn" or "support the right to life." The only option for them is to oppose a supposed natural right to abortion. Read More. . . .