Well, so much for Fred Thompson's campaign. . .

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Pity. I actually kind of liked his stance on many of the issues too. This one's going to kill his campaign though. RIP. Guess maybe it's time to look at Romney? Ugh.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/






DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – Likely Republican White House hopeful Fred Thompson told CNN Friday that he would work to overturn Roe v. Wade if elected president, and would push for a constitutional amendment that protects states from being forced to honor gay marriages performed in other states.

“I don’t think that one state ought to be able to pass a law requiring gay marriage or allowing gay marriage and have another state be required to follow along,” Thompson told CNN’s John King in an interview Friday.

Thompson added that the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion “was bad law and bad medicine.”

As for when he will jump into the race, the former Tennessee senator said "shortly."

“We are going to be getting in if we get in, and of course, we are in the testing the waters phase,” he said. “We’re going to be making a statement shortly that will cure all of that. But yeah, we’ll be in traditionally when people get in this race."

Thompson also said he believed he could enter the presidential race next month and still win the Iowa caucuses.

On the issue of Iraq, Thompson refused to provide a timeline for how much longer US forces would remain in the country under his administration, but said, “We need to make every effort to make sure that we don’t get run out of there with our tail between our legs before we’ve done the job of securing that place.”

Asked about critics who call him “too lazy” to put in the long hours necessary to run for president, Thompson said: “If I have critics in Washington it's not going to come as a surprise to me. I'll have more by the end of this campaign,” adding, “The proof’s in the pudding. I think that’s curable.”

– CNN Chief National Correspondent John King

[Chocaholic]

With everything going on in the world today, it amazes me how this topic can transform it into a one-issue election. If his goal is to reduce the number of late-term abortions, he'll get my vote. The article above doesn't go into enough detail to determine if you're drawing an ill-informed conclusion.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

He's running as George Bush with a nicer voice?

He's got the bumpersticker thing down! I can just hear his dragging drawl, looking up from his desk, eyeing an attorney in front of him, a slight huff before he speaks: “was bad law and bad medicine.” Turns away, camera fades to black.

[pwd72s]

Hate to clue you...but it's a one issue election as far as I, and millions more, are concerned.

The one issue? The 2nd amendment...I'm for it. Hillary! and Obama aren't.

[Dueller]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

With everything going on in the world today, it amazes me how this topic can transform it into a one-issue election. If his goal is to reduce the number of late-term abortions, he'll get my vote. The article above doesn't go into enough detail to determine if you're drawing an ill-informed conclusion.

HUH? You're amazed at it being a one issue election with every thing else to consider. Yet you will cast your vote based on a single issue?

What did I miss?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'm not saying it SHOULD be a one-issue election, I'm just saying that he just committed political suicide by being so decisive on the issue. Strange. Everyone says they're sick of non-committal politicians and then you finally get someone with the balls to take a definite stance on a controversial issue and I guarantee it'll be his political sepuku by alienating all the moderates.

Strange world we live in.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm not saying it SHOULD be a one-issue election, I'm just saying that he just committed political suicide by being so decisive on the issue. Strange. Everyone says they're sick of non-committal politicians and then you finally get someone with the balls to take a definite stance on a controversial issue and I guarantee it'll be his political sepuku by alienating all the moderates.

Strange world we live in.

I don't think abortion is the "issue". I could be wrong...I often am.

[Dueller]

That wasn't addressed at you, PPhile. It was directed at Choc.

Fred is an interesting candidate... probably not getting my vote, but we'll see. Unfortunately, he, like most all politicians on both sides of the aisle is just pandering.

Outlaw gay marriage...ain't gonna happen. Even if the law is passed (unlikely), there's a bit of a problem with the full faith and credit clause of that there pesky document called the U. S. Constitution.

Roe v. Wade bad law and bad medicine...may be true but it is the law. We'll see some further minor mods to the policy but in a best (or worst depending on your position) case scenario we'll see never see abortion totally outlawed...especially in the first trimester.

Timeline for Iraq? Regardless of who gets elected, we'll still be there for another 2 years...at the minimum.

Too lazy? So what. The best candidates have been ...but good delegaters.

[cmccuist]

No president can overturn anything. He can get elected, hope some Supremes retire or expire, appoint replacements, get them through the meat-grinder confirmation process, push for legislation and finally get to the crap shoot that is the supreme court.

It's not as easy as getting elected and overturning law. Especially when abortion is the only reason the democratic party exists at all.

[Rick Lee]

I doubt Thompson really wants abortion made illegal in this country, but even if Roe v. Wade were overturned, that would not make abortion illegal. It would simply allow the states to regulate it the way they see fit. Whether you are pro-life or not (I couldn't care less about the issue), Roe v. Wade was a travesty of justice and a gross perversion of the Constitution. I'd love to see it overturned just as a first step in the SCOTUS getting back to interpreting the Const. and not inventing rights. Furthermore, I've only known one woman who had an abortion in the US, but I know probably hundreds for whom this is a defining issue. Why? Any change in the law will never affect 99.9999% of the people who are so militant about it one way or the other.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by cmccuist

.... Especially when abortion is the only reason the democratic party exists at all.

Where do you guys come up with some of this stuff? Put down the glue and step away from the computer.

[Moneyguy1]

cmc:

Where in heck did you dredge up that gem of illogic?

[Joeaksa]

He is still in the running. That is not the most important issue for many of us. Keeping Hitlary and Obama out of the WH is a lot more important for ALL of us IMHO.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by Dueller

HUH? You're amazed at it being a one issue election with every thing else to consider. Yet you will cast your vote based on a single issue?

What did I miss?

You didn't miss anything...I just wasn't very clear. If it were to be boiled down to a one-issue election, abortion...his late-term stance would do it for me. I like Fred anyway. The job of POTUS is a pure PR job in my mind. Regan wasn't a rocket scientist but he was a first class PR man. Unfortunately, so was slick Willie (despite being a compulsive liar...good PR, just no character, ethics, self discipline, etc). I think Fred's got the necessary charisma and character to pull it off.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

You didn't miss anything...I just wasn't very clear. If it were to be boiled down to a one-issue election, abortion...his late-term stance would do it for me. I like Fred anyway. The job of POTUS is a pure PR job in my mind. Regan wasn't a rocket scientist but he was a first class PR man. Unfortunately, so was slick Willie. I think Fred's got the photo-op stuff of a decent POTUS.

Are you kidding me? Late term abortion is already illegal and has been upheld by the SCOTUS. What the hell else can Thompson do about it? BTW, have you noticed anything changing in the world or your daily life since it became illegal? Didn't think so.

I think there are more pressing issues in this country than a tiny handful of late term abortions, which are all due to health of the mother and not some whimsical decision 8-9 mos. after a women found out she's pregnant.

[Chocaholic]

.....easy boy......that wasn't the point.

[tabs]

The choich of having an abortion or not, is an ethical, moral and a spiritual question that is between a person their conscience and God. As such under the bylaws of this nation, Politics has no place in the discussion.

[Mule]

Fred's on the right side of almost everything. He moderated the Dollar Bill Clinton hearings & managed to walk away looking better than anybody on either side of the aisle. Has always conducted himself impeccably in the political arena, and gets the most props for walking away from the senate. I don't know but have always had the impression that the level of slime was more than he was willing to tolerate.

[cmccuist]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Where do you guys come up with some of this stuff? Put down the glue and step away from the computer.

Yea, I don't know what I was thinking there. That was inflammatory.

Hey, I would like to see both sides of the aisle hammer out better legislation, but it seems like in today's climate, there can't be any rationale to any issue. It's either all or nothing! Gun control, health care, abortion, global warming.

I've actually seen more rational debate in this forum than i've seen coming out of congress.

[cmccuist]

Originally Posted by Moneyguy1

cmc:

Where in heck did you dredge up that gem of illogic?

I compromised my credibility with that remark. I went knee-jerk on the abortion issue.