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Fred Thompson

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Template:Future election candidate

For the silent movie actor, see Fred Thomson.
Fred Dalton Thompson
United States Senator
from Tennessee
In office
December 2 1994 – January 3 2003
Preceded byHarlan Matthews
Succeeded byLamar Alexander
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)(1) Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey (Knestrick), 1959–1985; div.
(2) Jeri Kehn, 2002–Present
Professioncharacter actor, senator, lawyer, lobbyist, public speaker, radio personality

Fred Dalton Thompson (born August 19 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, character actor and former Republican Senator from Tennessee (now residing in McLean, Virginia).[1]

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a former member of the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission and a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, researching national security and intelligence. Thompson is also a public speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau[2] and is a special program host and senior analyst for ABC News Radio. He publishes a daily blog and podcast on the ABC Radio web site.[3]

As an actor, Thompson has performed in film and on television. He has frequently portrayed governmental figures;[4] in the 1993 film adaptation of Born Yesterday, Thompson played the character of a United States senator prior to his election to the Senate in real-life.[5] In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing Republican district attorney Arthur Branch. On May 30, 2007, he asked to be released from the show, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid.[6]

On June 1 2007 Thompson formed an exploratory committee regarding his possible 2008 campaign for President.

Early life

Fred Thompson was born in Sheffield, Alabama, USA, to Ruth Bradley and Fletcher Thompson.[7] He attended the public schools in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. In 1959, at the age of 17, he married Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey.

Thompson first attended Florence State College and then Memphis State University where he earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science in 1964. At this time, Fred and Sarah Thompson both worked to put Thompson through Vanderbilt and support three children.[8] Thompson went on to earn his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1967.

Attorney

Thompson was admitted to the State Bar of Tennessee in 1967 and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972. He was the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator Howard Baker's successful re-election campaign in 1972, which led to a close personal friendship with Baker. He later served as co-chief counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal, (1973–1974).

He was responsible for Baker asking one of the questions that is said to have led directly to the downfall of President Richard Nixon—"What did the President know, and when did he know it?"[citation needed] Also, Thompson's voice has become immortalized in recordings of the Watergate proceedings, with him asking the key question, "Mr. Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?"[9]

In 1977, Thompson took on a Tennessee Parole Board case that ultimately toppled Tennessee Governor Democrat Ray Blanton from power on charges of selling pardons.

Lobbyist

From 1975 to 1992 Thompson worked as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He represented such clients as Westinghouse, General Electric (the current corporate owner of the NBC Universal-NBC television network), and the Tennessee Savings and Loan League.[8]

By 1982, Thompson was lobbying the U.S. Congress for passage of the Savings and Loan deregulation legislation. The federal deregulation legislation allowed for additional government support of ailing S&Ls; gave U.S. thrifts the freedom to invest in potentially more profitable, but riskier, ventures; and eliminated interest-rate ceilings on new accounts. Thompson's recommendations were incorporated into the Garn - St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982.[8]

In 1991, he began work with the Washington, D.C. firm of Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin, & Kahn, representing overseas business entities as a registered foreign agent.[8]

Character actor

File:Arthur -2-.jpg
Thompson as Arthur Branch on Law & Order

The 1977 Ray Blanton-Tennessee Parole Board scandal later became the subject of a 1983 book, Marie, by Peter Maas. Director Roger Donaldson bought the film rights and travelled to Nashville to speak with the people involved with the original case. After meeting with Thompson, Donaldson asked Thompson if he wanted to play himself in the movie; Thompson agreed. The resulting film, Marie, was released in 1985. Donaldson then cast Thompson in the part of the CIA Director in his next movie, No Way Out, in 1987.[10]

Thompson would go on to appear in many films and television shows, including Wiseguy, The Hunt for Red October, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Days of Thunder, Cape Fear and In the Line of Fire. A 1994 New York Times profile described his character roles in the following terms:[4]

"The glowering, hulking Mr. Thompson has played a White House chief of staff, a director of the Central Intelligence Agency, a highly placed F.B.I. agent, a rear admiral, even a senator. When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to him."

In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing New York district attorney Arthur Branch; in the spring of 2005, Thompson concurrently played the role on both the original series and short-lived sister series Law & Order: Trial by Jury. He has also made occasional appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and was in the pilot episode of Conviction. Thompson filmed his parts during Senate recesses.[11] On May 30 2007, he asked to be released from the show.

Filmography

TV series

Candidate and United States Senator

In 1994, Thompson was elected by the people of Tennessee to finish the remaining two years of Al Gore's unexpired Senate term after Gore was elected Vice President of the United States in 1992. He easily defeated longtime Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper in a landslide victory on a night that saw the Republicans make great gains both in Tennessee and on a national level. On the same night Thompson was elected to fill Gore's unexpired term, political newcomer Bill Frist, a Nashville heart surgeon, defeated three-term incumbent Democrat Jim Sasser, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, by 14 percentage points for Tennessee's other U.S. Senate seat, which was up for a full six-year term. The twin victories by Thompson and Frist gave Republicans control of both of Tennessee's Senate seats for the first time since Sasser ousted incumbent Bill Brock in 1976. The GOP continues to hold both of the Volunteer State's seats; Thompson's was won by former Tennessee Governor and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in 2002, and Frist's seat was assumed by former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker in 2006.

Thompson was re-elected in 1996 (for the term ending January 3 2003) in an even larger landslide, defeating Democratic attorney Houston Gordon of Covington, Tennessee even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried Tennessee on his way to re-election.

While in the Senate, Thompson served as the chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs from 1997 to 2001 and January 20 to June 6 2001. The committee conducted investigations into allegations that China attempted to influence American politics prior to the 1996 elections (See: campaign finance scandal). During 1997, Thompson was "...largely stymied" during his 1997 U.S. Senate investigations of both Clinton-Gore and GOP campaign fund-raising activities, more particularly with witnesses for the Thompson investigations declining to testify, claiming the right not to incriminate themselves or simply leaving the United States' jurisdiction.[12]

Senator Thompson voted in favor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act known in the Senate as the McCain-Feingold bill and in the House as Shays-Meehan, after the primary sponsers of the bills. The primary effect of the reform was to close the soft money loophole and restricting issue advertising, also having the unintended consequence of the rise of 527 groups.[13] Speaking in early 2007, he offered the opinion that the Campaign Finance Reform law had not worked as expected and that he might come to favor another approach.[12]

On February 12 1999, after days of considering the Clinton impeachment, the Senate voted on the articles of impeachment. Senator Thompson voted not to convict President Clinton on article 1, the perjury article, but voted "guilty" on article 2, the Obstruction of Justice article. The Senate's vote on the Obstruction article was 50-50. Conviction on Impeachment charges and removal from office requires the affirmative votes of 67 senators.

In the 2000 Republican presidential primaries, Thompson initially backed former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, who eventually succeeded Thompson in the Senate two years later. When Alexander dropped out of the race, Thompson endorsed Senator John McCain's bid and became his national co-chairman.[14]

Control of the Senate passed from Republican to Democratic when Senator James Jeffords of Vermont switched his party allegiance from Republican to Independent. Thompson then became the ranking minority member of the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

After the Senate

Thompson was not a candidate for re-election in 2002. He had publicly stated his unwillingness to have the Senate become a long-term career. Although he announced in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks his intention to seek re-election ("Now is not the time for me to leave," said Thompson at the time), upon further reflection he decided against it.[10] The decision seems to have been prompted in large part by the death of his daughter (Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici) on January 30 2002, from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.[12][15]

Thompson married Jeri Kehn, twenty five years his junior, on June 29 2002 at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Naperville, Illinois, having first met her on July 4, 1996.[16] Kehn (born January, 1967) is an attorney and a political media consultant at the Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, and McPherson law firm in Washington, D.C. She had formerly worked for the Senate Republican Conference and the Republican National Committee.

In March 2003, Thompson was featured in a commercial by the conservative group Citizens United that advocated the invasion of Iraq, stating: "When people ask what has Saddam done to us, I ask, what had the 9/11 hijackers done to us -- before 9/11."[17]

In October 2003, Fred and Jeri Thompson had their first child, Hayden Victoria Thompson. A second child was born to them in November, 2006.[12] Thompson also has two grown children and five grandchildren from his previous marriage, which ended in divorce after 25 years. Thompson said his former wife, Sarah, indicated she would campaign for Thompson if he did run for president.[18]

After the retirement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2005, he was appointed to an informal position by President George W. Bush to help guide the nomination of John Roberts through the United States Senate confirmation process. Thompson also is the chair of the International Security Advisory Board, a bipartisan advisory panel that reports to the Secretary of State and focuses on emerging strategic threats.

Thompson did voice-over work at the 2004 Republican National Convention. In 2006, he signed on with ABC News Radio to serve as senior analyst and vacation replacement for Paul Harvey.[19]

In 2006 he served on the advisory board of the legal defense fund for I. Lewis ("Scooter") Libby, Jr, who was indicted and later convicted of lying to federal investigators during their investigation of the Plame affair.[20][21][10]

2008 presidential race

On March 11 2007, Thompson appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss the possibility of a 2008 candidacy for president. The announcement spurred several grassroots draft movements, including a well-organized draft campaign started by Dean Rice, a former Thompson political aide, in Knoxville, Tennessee. While Thompson had not yet formally announced his intentions, he said he would "leave the door open."[22] Furthermore, Thompson has stated that he would not be interested in accepting a hypothetical nomination for vice president, explaining "I don't think I would ever want to do that and be in the second position."[23]

On May 2 2007, Thompson wrote an article[24] critical of Cuba's government-run health care, and of filmmaker Michael Moore's visit to Cuba. Moore responded on May 15 2007 with a challenge for a health care debate.[25] Later that day, Thompson responded with a video,[26] in which he declined to debate Moore and mentioned Cuban filmmaker Nicolás Guillén, who was jailed by the Cuban government and subjected to electroconvulsive therapy.

On May 18, he continued his Internet campaign, posting a letter to Pajamas Media acknowledging his online supporters.[27] (Pajamas Media's straw poll was one of several Thompson had won in previous weeks.)

On May 30, The Weekly Standard reported[28] that Thompson will set up a "testing-the-waters" committee that will begin accepting contributions on June 4. Also on May 30, The Politico reported that Thompson plans to enter the presidential race over the Independence Day weekend.[29] But a Thompson associate quoted in The Hillary Spot[30] said "there will not be a presidential announcement from Fred Thompson on July 4."

Thompson formed an exploratory committee on June 1.[31] Thompson's first public appearance after this exploratory committee was June 2 at the Virginia Republicans annual fund-raising gala in Richmond, Virginia, according to the Virginia Daily Press.[32]

Political insiders in Tennessee expect the inner circle of a Thompson campaign to include, in addition to his politically experienced wife, a number of functionaries with whom Thompson has been associated in the past. Chief among them would be former Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, an elder statesman of the GOP. Another name mentioned is campaign advertising expert Ken Reitz, who undertook clandestine activities among college students on behalf of the 1972 Nixon presidential campaign. Also said to be likely senior advisers are former Republican National Committee chair Ed Gillespie, former tobacco company executive Tom Collamore, PR man Mark Corallo, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission Michael E. Toner, former U.S. Senate aide Tom Daffron, longtime Tennessee political fixer Tom Ingram and Congressman Zach Wamp.[33]

On June 5th, 2007 Fred Thompson launched his website http://www.imwithfred.com . The site is the first to feature a website widget and to have a special setup for bloggers. Also on June 5, 2007 there was a Republican Presidential Candidates debate with the current 10 candidates, from New Hampshire, broadcast on CNN. Fred Thompson was mentioned repeatedly as one of the poll front runners even though he did not participate. It was anticipated he would formally announce his candidacy in July.


Polls

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released May 6 2007 placed Thompson in third with 13%, ahead of Mitt Romney with 10%, and behind Arizona Senator John McCain with 23% and Rudy Giuliani with 25%.[34]

A May 17 2007 Rasmussen Reports poll had him with 44 percent to U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton's 47 percent;[35] a May 1, 2007 Quinnipiac University poll had Clinton leading 46-39.[36]

Political positions

Main article: Political positions of Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson describes himself as a Conservative. He has said Federalism is his guiding principle, a lodestar. "[It] provided a basis for a proper analysis of most issues: "Is this something government should be doing? If so, at what level of government?"[37]

"Our government, under our Constitution, was established upon the principles of Federalism -- that the federal government would have limited enumerated powers and the rest would be left to the states. It not only prevented tyranny, it just made good sense. States become laboratories for democracy and experiment with different kinds of laws. One state might try one welfare reform approach, for example. Another state might try another approach. One would work and the other would not. The federal welfare reform law resulted from just this process."

"Federalism also allows for the diversity that exists among the country's people. Citizens of our various states have different views as to how traditional state responsibilities should be handled. This way, states compete with each other to attract people and businesses -- and that is a good thing."[38]

Cancer

In an April 2007 interview on Your World with Neil Cavuto on Fox News, Thompson declared that he has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a form of cancer. "I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My life expectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future — and with no debilitating side effects," Thompson said.[39] Like many patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Thompson received treatment with Rituxan.[40] Thompson's cancer is reportedly indolent, the lowest of three grades of NHL.[39]

Electoral history

Tennessee United States Senate Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Fred Thompson (Incumbent) 1,091,554 61.37 +0.93
Democratic Houston Gordon 654,937 36.82
Independent John Jay Hooker 14,401 0.81
Majority 436,617 24.55 +2.72
Republican hold Swing
Tennessee United States Senate Election, 1994 (Special)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Fred Thompson 885,998 60.44
Democratic Jim Cooper 565,930 38.61
Majority 320,068 21.83 −16.07
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

Footnotes

  1. ^ Locker, Richard (14 March, 2007). "Thompson may house hunt in Tenn". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2007-04-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Thompson, Fred. "Modern Political Archives: Fred Thompson Papers, 1993-2002". University of Tennessee. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
  3. ^ ""The Fred Thompson Report", [[ABC Radio]]". {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  4. ^ a b Bragg, Rick (November 12, 1994). "Grits and Glitter Campaign Helps Actor Who Played a Senator Become One". The New York Times. pp. Sec. 1, p. 10. Retrieved 2007-04-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Born Yesterday (1993), IMDb Internet Movie Database
  6. ^ "Fred Thompson Quits 'Law & Order,' Moves Closer to 2008 White House Bid". foxnews.com.
  7. ^ Reitwiesner, William Addams. "Ancestry of Fred Thompson". self-published, non-authoritative. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
  8. ^ a b c d Cottle, Michelle (1 December, 1996). "Another Beltway Bubba?". Washington Monthly. Retrieved 2007-04-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Ahlers, Mike (21 January, 2000). "National Archives releases 12 hours of Nixon tapes to the public". CNN. Retrieved 2007-04-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ a b c Hayes, Stephen F. (April 23, 2007). "From the Courthouse to the White House". Weekly Standard. Retrieved 2007-05-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Fred Thompson's Bid for President". TENNESSEAN.COM.
  12. ^ a b c d Fund, John (17 March, 2007). "Lights, Camera ... Candidacy?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-04-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Fred Thompson on Government Reform". OnTheIssues.org.
  14. ^ Neal, Terry M. (18 August, 1999). "McCain Re-Emerges; Receives Thompson Endorsement". Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Halperin, Mark (May 24, 2007). "Has Fred Thompson Found His Role?". Time. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Grove, Lloyd (July 2, 2002). "Reliable Sources". The Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Interview with Mike Boos of Citizens United". CNN. March 1, 2003. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ Allen, Mike (May 1, 2007). "Thompson mulling summer decision". USA Today. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ "Names and Faces". The Washington Post. February 25, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Shane, Scott (February 9, 2007). "Media Censors for the Jury Let a Style Item Get Through". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Bohn, Kevin (February 9, 2007). "Libby trial provides a rare look inside the grand jury". CNN. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "Transcript: Former Sen. Fred Thompson on 'FOX News Sunday'". Fox news. March 11, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ "Thompson rules out VP spot on GOP ticket". MSNBC. 11 May, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ Thompson, Fred (May 2, 2007). ""Paradise Island": The myth of Cuban health care". National Review Online. Retrieved 2007-05-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ Moore, Michael (May 15, 2007). "A Challenge from Michael Moore to Presidential Hopeful Fred Thompson". Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Thompson Responds to Michael Moore Challenge" (video clip). Breitbart.tv. May 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Thompson, Fred (21 May, 2007). "To PJM and Friends". Pajamas Media. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ Hayes, Stephen (May 30, 2007). "Testing the Waters". weeklystandard.com. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ Allen, Mike (May 30, 2007). "Fred Thompson will run, advisers say". politico.com. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ Geraghty, Jim (May 30, 2007). "No July 4 Announcement For Fred Thompson". National Review Online. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ "Fred Thompson to Speak in Richmond". WHSV TV. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  32. ^ Lessig, Hugh (2007-06-01). "Media horde to follow Thompson to Richmond". Daily Press. Retrieved 2007-06-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  33. ^ Whitehouse, Ken (June 1, 2007). "The 'Inner Fred'". NashvillePost.com. Retrieved 2007-06-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 4-May 6, 2007. via PollingReport.com
  35. ^ "Clinton Leads Both Thompson and Romney by Three Points". Rasmussen Reports, May 17, 2007.
  36. ^ Quinnipiac University Poll. April 25-May 1, 2007. via PollingReport.com
  37. ^ "Federalism 'n' Me", AEI, April 23, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007.
  38. ^ "Talking about Federalism", Townhall.com, April 23, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007.
  39. ^ a b "Former Senator Fred Thompson in Remission for Lymphoma". Fox News. April 11 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ Associated Press (May 15, 2007). "Fred Thompson discloses past cancer diagnosis". L.A. Times. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
Supporters' sites
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 2) from Tennessee
1994–2003
Served alongside: Jim Sasser, Bill Frist 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of Senate Governmental Affairs Committee
1997–2001 		Succeeded by
Joe Lieberman
Connecticut
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