Candidate Review - Assassination of Benazir Bhutto - Fred Thompson

Well Fred Thompson has chosen to highlight remarks he made on Fox News.

It is a tragedy, of course. It reminds us that things can happen in faraway places of the world that can affect the United States. I think this should be of great concern to us. It is almost a perfect storm in a very bad sense because two forces are operating against each other that are both desirable. One is democracy: they were making progress in that regard in that country. Former prime minister Bhutto was an important part of that process. But the other is stability. Pakistan is a nuclear country, and we cannot afford to let nukes fall into the hands of dangerous Muslim radicals. We are hoping those two things can be balanced out. We can see the continued progress toward a democratic society but also maintain stability in the country, which seems to be very much in doubt right now.

Now that's an interesting statement; because the next question is, "Well what if you can only get one? Which would you pick senator." (The Fox guy didn't ask this question of course). Because the answer would probably be "Well Democracy would be nice but we can't afford to let the bomb get in unstable hands."

Candidate Review - The Environment - Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson doesn't have an environment issues tab (all of his issues are on the same page, hidden under tabs), but he does have an "Energy Security" page. A nose by any other name.

The energy challenges our nation faces today are real and significant. Our dependence on foreign sources of oil threatens our national security and puts our economic prosperity at risk. America must rise to the challenge and take the steps necessary to become more energy independent before this becomes a crisis. No one solution will solve the energy challenges we face; all ideas must be on the table. Greater energy security will enhance our ability to pursue our foreign policy and national security objectives. Increasing our energy independence and investing in alternative energy sources will also produce a healthier environment. And while we don’t know for certain how or why climate change is occurring, it makes sense to take reasonable steps to reduce CO2 emissions without harming our economy.

I guess you can get a sense of Thompsons priorities, and cleaning up the environment ain't one of them.

Candidate Review - Illegal Immigration - Fred Thompson

I know I should have done this Friday - the Holidays are keeping me busier than I like. But fortunately I should be able to send out my packages tomorrow and then all will be good.

Anyway here we go on Fred Thompson and Immigration.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. Throughout our history, legal immigrants have brought energy, ideas, strength, and diversity to our country, our economy, and our culture. This must continue. But in the post-9/11 world, immigration is more of a national security issue. A government that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter and who may not, abrogates a fundamental responsibility. I am committed to:

* Securing our borders and enforcing immigration laws. Amnesty is not an option and the toleration of “sanctuary cities” must end.
* Reviewing our immigration laws and policies to ensure they advance our national interests.
* Uniting Americans by welcoming legal immigrants willing to learn English, assimilate into our communities, and become productive citizens.

Pretty bog standard - although he is willing to throw the sop to legal immigrants, unlike some of his candidates.

Fred Thompson has turned out to be a lot duller than anybody anticipated.

Candidate Review - Electoral Reform - Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson would also like to point out that Romney has supported campaign finance reform in the past. Of course Thompson voted for McCain Feingold, so he can't pretend to be exactly clean on this issue. Which would explain why he doesn't really address it.

Candidate Review - The Iraq War - Fred Thompson

Thompson also doesn't spend a lot of time on the Iraq War on his issues page, although he does mention it.

We must defeat the terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the will to fight and win. A weakened America - or an America that appears weaker - will only encourage further attacks.

Pretty brief, but not much of a plan. That said, other than supporting the President's plan, what else can Thompson say?

Candidate Review - Health Care - Fred Thompson

I think this is my final one of the day. Fred Thompson's plan is pretty homespun - he wants everybody to have healthcare, but doesn't really want to ponder the question of what to do about those who can't currently afford it.

Americans have the best healthcare in the world. Some, however, choose not be insured; others cannot afford it. Every American should be able to get health insurance coverage that is affordable, fully accessible, and portable. Coverage should meet their individual needs and put them in control. Those who propose a one-size-fits-all Washington-controlled program ignore the cost, inefficiency, and inadequate care that such a system offers. Access to affordable, portable health care can be made available for all Americans without imposing new mandates or raising taxes. Current government programs must also be streamlined and improved so that those who truly need help can get the health care they need.

I like the reference to those who choose not to be insured - makes this a personal responsibility issue; those who choose not to be insured are obviously irresponsible. Of course you wouldn't want to force people who choose not to be insured to get insured; let those bums take care of themselves.

Or so the logic goes, I gather.

Anyway while Thompson seems aware that some people who want health care can't afford it, it doesn't seem like he's spending a lot of time worrying about them. And of course he's all about streamlining the government programs. Which usually involves making them smaller and weaker.

Candidate Review - Fair Trade - Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson doesn't address Free Trade or Fair Trade, on his issues page. But a Google search reveals that he did give a speech in which he touched on Free Trade (which he prefers to fair trade) enough to give a pretty clear sign of where his thinking is.

Some people are saying that in effect after this war in Iraq is over we need to come back home and close the doors and lock them and pull down the shades and build up walls of protection and trade protection and raise taxes and redistribute the income.

. . . . On globalization we aren’t afraid of America; it’s a good thing for America. We do more things better than anybody else. We have more innovation; we invest more in innovation in this country and in our service economy than anybody in the world. Free trade and free prosperity have done more things and caused more prosperity in the world than anything any central planner ever could have come up with and America is the best example of that.

If we want to help our friends in South America and Africa for example and other places, we need to lower our trade barriers, we need to have more trade.

Pretty straightforward; but pretty shallow at the same time. Still I think it's clear, at this point, that Thompson is better at playing a politician than actually being one.

Candidate Revew - Abortion - Fred Thompson

As longterm readers of the site know (long term in this case being defined as the last two weeks), I am doing candidate reviews; taking the candidate and reviewing their statements on the issue from their individual websites. Unfortunately, last week when I was doing Abortion I forgot to do Fred Thompson.

Not as big a lapse as it seems, after all, as his website is one of the few Republican ones to not reference Abortion prominently. He does talk on Building strong families, but doesn't reference Abortion specifically. There is this line under "Building Strong Families."

Returning authority to the levels of government closest to families and communities—the states—and then protecting states from further intrusion by the federal government, the judiciary, and other states.

That could refer to Abortion, but not directly. He did make some comments at the recent Values Voters summit that shed a bit more light on his opinion on Abortion.

And I'm proud to say that over eight years on national issues, I was a consistent conservative -- cutting taxes, balancing the budget, reducing regulation, promoting welfare reform, fighting for good conservative judges with a hundred percent pro-life voting record, and I'm proud of that record. (Applause.) That's who I was then, that's who I am today, and that's the kind of president I would be.

Perhaps Thompson feels secure enough in his record on abortion that he doesn't feel the need to underline his position.

Candidate Review - Foreign Policy - Fred Thompson

By the number Fred has a by the numbers response on Foreign Policy. He is starting to strike me as the "safe" candidate for conservatives. He's not given to cross dressing or fits of temper or being a Mormon. That said, he's not given to being all that exciting (so far) either.

His statement on the War on Terror is pretty straight forward.

The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life. Today we face the urgent threat of radical Islamic terrorists. Al Qaeda is committed to attacking us here at home, and wants to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to kill millions. We must never give them that opportunity. We must defeat the terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the will to fight and win. A weakened America - or an America that appears weaker - will only encourage further attacks. We must persevere. As Commander-in-Chief, the president must ensure the United States has the means to achieve victory. Presidential leadership requires talking to the American people about these stakes, mapping out a clear vision for success, and devising a comprehensive strategy for achieving it.

Hard to argue with this (if you are a Republican).

He does also note that he does want to strengthen or alliance by committing to "A strengthened system of global alliances to better combat terrorists, proliferators, and traditional threats to our interests." I don't know how he is going to build alliances with people pissed off at what President Bush had done while continuing to do pretty much what President Bush has done. Won't that just continue to piss them off?

Edited to add - Apparently I forgot to capture Thompson's view s on Abortion last week, and of course I forgot Wilson because I was not aware of his existence, so look forward to that tomorrow.