Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Lee Terry: I’m with Fred


Congressman Lee Terry has officially signed on to the Fred Thompson for President campaign.

Well, as official as hosting a fundraiser for him makes it.

Terry joins 18 other Members of Congress to support Thompson, according to The Hill. (Giuliani has 17, Romney 27, McCain 27 – though those numbers may be off.) Word is that most fundraisers are waiting for Thompson’s official announcement before formally endorsing him.

No word from Terry’s office on this move, but he did comment at length on the subject back in an April 2007 OWH article (Fred Thompson gets the ear of three Nebraskans in DC – OWH- 4/18/07):

Rep. Lee Terry of Omaha said he was impressed with Thompson's desire to return the GOP to its roots - pushing for limited government and fiscal responsibility.

"I think I need to start finding a candidate to back," Terry said. "I have some level of enthusiasm about Fred Thompson, so if he came out tomorrow, I could see myself getting onboard with him."
What About Chuck? (Keep in mind, this was after Hagel’s Non-announcement Announcement in March):

"Some of the vibes that I'm (getting) are that Chuck is not going to run for President."
So while it would seem from Terry’s April statements that he would follow Hagel IF he ran, one wonders if he:

a) has some inside info that Chuck won’t be running for Prez;
b) has decided he likes Thompson better or;
c) has just tired of waiting on Chuck and figures he better get on another bandwagon.
We’ll have to see if any of the rest of the Congressional delegation will be stepping up soon as well, or if they’ll wait for Hagel’s signal (and is Ben Nelson a follower of Obama Girl or Hillary Girl?).

Also remember when John McCain was prowling around Nebraska back in the 2006 GOP Governor Primary, when he endorsed Tom Osborne over Dave Heineman? Jon Bruning was asked about that during his original announcement (as reported on Leavenworth Street):

Bruning noted that he has had calls from the John McCain campaign about endorsing McCain, but told him that he would not endorse anyone until Hagel makes his decision since "he is a Hagel guy." He said he believes that after Romney, Giuliani and McCain "beat the crap out of each other," Presidential voters will want someone like Chuck Hagel. He stated that if Hagel gets into the Presidential race, he thinks Hagel will win.
Wonder if Bruning has changed his mind…

12 comments:

ptg said...

"What About Chuck?" Outstanding! Could I use this on a bumper sticker?

Anonymous said...

VP Cheney recently told biographer Stephen Hayes that Cheney's and Bush's Iraq occupation plan was a "mistake". And yet Republicans are still crucifying Hagel for saying exactly that. And those pounding the nails the hardest are Nebraska Republicans.

The only wonder here is why the Republican Hagel, who stumped for GOP candidates in elementary school, would care at all about a GOP that beats him up for trying to steer America and the GOP away from danger, while the same dimwitted Republicans toy with supporting unprincipled expedients like Jon B and liberals like Rudy and Mitt.

America needs a more experienced man than Fred Thompson for President. But Fred may turn out to be the only viable candidate offering a real GOP vision, however inexperienced. If that is the case, it is because Republicans, especially in Nebraska, have stabbed a better man in Hagel.

Nebraska Republicans want from Senator Hagel a decision. What they deserve is a finger.

Street Sweeper said...

Curbfeeler,

Before you go trying to convince everyone that Dick Cheney just dropped to his knees offering a Mea Culpa on the Iraq War, what he said was:

"I think we should have probably gone with the provisional government of Iraqis ... I think the Coalition Provisional Authority was a mistake."

You can feel free to argue that Hagel is right or whatever else, but don't go basing it on what Dick Cheney recently said.

-SS

Anonymous said...

"America needs a more experienced man than Fred Thompson..."

That was a joke, right Curbfeeler? Please tell me your tongue was planted firmly in your cheek when you said that! So, being a former U.S. Senator, lawyer, lobbyist, character actor, member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a fellow with the renowned American Enterprise Institute doesn't qualify Fred Thompson as being "experienced" in your eyes?

Uh-huh...

Curbfeeler, I don't know which is more asinine: your statement or the statement by former Lincoln Mayoral candidate Roger Yant when he expounded that, if elected, he would require all new homes built in Lincoln to contain urinals.

Anonymous said...

SS. Cheney's full quote was, "I think the Coalition Provisional Authority was a mistake, it wasted valuable time."

The C.P.A. was U. S. occupation policy from a White House that takes its war cues from Cheney, who thinks of such mistakes in terms of wasting time. I rather think mistakes in war waste more than just time.

Cheney looks at war from the chessboard viewpoint of those inexperienced in the real thing. Same goes for most in Washington.

IHNC, I did not say Thompson was bad. Fred is one of the few real Republicans running. But in terms of any President's vital role as Commander in Chief, hands-on experience is key. Too many political leaders play at being war strategists without knowing the true nature of it.

I can see why Lee is for Fred, especially if the alternative is Rudy or Mitt. (McCain is history.) The GOP can do a lot worse than Fred Thompson, and it yet may.

I sense SS hit on the truth when he suggests Terry's support of Thompson may indicate Hagel isn't running. (I rather think Hagel may exit all competative politics for aforementioned reasons.) In any case, with warriors McCain and Hagel out of the running, the war experience which every top commander should have becomes a non-factor in this race. And that benefits Fred Thompson.

Anonymous said...

Curbfeeler:
I forget...What hands on experience did Ronald Reagan have when it came to being a Commander in Chief? Or George W. Bush, or George H.W. Bush, or Bill Clinton, or Jimmy Carter, or Gerald Ford, or John F. Kennedy...etc. etc. etc.

So, employing your own logic Wesley Clark was the most qualified candidate in 2006 and should be occupying the Oval Office today.

Anonymous said...

A year from now, when the rest of the GOP has separated itself from Bush (as Hagel did long ago), Thompson will have a 20%+ lead over whoever the Dems nominate. Guaranteed.

Good choice, Lee!

Anonymous said...

IHNC - Read some history on the prez's you asked about military qualifications to be COC. I won't do it for you because I think you need to do some reading.

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah IHNC - I do think Thompson is a horrible choice though. Pathetic might bea better choice of words. He was a bad Senator (opinion only). Not a leader at all.
If T-Man wins the Nod say hello to Prez Hilary which is scary. Giuliani or Mitt are our only hope and they are not locks.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous: the profundity with which you waxed so verbosely has left me speechless and at a loss for words. I don't know which of your statements was more enthralling, the "he's not a leader at all" gem or the magical way in which you repeated yourself twice in your opening salvo. I'm curious, Annonymous, do you compose verse? Such oratory makes me swoon....

I assume your rant is framed by the argument that military service alone qualifies a person to be commander in chief. Ummm....sure.

And you honestly think a pro-choice, gun-banning mayor from New York or a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage Governor from Tax-a-chusetts is going to win the GOP primary? Excuse me for cribbing your own words but: "Read some history on the Prez's...I won't do it for you because you need to do some reading."

Anonymous said...

"I hate Nicholas Cage" forgot to mention that Fred Thompson was a lawyer that 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), and afterwards wrote a book about it.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Thompson worked primarily as an attorney, with law offices in Nashville and Washington, DC. His work included serving as special counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1980 and the Senate Intelligence Committee in 1982, and a wide variety of other legal work.

He might be THE most qualified of anybody in the race.

Kalthalior said...

Lee's really beginning to astound me, and (even more personally shocking)in a postive way. I may just have to reform my opinion of my Congress critter.