Not enough "star" power for Fred Thompson in a GOP presidential field that includes some of his friends? Whatever the case, the actor and former Tennessee senator is considering getting into the 2008 race.
Thompson, who plays district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's drama "Law & Order," said Sunday, "I'm giving some thought to it, going to leave the door open" and decide in the coming months. "It's not really a reflection on the current field at all," he said.
"I'm just going to wait and see what happens," Thompson added. "I wanted to see how my colleagues who are on the campaign trail do now, what they say, what they emphasize, what they're addressing, and how successful they are in doing that, and whether or not they can carry the ball in next November."
Thompson, 64, said he was pondering a run after former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker and other Tennessee Republicans began drumming up support for his possible GOP candidacy, citing his conservative credentials.
"I think people are somewhat disillusioned. I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're looking for something different. ... and I think that they're going to be open to different things," he said.
"It will be interesting to me as I listen to people and learn and watch what's going on and what's the reaction, and the poll numbers and so forth, as to whether or not my instinct on that is right."
During the interview, Chris Wallace did a rapid fire questioning, a lightning round, questioning Thompson on the issues.
On the issues, Thompson said he:
_Is "pro-life," and believes federal judges should overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision as "bad law and bad medical science."
_Opposes gay marriage, but would let states decide whether to allow civil unions. "Marriage is between a man and a woman, and I don't believe judges ought to come along and change that."
_Opposes gun control, and praised last week's 2-1 federal appeals decision overturning a long-standing handgun ban. "The court basically said the Constitution means what it says, and I agree with that."
_Supports President Bush's decision to increase troops in Iraq. "Wars are full of mistakes. You rectify things. I think we're doing that now," he said. "Why would we not take any chance, even though there's certainly no guarantees, to not be run out of that place? I mean, we've got to take that opportunity and give it a chance to work."
_Would pardon former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice now, rather than waiting until all his appeals are exhausted. Thompson is a fundraiser for Libby's defense.
I think Thompson's flirtation with a presidential run is one of the surest signs yet that conservatives aren't too thrilled with the current crop of Republican candidates.
I don't think it's Thompson's ego that's driving him. I think he's being encouraged to run.
Conservatives want a candidate that they can embrace and trust, not just tolerate.
That brings us to Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.
Are they conservative enough to lead the Republican Party to victory in 2008?
They may not be as consistently conservative to the bone like Thompson, but they're far better than any Democrat, hands down.
On YouTube, someone trying to strip away Rudy Giuliani's support among conservatives has posted an old clip of Giuliani speaking in favor of public funding for abortions.
Who is responsible for the YouTube submission?
Is it a supporter of another Republican candidate?
Is it a piece of tape that came from Hillary Clinton's war room?
Who knows? It really doesn't matter. What's certain is it's meant to damage Giuliani, to take aim at his Achilles' heel.
I watch that and I do cringe; but it's important to note that the clip was from 1989.
(I'd like to see some 1989 clips from the other candidates. That would be interesting.)
What matters to me is what Giuliani is saying now. What is his current philosophy, particularly on his judicial nominations?
Eighteen years is a long time ago. I can't get too upset about his words.
Mitt Romney's views on abortion have evolved over time. His conversion to being a pro-life candidate is a relatively recent development. Should we pull out some of his comments on abortion from 1989?
I can't get too excited about a candidate's past positions.
Ronald Reagan was a Democrat. Conservatives didn't hold that against him.
I don't know if Fred Thompson needs to enter the race. I can understand why people want him to be a candidate. Some conservatives are more comfortable with his positions on issues and his consistency.
But is there a need?
I don't think so.
If he's going to run, he should announce soon. There's no need to play games.
Right now, I'm leaning toward Giuliani; but that could change, based on how he handles the social issues.
I could support a Thompson candidacy.
I definitely think that he would be a perfect choice for a conservatively-challened candidate in need of a running mate to balance the ticket.
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