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Frederick Dalton Thompson
United States Senator from Tennessee
In office December 2 1994 – January 3 2003
Preceded by	Harlan Matthews
Succeeded by	Lamar Alexander
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	(1) Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey (Knestrick), 1959–1985; div. (2) Jeri Kehn, 2002–Present
Alma mater	Memphis State University
Profession	character actor, senator, lawyer, lobbyist, public speaker, radio personality

Frederick Dalton "Fred" Thompson (born August 19 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor. He represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S. Senate from 1995 thru 2002. Thompson resides in McLean, Virginia near Washington D.C.

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in national security and intelligence.

As an actor, Thompson has performed in film and on television. He has frequently portrayed governmental figures. 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 City District Attorney Arthur Branch. On May 30, 2007, he asked to be released from the show, potentially in preparation for a presidential bid.

On June 1 2007 Thompson formed a "testing the waters" committee regarding his possible 2008 campaign for President. As of July 2007, Thompson has relatively high poll numbers in the Republican field. According to CNN, Thompson is likely to announce his candidacy in August.

Political positions

Fred Thompson describes himself as a conservative. He has an "86.1 percent lifetime (1995-2002) Senate vote rating compiled by the American Conservative Union (ACU)," compared to 89.3 for Bill Frist and 82.3 for John McCain.

Thompson has said that federalism was his "lodestar" in the Senate, providing "a basis for a proper analysis of most issues: 'Is this something government should be doing? If so, at what level of government?'"

Thompson supports free trade and low taxes. He says that Roe v. Wade was a wrong decision that ought to be overturned, but he also believes that states should decide not to criminalize young women for early term abortions. Thompson is skeptical that humanity is to blame for global warming. He generally supports the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. His position on immigration is that U.S. borders need to be secured before considering comprehensive immigration reform. Thompson supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but believes that mistakes have been made since then. He also believes that Iran's threats of war should be taken seriously.

Early life and education

Fred Thompson was born August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama, USA, to Ruth Inez (Bradley) and Fletcher Session Thompson, an automobile salesman. He is a member of the Church of Christ. He attended the public schools in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, including Lawrence County High School.

Thompson entered Florence State College, now the University of North Alabama, becoming the first member of his family to go to college. He subsequently transferred to Memphis State University where he earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science in 1964, and 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), and afterwards wrote a book about it. Among the cases Thompson has handled in his private law practice are personal injury claims and the defense of individuals accused of white collar crimes.

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. Some of his clients have been foreign corporations, such as a German mining group and Japan's Toyota Motors Corporation. Thompson has also served on various corporate boards; for example, in the 1990s, he did legal work for the engineering firm Stone & Webster, while serving on its board of directors.

Role in Watergate hearings

Thompson was appointed minority counsel for the hearings surrounding the Watergate scandal. According to Fox News, Thompson was responsible for Sen. 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?" Also, Thompson himself asked former White House aide Alexander Butterfield about listening devices in the White House, although "Thompson knew the answer to the question before he asked it" because Butterfield had earlier been interviewed by Senate investigators in closed session. In fact, Thompson tipped off the White House in the weekend before the question was asked in the hearings. Thompson had heard about the tapes from another source on the investigative team and claimed he thought it would be in the best interests of the committee if the White House knew that the tapes had been discovered.

Nixon was reportedly angry that Thompson, whom he called "dumb as hell," had been selected as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee; Nixon believed the young Thompson was not skilled enough to interrogate unfriendly witnesses, and was apt to be outfoxed by committee Democrats. According to historian Stanley Kutler, Fred Thompson and Howard Baker "carried water for the White House, but I have to give them credit — they were watching out for their interests, too....They weren't going to mindlessly go down the tubes" for Nixon. In response to renewed interest in this matter, Thompson says "I'm glad all of this has finally caused someone to read my Watergate book, even though it's taken them over thirty years."

Exposing corruption of Tennessee governor

In 1977 Thompson took on the case of Marie Ragghianti, a Tennessee Parole Board chairperson fired under suspicious circumstances. Thompson confirmed that her firing was due to her refusal to release from prison felons who had bribed aides of Democratic governor Ray Blanton to buy their freedom. Thompson filed a suit challenging Ragghianti's dismissal. A jury found in July of 1978, that Governor Blanton had fired her "arbitrarily and capriciously" and ordered her reinstatement with an award of $38,000 for back pay. Ragghianti's case would garner national attention, along with the publication of a book titled, simply, Marie, followed by a film of the same name. Thompson's work in helping to expose this cash-for-clemency scheme ultimately toppled Blanton from power.

Lobbyist

Thompson has been a lobbyist intermittently since 1975, and has earned about $1 million from his lobbying efforts during that time. He says that criticism about his lobbying activities is likely to increase as he gets closer to announcing his candidacy, but Thompson also expects that such criticism will produce “the same results” as it did during his 1994 and 1996 Senate races. Except for the year 1981, his lobbying never amounted to more than a third of his income. According to the Commercial Appeal newspaper:

Fred Thompson earned about half a million dollars from Washington lobbying from 1975 through 1993....Lobbyist disclosure records show Thompson had six lobbying clients: Westinghouse, two cable television companies, the Tennessee Savings and Loan League, the Teamsters Union's Central States Pension Fund, and a Baltimore-based business coalition that lobbied for federal grants.

For example, in 1982, on behalf of the Tennessee Savings and Loan League, Thompson lobbied the U.S. Congress to pass the Garn - St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 which deregulated the Savings and Loan (S&L) industry. This Act was supported by President Reagan and a large congressional majority, but it turned out to be one of many contributing factors that led to the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s. Thompson received $1600 for communicating with some congressional staffers on this issue.

Thompson also did some lobbying for free. For example, when Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in 1991, Thompson made a telephone call to John Sununu who was then White House Chief of Staff, in order to advocate (as Thompson described) "restoration of the democratically elected government of the Republic of Haiti." Eventually, "Aristide was restored to power in 1994 by U.S. troops under President Clinton."

After leaving the Senate in 2003, Thompson's only lobbying work was for London-based Equitas Ltd, which is a reinsurance company. He was paid $760,000 from 2004 to 2006 in order to help prevent legislation that Equitas said unfairly singled them out for unfavorable treatment regarding asbestos claims. Thompson spokesman Mark Corrallo said that Thompson was proud to have been a lobbyist and believed in Equitas's cause.

Character actor

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 traveled 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. Thompson would go on to appear in many films and television shows.

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 Arthur Branch. While Thompson was still serving in the Senate, Thompson filmed his parts during Senate recesses. He has also made occasional appearances in the same role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and the pilot episode of Conviction. On May 30 2007, he asked to be released from the show.

A 1994 New York Times profile wrote that "When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to ."

Senate (1994-2002)

Two campaigns for U.S. Senate

In 1994, Thompson was elected to finish the remaining two years of Al Gore's unexpired Senate term. Gore was elected Vice President of the United States in 1992, and resigned making Harlan Mathews "caretaker" of the seat. During the campaign, Thompson drove around Tennessee in a rented red pickup truck, and charged that his opponent, longtime Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper, had "never seen the inside of a pickup." Cooper replied that Thompson "is a lobbyist and actor who talks about lower taxes, talks about change, while he drives a rented stage prop." In a good year for Republican candidates, he defeated Cooper in a landslide victory. 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, 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.

In 1996, Thompson was re-elected (for the term ending January 3 2003) with 61% of the vote, defeating Democratic attorney Houston Gordon of Covington, Tennessee, even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried Tennessee by less than three percentage points on his way to re-election. The GOP continues to hold the seat, as it was won by former Tennessee Governor and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in 2002.

Senate career

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 investigated alleged Chinese attempts to influence American politics prior to the 1996 elections. 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.

On February 12 1999, the Senate voted on the Clinton impeachment. The perjury charge was defeated with 45 votes for conviction, and 55 including Thompson against. The obstruction of justice charge was defeated with 50 including Thompson for conviction, and 50 against. Conviction on impeachment charges 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.

When control of the Senate passed from Republican to Democratic in 2001, Thompson then became the ranking minority member of the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Post-Senate activities

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. The decision seems to have been prompted in large part by the death of his daughter.

Political work

In March 2003, Thompson was featured in a commercial by the conservative non-profit 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," and he has remained supportive of that invasion.

Thompson did voice-over work at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

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.

Legal defense for Lewis Libby

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. Thompson, who had never met Libby before volunteering for the advisory board, was convinced Libby was innocent. The Scooter Libby Legal Defense Fund Trust set out to raise more than $5 million to help finance the legal defense of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff. Thompson hosted a fundraiser for the Libby defense fund at his home in McLean, Virginia.

After President Bush commuted Libby's sentence Thompson released a statement: "I am very happy for Scooter Libby," Thompson said. "I know that this is a great relief to him, his wife and children. This will allow a good American, who has done a lot for his country, to resume his life."

Radio analyst

In 2006, he signed on with ABC News Radio to serve as senior analyst and vacation replacement for Paul Harvey. He used that platform to spell out his positions on a number of political issues. A July 3, 2007 update to Thompson's ABC News Radio home page referred to him as a "former ABC News Radio contributor," indicating that Thompson has been released from his contract with the broadcaster.

Possible presidential campaign

Senator Fred D. Thompson appears to be the conservative Republican candidate best prepared to pick the mantle of President Ronald Reagan and run with it.

Polls

Speculation, comments, and rumor

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." 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."

Thompson's March 11 announcement spurred a flurry of conjecture, discussion and activity on the internet. A "Draft Fred Thompson" forum site became a particularly popular online forum for supporters of Fred Thompson. One group of Fred Thompson supporters, many of whom call themselves "FredHeads," organized under the banner "FredHeadsUSA" with a plan to build a grassroots pro-Fred political movement in the physical world to expand on the vigorous pro-Fred activity already taking place in the virtual world. On May 18, he continued his Internet campaign, posting a letter to Pajamas Media acknowledging his online supporters.

Exploratory committee

Thompson formed an exploratory committee on June 1. 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. Shortly later on June 5, 2007 Fred Thompson launched his official website. Also on June 5, 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. In a June 6 appearance on Hannity and Colmes, Republican pollster Frank Luntz described Fred Thompson as the "Six-million-pound gorilla" of the Republican primary race.

On June 12, 2007, Thompson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He would not announce his candidacy, but referred to his "testing the waters" committee, which he stated yielded positive prospects. Leno mentioned that Thompson was #2 in the polls, and asked Thompson if he would at least state if he would like the job of President. Thompson responded that, while he did not crave the job itself, there were things he would like to do that he could only do by holding that office.

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. 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.

If elected president, he would be the second president in U.S. history (after James Garfield) to belong to the Churches of Christ, a small, non-denominational Christian group that emerged from the American Restoration Movement in the 19th century.

In early July 2007, Liz Sidoti of Associated Press wrote: "Thompson's easygoing, no-nonsense style is clearly his strength and undoubtedly has helped him soar in presidential polls," but "It may only get him so far." In contrast to the other Republican canidates, "His stump speech consists of broad conservative themes, talk of bipartisanship and commentary on issues of the day, but it largely lacks any vision for the future of the country." Nevertheless, Tucker Eskew, a Republican strategist unaligned in the race said, "Smooth is good, but sometimes nitty gritty is essential" and "He'll be tested (but) he has a little time."

Controversy

Fred Thompson has been the target of several charges over the years, most notably allegations of pro-choice lobbying, use of his political action committee to benefit his son, purchasing smuggled Cuban cigars, not being truly conservative, and demeaning Cuban immigrants. See the main article for viewpoints and descriptions regarding each controversy.

Personal life

In September 1959, at the age of 17, Thompson married Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey. Their son Fred Dalton "Tony" Thompson Jr. was born in April 1960. Another son and a daughter were born soon thereafter. While Thompson was attending law school, both he and his wife worked to pay for his education and support their three children.

Fred and Sarah Thompson divorced in 1985. They have two surviving children, as well as five grandchildren. Thompson's daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs on January 30 2002.

Prior to his current marriage, Thompson was romantically linked to country singer Lorrie Morgan, Republican fundraiser Georgette Mosbacher, and columnist Margaret Carlson. On June 29 2002, Thompson married Republican consultant Jeri Kehn. The two had first met on July 4, 1996. They have two small children.

Thompson 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. Like many patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Thompson received treatment with Rituxan. Thompson's cancer, though currently incurable, is reportedly indolent, the lowest of three grades of NHL. Thompson has nodal marginal zone lymphoma which is a rare form of NHL, accounting for only 1% to 3% of all NHLs. Coincidentally, two other potential Republican presidential nominees have also had cancer: John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.

Filmography

Movies

TV series

• Law & Order (2002-2007)
• Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005-2006)
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (11 episodes, 2003-2006)
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2 episodes, 2005)
• Conviction (1 episode, 2006)
• Sex and the City (1 episode, 2000, as "Politician on TV")
• Matlock (1 episode in 1989 as "Gordon Lewis" and 1 episode in 1993 as "Prosecutor Mr. McGonigal")
• Roseanne (1 episode, 1989, as "Keith Faber")
• China Beach (1 episode, 1989, as "Lt. Col. Reinhardt")
• Wiseguy (3 episodes, 1988, as "Knox Pooley")

Electoral history

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. American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Scholars & Fellows.
3. Thompson, Fred. "Modern Political Archives: Fred Thompson Papers, 1993-2002". University of Tennessee. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
4. ^ 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. ^ Associated Press and Cameron, Carl. "Fred Thompson Quits 'Law & Order,' Moves Closer to 2008 White House Bid", Fox News (2007-05-31).
6. Crowley, Candy. "Thompson eyes August kick-off", CNN Political Ticker (2007-07-11).
7. "How conservative is Fred Thompson?", Washington Times Editorial (2007-06-23).
8. Thompson, Fred. "Federalism 'n' Me", AEI (2007-04-23). Retrieved 2007-05-13.
9. ^ Thompson, Fred. "Prepared Remarks for Speech to Lincoln Club Annual Dinner", ABC Radio, May 4, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007.
10. Thompson, Fred. "Case Closed: Tax Cuts Mean Growth", ABC Radio, April 14, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007.
11. "Exclusive! Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson on Possible White House Bid", Fox News Interview (2007-06-05).
12. Bailey, Holly. "Away From the Cameras," Newsweek (2007-06-25).
13. Thompson, Fred. "Plutonic Warming", AEI, March 22, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007.
14. Thompson, Fred. "Armed with the Truth", ABC Radio, May 10, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2007.
15. "Former Sen. Fred Thompson on 'FOX News Sunday'". 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
16. Thompson, Fred. "Remarks to Policy Exchange in London" (2007-06-19). Retrieved 2007-07-02.
17. Fred Dalton Thompson Biography (1942-) via filmreference.com.
18. Reitwiesner, William Addams. "Ancestry of Fred Thompson". self-published, non-authoritative. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
19. New York Times, "Times Topics."
20. ^ "About Fred", via imwithfred.com (Official Site). Retrieved (2007-07-13).
21. Fred Thompson Hometown Biography, Lawrenceburg Tennessee
22. Thompson, Fred. At That Point in Time: The inside story of the Senate Watergate Committee (1975).
23. Vogel, Kenneth. "Rivals Take Aim At Thompson", CBS News (2007-06-12). Retrieved 2007-07-08.
24. ^ 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)
25. ^ Dilanian, Ken. Past as lobbyist may play into future as candidate, USA Today (2007-06-06).
26. ^ "Thompson cooperated with White House during Watergate". Associated Press. 08 March, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Cite error: The named reference "thompsoncooperates" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
27. Cameron, Carl (08 March, 2007). "National TV Star, Former Republican Senator Fred Thompson Mulls '08 Presidential Bid". FoxNews. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
28. ^ Lowy, Joan. "Fred Thompson Aided Nixon on Watergate," Associated Press (2007-07-07).
29. Kranish, Michael (July 4, 2007). "Not all would put a heroic sheen on Thompson's Watergate role". The Boston Globe. pp. Sec. 1, p. 10. Retrieved 2007-07-08. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
30. ^ "Fred Thompson defends lobbyist past". USA Today. June 26, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
31. ^ Locker, Richard. "Thompson tells why lobbyist pay rose with GOP-led Senate", Commercial Appeal (1994-11-05).
32. Leibold, Arthur. "Some Hope for the Future After a Failed National Policy for Thrifts" in Barth, James et al. The Savings and Loan Crisis: Lessons from a Regulatory Failure, pages 58-59 (2004). Leibold cites Strunk and Case, Where Regulation Went Wrong: A Look at the Causes Behind Savings and Loan Failures in the 1980s, pages 14-16 (1988).
33. Vogel, Kenneth. "'Law & Order' And Lobbying", The Politico (2007-04-02).
34. Birnbaum, Jeffrey. "Thompson Will Take On Outsider Role After Playing Access Man", Washington Post, June 12, 2007
35. ^ 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)
36. Fred Thompson's Race for the White House, The Tennessean.
37. Zuckerbrod, Nancy."Thompson eyed for vice presidential role", via oakridger.com 2000-07-03). Retrieved 2007-07-10.
38. ^ Heilemann, John. "The Shadow Candidates". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
39. Powers, William. "The Politicians's Pickup Lines", Washington Monthly (1994-10-21). There is some question about whether Thompson actually did the driving. According to Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly, "Thompson didn't even deign to drive the thing himself." Drum, Kevin. "Fred Thompson's Red Pick-up Truck", Washington Monthly (2007-05-07). Retrieved 2007-06-18. Media reports in May and June 2007 said that Thompson still has the truck, which is "parked behind Thompson's mother's home outside Nashville." Chipman, Kim. "Thompson's Backers Check His `Fire in the Belly' for 2008 Race", Bloomberg (2007-06-28). According to Newsweek, "The paint is peeling and its U.S. Senate license plates expired back in 2002." Bailey, Holly. "The Sign of the Red Truck", Newsweek (2007-05-28). Retrieved 2007-07-10.
40. Lewis, Dwight (June 10, 2007). "Don't lay bets on Fred's red pickup of victory just yet". Tennessean. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
41. "United States of America Presidential Elections of 1996, Electoral College Vote by States", Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive.
42. ^ 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)
43. 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)
44. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, History of Committee Chairmen. Retrieved (2007-07-13).
45. ^ 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)
46. "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)
47. Goldsmith, Brian. "Beware The 'Convention Candidates'", CBS News (2007-04-20).
48. Thompson, Fred. "The Pitch", via YouTube. Retrieved (2007-07-13).
49. 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)
50. 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)
51. Loller, Travis. "Looking at Thompson's Lobbying Past", ABC News (2007-06-25).
52. Copeland, Libby and Montgomery, David. "Scooter Libby's Pals, Trusting In Providence", Washington Post (2007-07-03).
53. "Political Leaders Express Outrage, Support for 'Scooter' Libby's Commuted Sentence". Fox News. July 03, 2007]]. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
54. Miller, Korin. Names and Faces, The Washington Post (2006-02-25).
55. The Fred Thompson Report, ABC Radio Networks.
56. "Transcript: Former Sen. Fred Thompson on 'FOX News Sunday'". Fox news. March 11, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
57. Seidman, Joel. "Thompson rules out VP spot on GOP ticket", MSNBC (2007-05-11).
58. See DraftFredThompson.com.
59. See the FredHeadsUSA web site and the FredHeads web site.
60. 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)
61. "Fred Thompson to Speak in Richmond". WHSV TV. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
62. 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)
63. imwithfred.com.
64. Struglinski, Suzanne and Roche, Lisa. "Actor heightens GOP debate drama", Deseret Morning News (2007-06-05).
65. "Pollster Frank Luntz Applies His State of the Art Analysis to the GOP Debate". Hannity & Colmes/Fox News. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
66. "Thompson Tells Leno He Would Like to Be President". Fox News. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
67. Cillizza, Chris. "Fred Thompson's Inner Circle", washingtonpost.com's Politics Blog (2007-06-12).
68. Whitehouse, Ken (June 1, 2007). "The 'Inner Fred'". NashvillePost.com. Retrieved 2007-06-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
69. Useem, Andrea (2007-06-14). "Fred Thompson's Faith: Churches of Christ 101". Religion Writer.com. Retrieved 2007-06-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
70. ^ Sidoti, Liz. "Thompson Strong on Style, Not Substance", Associated Press (2007-07-05). Retrieved (2007-07-07).
71. "Fred Thompson chronology". The Tennessean. May 6, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
72. Kirkpatrick, David (July 2, 2007). "As Senator Rose, Lobbying Became Family Affair". New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
73. Baxter, Sarah. "Old Girlfriends Cast Their Vote for Thompson", Times Online (2007-06-24).
74. 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)
75. ^ "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)
76. 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)
77. Bloom, Mark. "Fred Thompson, GOP Potential Candidate, Had Rare NHL," MedPage Today (2007-04-11).

External links

• I'm With Fred, Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc. (official exploratory committee).
• The Fred Thompson Report, ABC Radio Networks (official site).
• Gill, Steve. The Fred Factor: How Fred Thompson May Change The Face Of The '08 Campaign (2007).
• Novak, Robert. "Thompson's White House Talk is No Act" Sun-Times, (2007-04-02). Retrieved 2007-07-14.
• Halperin, Mark. "A New Role for Fred Thompson", TIME Magazine (2007-05-24). Retrieved 2007-06-01.
• United States Congress. "Fred Thompson (id: T000457)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress..
• Fred Dalton Thompson at IMDb acting career.
• Profile at Project Vote Smart (including bio, positions, finances, ratings, votes, and statements).
• Center for Responsive Politics (aka OpenSecrets.org) campaign contributions.

v t e United States senators from Tennessee
Class 1	Cocke A. Jackson Smith J. Anderson Campbell Eaton Grundy Foster Grundy Nicholson Foster Turney Jones Johnson Patterson Brownlow Johnson Key Bailey H. Jackson Whitthorne Bate Frazier Lea McKellar Gore Sr. Brock III Sasser Frist Corker Blackburn
Class 2	Blount J. Anderson Cocke Smith Whiteside Campbell Wharton Williams A. Jackson White A. Anderson Jarnagin Bell Nicholson Fowler Cooper Harris Turley Carmack Taylor Sanders Webb Shields Tyson Brock I Hull Bachman Berry Stewart Kefauver Walters Bass Baker Gore Jr. Mathews Thompson Alexander Hagerty

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