I read the L.A. Times story (or at least yesterday's version of it) regarding Fred Thompson's newly discovered connections with abortion rights groups--as a paid lobbyist for their group in the early 90's. To be honest, it didn't much interest me at the time, although I guess I had assumed that sooner or later Thompson would have to start facing questions about his policy positions, and not just keep moving up in the polls on the basis of his charm and southern drawl. I also doubted that that when that happened that he would remain the "perfect conservative candidate" that some of his supporters have painted him.
That's a problem for Thompson--but it also promises to make the Republican nomination process even more interesting. If some of the luster of Fred Thompson's (presumed) run dims, then you have the potential for three candidates (Thompson, Romney and Giuliani--note that I'm piling on and just leaving McCain's political demise as a given at this point) who really aren't all that much different in terms of policy. Giuliani is certainly more liberal on some of the social issues, although the positions over the last couple of decades of Thompson and Romney will certainly cause some of the social conservatives to wonder. And all three of these guys are still in "support the war" mode, which is going to continue to appeal to a smaller and smaller group of Republicans, if the defections of several Senators in the last week or so are any indication.
Keep watching--if the "top three" start fighting it out and bloody themselves up enough, the time for an unpretentious physician/congressman who believes in following the Constitution may be approaching.
LLE
