IF FRED THOMPSON were to become our next president, what would he be like? Where would he stand on the issues? Although the former Tennessee senator has yet to declare, support for a Thompson candidacy is steadily growing. The Draft Fred Thompson President ’08 website (fred08.com) is already up and running. Former Senate majority leader Bill Frist has said he would endorse Thompson were he to run. But what do really know about the man?
Sure, Thompson has much political experience, including as an assistant U.S. attorney, minority counsel during Watergate and special counsel to both the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees. In 1996, Thompson won election to the Senate with 61 percent of the vote and remained highly popular throughout his term. He supported a ban on partial birth abortion, opposed a prescription drug benefit, and voted for education savings accounts. Although he decided against a reelection bid, Thompson has remained active in politics, recently helping shepherd Supreme Court nominees through the grueling confirmation process.
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