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Thompson: States should decide abortion policy; Huckabee ‘pro-life liberal’
Although he believes life begins at conception, Fred Thompson reiterated today in Nashville that he would allow states to continue to conduct abortions if Roe v. Wade were overturned.
“A part of what I believe all of my political life since the first day that I ran in Tennessee was that, in some areas, states were free under our constitution to do some things that even Fred Thompson disagrees with,” Thompson said after leaving a downtown fund-raiser at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. “So every solution is not in Washington D.C. That’s part of my belief.”
Thompson is against an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban abortion or gay marriage.
The former Tennessee Senator’s federalist stance on the pair of social issues has brought criticism from Republican rival, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee said Thompson’s stance on abortion and gay marriage is “cut and run… rather than stand and lead.”
Huckabee is in favor of writing both amendments into the constitution, saying in Nashville earlier this week that if something is wrong in Mississippi then it is wrong in Montana.
Thompson said today that Huckabee is a “pro-life liberal,” referencing the former governor’s D and F tax ratings from the CATO Institute and arguing that Huckabee tried to make Arkansas into a “sanctuary state” for illegal immigrants.
“So we agree on some things, but we disagree very strongly on others,” Thompson said today of Huckabee. “And he wants to talk about one subject, but if he’s going to get into this, he’s going to have to talk about all of these subjects.”
Attendees at the fund-raiser paid $1,000 if they wanted a picture with Thompson and $500 simply to attend, said State Rep. Beth Harwell (R-Nashville), Thompson’s state finance committee chairwoman.
Thompson dismissed a question that Huckabee was surging while his poll numbers were starting to lag.
Thompson has been a consistent second in Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll. Since Oct. 1, however, Huckabee has more than doubled his numbers, from 6 percent to 13 percent, while Thompson has dropped from 25 percent to 17 percent.
Thompson tried to retain focus on his No. 2 showing behind former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and South Carolina, where Thompson is placing a great deal of importance.
“The real question is, how can a guy that got in so late and has not been running since he was a high school student, can so quickly get No. 2,” Thompson said. “I just left South Carolina, and I’m apparently No. 1 in South Carolina. So we’re doing quite well and at the end of the day, I think we’ll be doing better.”
Jeri Thompson left the fund-raiser early to go and attend an event on Music Row.
The couple will attend the Country Music Association Awards this evening at the Sommet Center.
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Personally, I'm disappointed in Fred's stance to allow states to choose what is right, although it might make him more "marketable" in the liberal states and/or with liberal voters.
If the naysayers will shut up and let us hear Fred, and IF WE PAY ATTENTION BEYOND THE SOUND BITE, he is the guy we want. Well, those of us who aren't willing to choose Rudy as "our" socialist anyway.
Would you really want negitives rights in the Constitution? I don't. 27 States have already defined marrage and that is a non issue at this point.A president has little that they can do on either subject. The #1 and # 2 issues are illigal immigration and the war on terrorism.Hucklebee is playing to his perceived strenth and is a one issue candidate trying to avoid his weaknesses of raiseing taxes and being pro illegals.
Go ahead, Cons. Make this election be about abortion and gay marriage. I dare you. You tried it in '06 and got the crap kicked out of you. Why? Because the American people have seen through your smoke and mirror wedge issues. They want results, not rhetoric. As long as the GOP keeps running on their 90's playbook instead of offering solutions on global warming, healthcare, getting out of Iraq, managing taxpayer money, or conducting a competent war on terror, they will continue to get trounced by the Democrats, who not only have good ideas on all those issues, but have a better record on governing and management.Bring it on, Cons.
Abortion? Gay Marriage? Haven't they anything better to talk about? My opinion, as a candidate for Congress and an educated citizen of the USA, is that I have never performed nor financed nor commited any "abortions"; nor have i been disirous of any type of "gay marriage
The "US Supreme Court" decides on matters such as "Abortion" and "Gay Marriage" so that sophisticated candidates as myself don't have to sink so low.
Hey Tharon, what are you running for...lol?!?
Tiph, I'm certainly not "running" on behalf of "The Cato Institute". They should let me be "the voice of opposition" any time the right wing cato gang has an opinion. I'm running because I have to; my life has been destroyed by corrupt politics against honesty and integrity in public service. I'm running so that i might ever gain the means to attract an honest and worthy woman to bear my unborn children. Thanks Elect Chandler 2008; Missouri 7th congressional District
Huklebee has nothing else to run on as a republican. He is pure RINO.
Dealing with The Go-Between Abortion Position In The Republican PartyI decided to write this article after learning of Mr. Fred Thompson’s position on abortion. He does not believe abortion should be criminalized. I do not know what he believes about the following go-between position.I have always disagreed with the position which says I’m pro-life but I will allow abortion if such human was conceived by incest or rape. I call this the go-between position because I believe it attempts to bridge the gap and blur the distinctions between what many of us who are pro-life would easily recognize as atrocities such as partial-birth abortion or abortion on demand at any point of pregnancy and a far less repulsive pregnancy conceived under normal circumstances such as an unwanted pregnancy at home between a husband and his wife. The go-between position recognizes a violent and reprehensible act. These acts are used to justify abortion because they are easy to hate. This position is especially troubling when many who claim this position say they believe life begins at conception. My basic question is why is it murder when a human is aborted after being conceived by Mr. & Mrs. Deacon in their bedroom but it is not when conceived by Mr. Deacon and his daughter Susie or by Susie and a Rapist in the ally? Does a human somehow become less or non-human because they were conceived under different circumstances? Such basic logic is inconsistent and intellectually dishonest. Republicans are attempting to justify murder so they can be elected because as they say-you can‘t change Dodge unless there‘s a new Sheriff in town. Moreover, many Republicans will proclaim we need to go back to the basics in 08 but they don’t support this statement when they try to get themselves or someone else elected. Abortion is murder except when the mother’s life is in immediate danger whether it’s because of rape, incest or an unwanted pregnancy. I point out the Republican party because it has for some time claimed to be pro-life in its’ platform. But as you know, there are many conservative Democrats who adhere to the Pro-life stance, I just wish it was in the Party platform. If Republicans are going to claim they hold the higher moral ground by honoring and protecting our unborn helpless children, they must do it for all children, regardless of how the child is conceived. Mark Albertini
Take care of your own house and we will take care of ours.Thats the problem with the current dems they want to control others.
Shouldn’t the fund-raisers rates have been $1000 for a picture w/ Fred Thompson & $1500 if you didn’t want one? Note that John Rodgers has fallen in love w/ the neo-verb “referencing”. He probably says “evidencing”, too, and “impactful”.As to the issue of abortion, Albertini’s opinion has problems. If aborting the embryo that resulted from a rape is still murder, then why is aborting a fetus to save the life of the pregnant woman not also murder? Once one agrees that abortion is legal when it is to save a woman’s life, one has legalized abortion. One has agreed that the zygote, embryo, or fetus does not have the same rights as a person. Once that is conceded, then women have the right to choose an abortion, and it must remain legal.This little squabble between Mike Huckabee & Thompson simply panders to the extreme regressives. On the other hand, it highlights how important it is not to vote for a Republican or other regressive for president, considering in what a fragile women’s individual rights are still protected. We need some less regressive justices on the courts. We must get the presidency out of regressive hands & keep the Senate out of regressive hands to stem America’s backward slide.
Since when does the selection of a President of these United States have to be about abortion or gay marriage or any agenda-driven issue?We began this nation with the people of each state having more rights than we have now, such as the right to make up our own minds for our state. The Democrats would have the Federal government make all decisions for us. You want to hear more of this, more of obsequious sound bites, listen to the rabble of presidential candidates. You want sound common sense, listen to Fred Thompson.