Fred Thompson agreed to lobby for less abortion restrictions

This could be real trouble for almost-announced Republican candidate Fred Thompson.

The former Tennessee senator, who will soon seek the Republican nomination for president as a pro-life candidate, apparently once accepted a lobbying assignment from a family-planning group to persuade the first Bush White House to ease a controversial abortion restriction.

A Thompson spokesman flatly denies he did the lobbying work. But according to a story by Times correspondent Michael Finnegan, records for the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Assn. show the group hired Thompson in 1991. His job was to urge the Bush administration to withdraw or relax a rule barring abortion counseling at clinics receiving federal money.

Thompson's lobbying then would clash directly with the anti-abortion movement he now seeks to rally as a conservative candidate.

The abortion "gag rule," upheld by the Supreme Court but reversed in 1993 by President Clinton on his third day in office, was a major flash point at the time.

Judith DeSarno, president of the family planning group in 1991, says Thompson lobbied for her group for several months. Former Rep. Michael Barnes of Maryland, a lobbying colleague, says he recommended Thompson for the job and finds it "absolutely bizarre" for Thompson to deny it now.

DeSarno recalls Thompson reporting he had multiple conversations about the abortion rule with John Sununu, then White House chief of staff. Sununu told Finnegan, "I don't think that ever happened. In fact, I know that never happened."

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Phil]

His stock just went up, in my book. Go ahead and admit it if it's true. At last, perhaps a sane Republican!

[joshua faux]

Why is it that when a person does a google search on Fred Thompson, every single news story that pops up is negative for him. Every single story paints him as either lazy,inexperienced, lacking substance or being pro abortion. He had a fairly conservative and pro life voting record and continues to maintain pro life views in public. This is different than the now #2 republican in the race, Rudy and Hillary Clinton. Thompson has as much political experience as Clinton, is far more pro life leaning than her and may very well be a great communicator. Clinton is scripted, believes that all abortions should be legal until birth for any reason, is only im her position because of her husband and has a scandal ridden past that rivals Thompsons' by far. We need a new family in the White House!

[JTS2002]

The negative attacks are only getting started, the DNC has already provided the marching orders for how to paint Fred Thompson. If you want to see where Fred Thompson really stands on the issues check out http://www.californiaforthompson.com

and check out resources his voting record is firmly pro-life.

[Gus Burk]

It is interesting whatthe left is now calling lobbying. Being interviewed by a NGO and then confering with a fellow Congressman is not lobbying. Accepting a fee to hold your contrcat open while you make up your mind is not lobbying.
I say to the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Assn.
Lets see the payment records.
The left is frantic to stop Fred to the point that it appears they are misrepresenting and distorting facts.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO VINCE FOSTER HILLARY?

[Yernar Y]

My dream is to have a president that is not from the south.

[mikeVA]

This person is exactly the problem with Washington. His record and his life is full of cronism, mismanagement, laziness, and anti-family-values.

The guy hasn't worked a minute in his life. He got his high school girlfriend pregnant at 17. She paid for his school. Her parents introduced him to their political scene. And he's floated his way through Washington ever since.

Now confronted with facts of his soddy family, unaccomplished career, bad legislation, machiavellian leadership, his flock of nuts and hypocrites want to sweep it under the rug and call it bias.

The guy has no solid moral framework. He has no leadership skills. He spent the last month in the echo chamber of the tabloid and entertainment world of talk radio and blogs, while the other candidates built their campaign networks.

The Washington Post even showed that his campaign is a mess with his wife running the show?!

[mikeVA]

This person is exactly the problem with Washington. His record and his life is full of cronism, mismanagement, laziness, and anti-family-values.

The guy hasn't worked a minute in his life. He got his high school girlfriend pregnant at 17. She paid for his school. Her parents introduced him to their political scene. And he's floated his way through Washington ever since.

Now confronted with facts of his soddy family, unaccomplished career, bad legislation, machiavellian leadership, his flock of nuts and hypocrites want to sweep it under the rug and call it bias.

The guy has no solid moral framework. He has no leadership skills. He spent the last month in the echo chamber of the tabloid and entertainment world of talk radio and blogs, while the other candidates built their campaign networks.

The Washington Post even showed that his campaign is a mess with his wife running the show?!

[Michael]

You have already been witness to other half truths from the left. Lobbied for Jean B. Aristead of Haiti. The inference is the "necklacing" issue, which is in fact brutal. Why is no one pointing out that the Marines were sent by Clinton to put him back in office. Fred lobbied...so does the AARP, the darling of the left. Even trying to paint his sons as part of the "lobby business." Neither have lobbied the US Senate or House. Watch for the vitriol to continue...they are afraid of a man who can rise in this fashion with little spending and campaigning "outside the box."

[Blogs For Fred Thompson.com]

In time, after all the smears and numerous attacks on Fred, you will start to see the MSM media getting frustrated. They'll write columns, and editorials, wondering why after all that has been said, why oh why do they all flock to Fred? How can he now still be their guy?

What they don't get, is that the more they hammer away, the more conservatives will be flocking to Fred. As they see the MSM going berserk to take him down, they'll start to realize why, and that will be the driving force behind why Fred will get the Republican nomination for President.

Keep it up guys. ;0)

[Chris]

Not playing by the rules Mike, you lied to the website by particiapting...You know you're only 12 years old boy.

When you recognize something familiar, shake your rattle;

Regurgitating The Apple: How Modern Liberals "Think"

[JTS2002]

MikeVa, if you could back any of that up with fact it would be great. You say he has no moral values yet he 1. Married the girl he got pregnant instead of having her get an abortion, 2. Worked a part time job to pay his way through school. 3. When he was elected to the Senate voted exactly the way he said he would before he came into office. You say he has no leadership yet he 1. Challenged a corrupt governor in Tennesse who was taking bribes for pardons, 2. Led investigations into Campaign Financing malpractices on the Democrats and Republicans despite pressure from his own party.

I believe in free speech, but calling anyone you don't agree with a nut and a hypocrite is childish. If you don't want to debate like an American move to Venezuela, I hear they are real big on Anti American Rhetoric there. You can probably even get a picture hugging Hugo Chavez like Cindy Sheehan did.

[Michael]

Thank you to JTS2002 for adult conversation. For all of the MSM attention to Fred's former girlfriends/dates and his first wife, again, it is only hysteria on their part. The left can only wish that all of Bill Clinton's girlfriends would wish him well, campaign for him, and say nice things about him. My suspicion is that Hillary is more terrified of who else just might surface. They are tilting at windmills. Their anxiety over FDT's strengths is not well disguised.

[Randell Young]

This is just a typical Democratic hit piece. Notice that the accusers don't have a signed contract, don't have a cancelled check and don't have any sort of memo or email from Thompson concerning any of this. All they have is a document that purports to be the minutes of a meeting wherein someone reports that they hired Thompson. As if Democrats don’t lie. Further, John Sununu, the guy that Thompson was supposed to talk to, denies that anything of the sort ever happened. Did Dan Rather research this story?

Bottom line: The drive-by media is 90-plus percent Democrat and Democrats are liars, thieves and hypocrites that will say anything to get into a position of power where they can steal your money and coerce you into living your life the way they think you should, applying your resources to support their harebrained causes and supporting as many deadbeats and illegal aliens as they need to maintain their power base.

Congratulations Fred, you've been targeted. You are now officially in the race.

[rob]

As a Democrat, I am PRAYING for Thompson to enter the race. If the Republicans run another empty-suit fake populist in a rented pickup truck, they will bury themselves. Republicans are picking their best and most experienced candidates (McCain, Giuliani) to pieces over nothing issues, which is basically like taking out TV ads saying "Republicans - We Value Style Over Substance."

The Republican "base" (and I really prefer the term 'fringe') is so narrow and malcontent that only slick willies and snake oil salesmen can keep their interest. Please, Republicans, remember that the nation at large is watching your fratricidal primaries, and saying "none of those guys!".

[Gus Burk]

LOL, Man the radical left is having a heart attack over Fred. I have never seen simple in house tele-conversations or consultations called lobbying, or even an interview by a prospective client.
It is simple!
If he did lobby then the proof should be easy to obtain. Not his firm mind you but him. Billing for a lobbyist is similar to a law firm. The invoice will specify the lobbyist and number of hours billed. It will also have a reference number to a file.
This mis-information should be challenged at every turn. It is obvious that Hillaryland is using all tools available to fabricate evidence to harm Fred's credibility.
HEY HILLARY! WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO VINCE FOSTER?

[Paul Belserene]

Not sure how this is a "hit piece by the left". If it is true, who benefits? surely not Democrats at this stage. It is more likely to look at Thompson's Republican rivals. Someone on the right might benefit by undermining Thompson's credibility in the ethical-conservative base. On the other hand a centrist Republican like Guiliani might also benefit by showing that his pro-choice stance isn't so unusual among conservatives.

Presumably a Democrat conspiracy would be happy to see a Thompson come forward (and then perhaps hit him with this AFTER the convention).

This is Primary Politics, so look to the Right for the source of this news.