Thompson on Cuban stogies, Terri Schiavo and cat fund

Some 1,000 people braved what felt like 600 degree weather (No, it's not always a great day at The Villages) to see Fred Thompson at The Villages this afternoon, and Thompson taped a "Political Connections" interview with us that airs Sunday on Bay News 9. He was non-commital on a national cat fund,  vague on whether Congress should have intervened on the Terri Schiavo case, and brushed off a question on whether his appreciation for Cuban cigars should shape his views on the Cuban embargo.

Would he commit to supporting a national cat fund? "No, I don't know enough about it yet. I know that it's an issue, I know that it's being talked about.that's one of the things I want to talk to people about while I'm down here, make sure I understand what's being proposed. But I'll give it serious consideration and give you an answer to it when I do."

Did he support intervention in the Schiavo case? "Local matters generally speaking should be left to the locals. I think Congress has got an awful lot to keep up with....I don't know all the facts surrounding that case, I can't pass judgment on it. I know that good people were doing what they thought was best...That's going back in history I don't remember the details of it.

Cuban cigars: "If I have a friend that occasionally passes me a cigar I don't check its heritage. You know, if it's good, I smoke it." (AP photo)

Comments

[George]

Typical evade and avoid effort. He gives "fuzzy" new meaning. And he's missing another debate. He may shadowbox his way to the nomination.

THREE FANTASTIC ANSWERS, freddie!
and the tragedy is your dumberthanaboxofrocks repiglicanbase audience actually believe you are a GENIUS!!

god help us all!!

what a pahrud!!!!

So whaddya want? Pandering on every question? Fred gives his level best answer, even if its "I don't know enough about it" honesty.
Remember, he is rejecting the slick campaign style of too many other candidates, in favor of something more realistic.
Let Fred be Fred. The voters will get it.

The Ds' speed is more like that silly debate in SPanich this weekend. They pandered so much you could hear a massive sucking sound threatening to devour the Gables.

The voters are getting it right now.

His answers were: I don't know. I don't know. I don't ask.

So this is the guy who will solve the problems that confront America?

Never underestimate Fred's intellect. He might play the uninformed Tennessee good ole boy - but the man is a wonk and he is sharp as a tack.

You underestimate him and he will burn you.

[calfloridia]

This is going to be real fun!

two "idunnanos" and one, "sure, i dont mind breakingthe law!"

excellent!!

esp. on the piggies and their panderingon the schiavo pandering.

what would be wrong with:

"maybe half-witted politicians of all sorts should keep their greasy hands off personal, moral decisions!"?

o, yeah, that calls out the lyingbase, doesnt it?

Fred is using the Charlie Crist model by acting dumb. Problem is, Charlie isn't acting.

[Tom B.]

Fred, tell us about your counsil on foregin relations membership. Why did president Nixon think you're dumber than a box of rocks? Is that the reason you avoided all those debates?

[Stewart]

Wouldn't be the first time the Democrats misunderestimated are strategery.

Fred will wait until the primaries are over to say anything. Vote Huckabee!

God, he smells good!

5:37

if you'd bother to tell the whole story, you'd remember what testimony Fred questioned during those hearings and the long term impact it had on the fall of Nixon.

But you were probably too doped up in 1974 to remember anything, just like your "netroots" hippie buddies

[Romnoid]

Romney has slid to a distant fourth in the latest Fox News Poll posted at Real Clear Politics. McCain surges to a decisive third place.

Giuliani 34
Thompson 22
McCain 16
Romney 8

I bought a ticket to see Fred at the Pasco Reagan Day dinner, and I saw Rudy last week at the Vinoy, two great dinners in a row! thanks Tony and Bill way to get the prime speakers!

Good GOP activist

Mitt is out of it!!!

[Susan S]

4:47pm,
Thompson a wonk? In what universe?

5:44pm,
Thompson was Nixon's mole on the Watergate committee.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/07/04/not_all_would_put_a_heroic_sheen_on_thompsons_watergate_role/

...but does he inhale?

[Campaign Manager]

If you looked at the crucial early states, you'd see that Mitt is not out of it - he is in fact, leading in 3 of 4 early states.

And Thompson's staff clearly do not do basic prep - questions about Schiavo and what about hurricanes/insurance (the catastrophe fund question) should have been no-brainers.

This is not a knock on Thomoson personally, but his support staff are not even close to doing their job.

This should play well within the republican ranks of dimwits, morons and lunatics.

I'm surprised that I haven't seen the obsessive liberals on here screaming about why his kids aren't serving in Iraq....who cares that they are both under age 3....the one or two people on here take every possible opportunity to scream about Republicans not serving. Maybe they should check the voter registrations of those enlisted. They might be surprised.

Susan

Fred's spent the last few years at AEI.

And, after being disillusioned as Nixon's "mole", he hit Butterfield with the quesiton about the Oval Office tapes - i.e. the beginning of the end.

First you come to Florida and don't have a position on a national cat fund. Probably one of the most important issues in Florida, he lost my vote because I expect someone who is running for president to be better informed on such an important issue in Florida considering our current insurance crisis we are in. The National Cat Fund would help fix many problems and help put food on the table of many homes who are spending too much of their income on home owners insurance. Also, to come in Florida and say you smoke Cuban cigars, can his staff better prepare him for this state. First the insurance thing and now not knowing about the hatred Cubans have to Castro and anyone who supports his government by smoking cigars sold by his government. I guess with Brandi as the political director we will be seeing more of this. Bring on the next guy this one is done.

This guy is an embarassment. What is even more horrifying is the fact that so many are salavating over this horribly illprepapred and unqualified has been.

If this guy didn't have a southern accent and wasn't on TV he would be just another term and half senator from Tenn. no one heard of because he never did anything...God help us all if he is the nominee!

It is laughable to say that Fred is "playing dumb" in order to disguise his allegedly keen intellect. What is to be gained from looking like a moron? Embrace the truth: he's a B actor who married a woman with a D cup, and if you gave him a test on current events, he would get an F.

First, wanting more information about a national cat fund seems reasonable. Just because Florida wants one doesn't mean the rest of the country needs to subsidisze it. Fred doesn't pander. I respect that. Hell, ethanol would never be an issue if candidates didn't pander to Iowa every four years.
Second, the Sciavo case was a tragedy from every aspect. I respect the position of the folks who said the federal government should keep out of a family's painful decision. I also respect the folks who thought it horrible that a husband should starve an innocent brain-dead spouse to death. Leaving the regulation of end-of-life issues to the states is a reasonable position for a conservative and a federalist.
Third, even good conservative anti-Castro Cubans in Miami appreciate a good Cuban cigar.
No problems for me with any of his answers. In fact, I want a Cohiba right now!

The Great Equivocator. Tjhat's what the far right thinks it has with this f u c k i n g tool.

Just what we need is another politician who wants more government in our personal lives. Wow,what a conservative this guy is.