There’s a lot of beltway buzz these days about the presidential prospects of “Law & Order” star Fred Thompson, but writing in The Politico, Ken Vogel (late of the TNT) wonders if the former one-term Republican senator might be stung by his lobbying credits.
Over about two decades of lobbying (during which he also acted and practiced law), Thompson made nearly $1.3 million and represented clients including a British reinsurance company facing billions of dollars in asbestos claims, Canadian-owned cable companies, and deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, according to government documents and media accounts from his first run for the Senate in 1994.
[…] Thompson’s commanding presence, background and conservatism bring to mind another actor-turned-pol, Wamp said. “The whole thing is very Reagan-esque. The whole story.”
Thompson cruised to a full Senate term in 1996 but decided not to run again in 2002. A year after stepping down, he registered to lobby for British reinsurance company Equitas Ltd.
The company paid him $760,000 to guard its interests against several bills seeking to protect businesses from asbestos lawsuits, according to records Thompson filed with the Senate.
Of course, in the wake of the Abramoff scandal, I’m guessing that if Thompson does throw his hat in the ring, his media people will attempt to focus more on his record as a popular Manhattan District Attorney, than his resume as a high-priced lobbyist for foreign corporations.
“Reagan-esque” indeed.
Just the thing for the “thumbsucking crowd” and fans of the “Depends President”.
I wonder who Diane Feintstein’s husband lobbied to secure BILLIONS of dollars in MILCON contracts?
I’m guessing the Chairman of the MILCON subcommittee.
Who would that have been?
None other than Diane Feinstein herself.
To her credit, she saw a conflict of interest AFTER he sold his business and she resigned.
Now goldy is trying to create a scandal out of lobbying?
Partisan hacks like Goldy would serve the country best by killing themselves, but since he hates America too much to sacrifice himself, maybe he’ll do it to save the environment.
“If you’re not a liberal when you’re 25, you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 35, you have no brain.”
I suspect Goldy is locked in a perpetual state of adolescence.
This should worry all Dems if he puts his hat in the ring.
A populist conservative that is an effective communicator.
Would certainly spice up the primary season.
“Gucci-wearing, Lincoln-driving, Perrier-drinking, Grey Poupon-spreading millionaire Washington special interest lobbyist for President!”
Good one Goldy. that one describes every candidate from both sides running for president.
“Of course, in the wake of the Abramoff scandal”
C’mon, you can do better!
Where is the Rove inference? Here let me help.
Haliburton, Rove, Cheney, Big Oil, War of choice, WMD, AG Gonzalez, yellow cake, did I mention Haliburton? CEO’s, profits, Foley, Guantanamo, Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal, Rumsfeld, Abu-Graib, Katrina, Dubai Ports, BIG OIL, did I forget some..? sorry.
very funny stuff.
“Lincoln-driving”
If you watch Al Gores’s movie when he’s in a car being ferried from an engagement you can see the “C-pillar” (aft part of roof) of what he’s riding in.
It’s not a Prius. It is a large Ford Motor Company product. Say Lincoln, please.
Come on, Goldy. Mike McGavick was a lobbiest for the insurance industry, too. It didn’t hurt him, did it?
Oh, wait….nevermind.
Reps. Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts and Robert Aderholt met with Assad in Damascus. These are all Publicans. They met yesterday. Speaker Pelosi met today. For some reason, the right wing nutjobs don’t seem to have a problem with the Publicans taking such meetings. Not to worry. Publicans are hypocrites and the whole world knows that by now.
If the Republicans choose Thompson, their arguments about Obama’s lack of experience are easily shown to be hollow and insincere.
Funny thing…I seem to recall that when Thompson announced he was going to concentrate on acting instead of running for another Senate term, he stated that he was sick and tired of all the pervasive bullshit from both parties, and would rather be paid better to do something he enjoys. Can’t help but wonder what changed his mind.
I don’t want Thompson to run. I think he would be a strong candidate, probably stronger than the current stable of Republican pretenders to the throne. I don’t believe he has any real substance that is compelling. His strength is that which the Great Prevaricator, Ronald Reagan, had in abundance–the ability to pull the wool over people’s eyes because of his acting ability. No one could screw a guy in the ass and convince him that it was for his own good and he should be enjoying himself like Reagan could.
As I’ve said in the past, Democrats are idiots and Republicans are crooks. Occassionally they wander into each other’s descriptions, but they tend to hang around their main attributes.
11
And, Libertarians are delusional.
Proud leftist,
You have me confused with someone who gives a shit what you think. Your socialist ideals are delusional.
Libertarian,
You must be a humorless sonofabitch. I assumed you could not be serious with your claim that all “Democrats are idiots and Republicans are crooks.” People that think in such sweeping terms are, simply, not serious thinkers. I thought I was responding to you with equal facetiousness. In my experience, Democrats tend to be more intellectual than Republicans. Certainly, Bill Clinton is far smarter than George Bush, to give just one prominent example. I should say that I have considered many of your comments to this board to be thought-provoking and worthwhile. I must, indeed, have been delusional when I thought such.
11-14 A friend of mine who moved to our Nation’s Capitol to work in government service told me it didn’t take him long to come to the conclusion that most Democrats were philanderers and most Republicans were closet queens.
Oh, yeah…you know how everyone talks about all the lobbyists’ offices on K Street? He discovered bout a block away from there was about an equal number of high-priced bordellos. Maybe they’re all bathouses now.
@2 What’s wrong with that? Democrats lobby for AMERICAN firms that provide AMERICAN jobs. Republicans send our jobs to hostile countries like China.
Yes, proud leftist, I’m in a pissy mood. That’s all it is.
I think jobs are leaving these shores because manufacturers and now service industries can get the jobs done more cheaply overseas. I’ve heard even the feds are hiring-out jobs (like IRS call center position) to other countries, but I have no had evidence to support those rumors.
The people who are “safe” in their jobs (for now, at least) are the people whose jobs must be done in-person. Electrical repair people, plumbers, docs – they’re OK. The rest of us are at risk.
Too bad politicians aren’t subject to the same risks!
Wrong Stuff @ 4:
Yeah, you did miss on teeny, tiny thing; Halliburton Dubai.
Bush, Cheney and bin Laden all together in their Holy Muslim land.
Touching, ain’t it?
Dumb shit.
Darryl @ 6:
Anything you want to confess?
I hope he runs so we can have a believable prosecutor in the role. Seriously, when’s the last time that Manhattanites felt the need to elect a Southern conservative to any post?
One difference between Reagan and Thompson is that Fred’s a hell of a lot smarter. I’m not sure whether that’s a good or a bad thing.
RUN, FRED, RUN
http://www.fred08.com
In 2000, 191 countries signed an agreement known as the Millennium Goals, the first of which is to eliminate global poverty by 2025. I hope that our representatives will uphold this promise made by global leaders.
This guy Fred Thompson could actually be quite popular and have a chance at winning. Sure, he’ll never win in Western WA, Granola Capital of the World, but the guy appeals to the fly-over country, and that could amount to a lot of electoral votes.
He’d be an easy winner over Hillary, assuming the Dems would be crazy enough to nominate her.
If the R’s want to hang their hat on Fred Thompson – bring him on!!!! Are you kidding me???? I love the TV show, but President???? I think Dennis Kucinich could be old Fred. If the fly-over Red states will buy Fred Thompson as one has suggested, then we are in bigger trouble than I thought. I just don’t think middle America is that stupid. They may have bought Bush, but fool me twice??????? No way. The only better candidate for the Dems would be Romney and even the R’s seem to have figured this one out.