In his most recent Huffpo blog, Cenk Uygur reports being impressed by actor/former Republican Senator Fred Thompson as a possible Presidential candidate, after a chat with Thompson at a party. Actors and politicians are adept at charming people--look at Ronald Reagan--but "Young Turk" Cenk should check a little history before falling for this slick right-wing Republican. Thompson might be a good actor on "Law and Order" (at least he's a better actor than Ronald Reagan) but he would be bad for the country as President.
Here are some facts about Thompson:
Since leaving the Senate:
--At George Bush's request, Thompson was in charge of managing Senate confirmation of John Robert's Supreme Court Nomination, thus helping ensure a right-wing Supreme for the next 30 years.
--Thompson is an advisory Board member of the Scooter Libby Defense Fund that raised over $3.5 million.
In the Senate, Thompson had a consistently right-wing Republican voting record. Here are some of his key votes:
--Voted Yes on use of military force against Iraq.
--Voted Yes on killing an increase to the minimum wage.
--Voted No on adopting Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
--Voted Yes on deploying "Star Wars" missile defense shield.
--Voted No on banning chemical weapons.
--Voted Yes on oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Preserve
--Voted Yes on terminating CAFÉ fuel efficiency standards.
--Voted Yes on defunding renewable and solar energy.
--Voted Yes on banning military base abortions.
--Voted Yes on banning so-called "partial birth" abortions.
--Voted No on adding sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes.
--Voted No on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation.
--Voted No on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities and women.
--Voted Yes on constitutional Amendment banning flag burning.
--Voted Yes on limiting product liability punitive damage awards.
--Voted Yes on restricting class-action lawsuits.
--Voted Yes on school vouchers.
--Voted No on background checks at gun shows.
--Voted Yes on selling guns without trigger locks
--Voted No on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada
--Voted No on allowing patients to sue HMOs and collect punitive damages.
--Voted Yes on repealing Clinton's ergonomic rules on repetitive stress.
--Voted No on increasing tax deductions for college tuition.
That some Republicans should be floating Thompson's name as a possible presidential candidate , in the hope of finding another Ronald Reagan, only emphasizes the weakness of the current Republican field.