Thompson quote: "You've got to secure the border first, before you do anything else."
Testing waters, Thompson assails Dems...LIZ SIDOTI(AP)6/2/2007
RICHMOND, Va. - Republican Fred Thompson assailed Democrats and emphasized conservative stances Saturday, testing out a potential campaign pitch a day after taking a formal step toward a likely presidential candidacy.
In a speech to GOP loyalists, the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor lamented the country's challenges and said that to overcome them, "we're going to have to be more focused, we're going to have be smarter and we're going to have to be more determined and we're going to have to be more together as a nation than we've ever been before."
"I listen to the Democratic congressional leaders and I hear them talking about how many seats they're going to pick up because of this war," he said. "I listened to one of their presidential candidates saying this is a phony war, the war on terror. This is what passes for policy today in the Democratic party."
That was a reference to Democrat John Edwards, who has challenged the idea of a global war on terror, calling it an ideological doctrine advanced by the Bush administration that has strained the U.S. military and emboldened terrorists.
Thompson also chided Democrats on their plans to eliminate President Bush's tax cuts, saying "The Democrats are hot to repeal the engine that's driving this economy."
In a half-hour speech to about 400 people attending the Virginia GOP's annual fundraising dinner, Thompson spoke of a strong defense, small federal government and lower taxes. On immigration, he took the hard line and drew the loudest applause of the night when he said, "You've got to secure the border first before you do anything else."
Thompson, 64, a Southerner with a right-leaning Senate record, would shake up an already unsettled race for the GOP nomination led by Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney. |
