Anti-Gay Fred Thompson (Finally) Launches Presidential Campaign

Ignoring the Republican presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire—live blog here at AmericaBlog—former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson's launches his presidential campaign from the friendly confines of Burbank and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

"I'm running for president of the United States," the politician, character actor and longtime lobbyist deadpanned to the studio audience. Overnight, the virtual Thompson campaign surged into action, broadcasting a 15-minute Internet address, 30-second television spot after the GOP debate, and, deployed the candidate to Iowa..

The former senator has a lackluster legislative record—he covers the current Newsweek, appropriately titled Lazy Like a Fox?—and made his mark as the Watergate prosecutor who leaked strategy to the White House, and, as a longtime lobbyist for clients such as military supplier GE and Haiti's former right-wing dictatorship. Last month, Thompson publicly called for a federal amendment to ban same-sex marriage but later backpedaled.

Thompson is best known as a character actor and formerly played the district attorney on NBC's popular Law & Order franchise. During last night's debate, Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor and New York City mayor, "poked fun at Mr. Thompson for playing a prosecutor on television. 'I think he’s done a pretty good job of playing my part on Law & Order,' he said. 'I personally prefer the real thing.' "

Fred Thompson, Lobbyist [Political Wire]
Thompson On Leno: "I Am Running For President" [HuffPo]
Lazy Like a Fox? [Newsweek]
Thompson Taregt at GOP Debate [NYT]
Thompson Backtracking on Gay Marriage [Blerico]

Comments

[DFS]

I certainly dont want this guy, who doesnt believe there is a constitutional right to privacy (which buttresses abortion and gay rights) nominating supreme court justices. I dont even like his character on the show.

[Luther]

Is there such a thing as a pro-gay Republican? They all stink to the high heavens, and its all part of the party plank and foundation, to win the GOP nomination, you have to be anti-gay and anti-black, if not, don't come a calling for votes cause you ain't gonna get them in the early primaries.

[Robert Jones, Jr.]

I truly hope America isn't hoodwinked into voting for this guy simply because he's a celebrity.

[IsleZeus]

Well hopefully he'll make a better President than he ever did as a D-List TV actor... but I'm not willing to tae that chance. I'm afraid, though like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the American public is too stupid to weigh the options and will only see "the guy on Law & Order" and will vote for the bastard.

[Andy in Seattle]

Face it--the GOP longs for the Golden Reagan Years, and it clawing at anything close to it--so here we have a vague, elderly actor...