Attended Memphis State and Vanderbilt.

Thompson campaigned for Goldwater and, after graduating from law school, returned to Lawrenceburg to hang his shingle. Along the way, he founded a Young Republican Club, the first in an area of a state that was decidedly Democrat, and earned a seat on the county’s Republican Executive Committee.

Met then governor Ronald Reagan in 1968 and was hooked on Reagan thereafter.

Thompson was named an assistant United States attorney in Nashville, where he earned the reputation as a tough prosecutor.

Helped manage U.S. Senator Howard Baker’s re-election campaign.

Involved in the Watergate scandal as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee.

He is the person who uttered the line “What did the he know and when did he know it?”

He maintained law offices in Nashville and Washington. His practice varied from pro bono work to representing the state of Tennessee and large corporations, such as Westinghouse.

Thompson represented Marie Ragghianti after she turned to him after being fired from her position as chairman of the Tennessee Parole Board during the administration of Gov. Ray Blanton. Thompson confirmed that her firing was due to her refusal to release prison felons who had bribed Blanton aides to buy their freedom. Blanton additionally set his media friends on her, smearing her reputation.

Thompson filed a suit challenging Marie Ragghianti’s dismissal. Later, she recalled for a reporter, “He told me that it was a real pleasure to represent someone that was the good guy. Which didn’t mean that he was convinced we were gonna win. But anyway, he did a fine job, to put it mildly.”

In fact, a jury found in July, 1978, that Gov. Blanton had fired her “arbitrarily and capriciously” and ordered her reinstatement with an award of $38,000 for back pay. Ragghianti’s case would garner national attention, along with the publication of a book titled, simply, Marie. The book was later made into a film by the same name, in which Thompson was asked by the producers to portray himself.

Marie launched Thompson’s longstanding film and television career. Over the years, he’s appeared in more than 18 films, including No Way Out, In the Line of Fire, Die Hard II, Days of Thunder and The Hunt for Red October. Recently, he has become known for his portrayal of New York District Attorney Arthur Branch on the hit NBC show, Law & Order.

Between roles, Thompson continued his work as an attorney and public servant.

He served as special counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1980 and the Senate Intelligence Committee in 1982. As an attorney, the founding “first principle” of the rule of law had shaped his life.

Thompson ran to fill the remaining two years of an unexpired Senate term. It was a tough race; his Democrat opponent was a 6 term Congressman. Thompson refused to play by the establishment’s political rules. Down 20 points in the polls, Thompson undertook what has become a legendary campaign. Driving a red pickup truck, he took to the highways and back roads of the Volunteer State, talking to Tennessee citizens from the back of what became the symbol of his campaign. He said it made him comfortable—taking him back to the days of his Dad’s used car lot in Lawrenceburg.

Thompson spoke about the need for a competent and ethical federal government, reminding voters of the importance of self-government and lower taxes. His effort paid off, and the message took. He moved from 20 points down to winning by 20 points. Thompson’s margin of victory and his independent approach to campaigning was not lost in a year where the GOP was swept into leadership in “Contract with America” sweep that year.

Two years later, in 1996, the people of Tennessee returned him to office with more votes than any candidate for any office in the state’s history. Voters seemed to like the lawmaker they’d elected who had an independent streak.

During his time in the Senate, Thompson focused on three key areas: lowering our taxes, strengthening national security, and what the American-Statesman called “the unglamorous work of trying to expose waste” and to change the federal government.

As Chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, Thompson enacted a law that required federal agencies to calculate and report the cost of regulations on taxpayers and businesses.

Press reports stated: “He put heat on federal agencies by holding hearings on mismanagement and by asking them to tote up the improper payments they made each year.” That added up to about $20 billion in taxpayer dollars. His efforts saved taxpayers more than $2 billion in 2005-06 alone at the Department of Health and Human Services.
He published a report, “Government on the Brink,” (Volume 1 and Volume 2) detailing the waste, fraud, and abuse of federal agencies as well as the management challenges facing the incoming Bush Administration. Paul Light, a New York University professor and leading expert on government, said, “I consider him to be one of the most dedicated overseers of the executive branch of the last 25 years.”

In 1997, as chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, he opened an investigation into attempts by the Chinese government to influence America policies and elections through, among other means, financing election campaigns. The investigation identified at least six Democrat donors and fundraisers, with ties to the Clinton Administration, who had laundered or aided in the laundering and distribution of foreign money into Democrat political party coffers. The investigation also exposed two Democrat Party donors with “a long-term relationship with a Chinese intelligence agency,” according to the Senate committee’s report.

In his eight years, Thompson, who served on the Finance Committee, supported and worked to enact three major tax-cut bills, reducing the federal tax burden on all of us.

As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Thompson focused on the threat of nuclear proliferation and technology transfers that could damage American industrial and national security.

While a vocal supporter of free trade, Thompson has also fought to link free trade to our national security interests. For example, when voting to grant full-trading status to China, Senator Thompson fought unsuccessfully to include an amendment in the bill that would have required the president to impose sanctions against China if it violated nuclear-nonproliferation agreements.

Thompson also served on the Intelligence Committee at a time when it examined the failings in intelligence and analysis leading into the September 11th terrorist attacks, as well as the reforms needed to better prepare for future threats.

For example, how can one be for smaller government while at the same time insisting the government will come to your rescue? Romney is a fine man however, despite all his money and management skills he is having a tough time rallying people to his cause.

Rudy’s a good manager too, however he’s the one who managed to encourage me to vote for Nanny Bloomberg, the very worst patsy of them all.

Perhaps is just because I live in Left Coast lunacy surrounded by pretty-boy metrosexuals who spend all their time at the beauty parlor, I am attracted to Fred’s rugged individualism. To my ear, his voice bellows masculinity and looks are the last thing I want to base my vote on.

Fred! makes me feel calm in an otherwise nervous crowd; leaders aren’t managers, hand-raisers or new-age light bulb changers.

If you want to know about Fred’s lifetime of achievements go to Fred08.com, the list is too long for me to take the time to list.

Romney does tend to pander (and I like Romney so I’m being serious here) and I think he could learn a thing or two from Fred about not doing that.

All-in-all, a Romney/Thompson ticket would be well-balanced. Also, to this point, Romney and Thompson have taken very few “shots” at each other except for the occasional “and I though I was the only actor on the stage” comment in the debates.

1. Every time I hear Fred speak, I just expect…”more”. I expect the clear-spoken, hard-hitting “tough-but-fair” character he has always played on TV and in the Movies.

But I find that there is just somethng about him that leaves me …bored. I can’t think of any other word. He just seems to have no zip. It’s like he doesn’t really really really want the job (he said he didn;t so I guess that makes sense).

2. He has NO requisite experience at all. None. Zip. Zero. Don’t believe me? Ok, name for me 5 things Fred Thompson has achieved in his professional life that qualify him to be the planet’s #1 Executive?

I’ve asked this question on pro-Fred blogs before and have to this point never received more than 2.

CONCLUSION:
Fred is a nice guy and a reasonably good conservative (although the man admittedly doesn’t even attend church), but he has two glaring problems: 1) he is DULL, 2) he has NO EXPERIENCE.

Think about this. Usually, someone with the kind of outstanding management skills required to be POTUS would have sought out management positions throughout life. Their resume would drip with “lead this” and “managed that” and “spear-headed the other”, but Fred has NONE of that. Name for me Fred’s 5 greatest accomplishments while in the Senate. See you can’t. He IS NOT a leader.

Great managers are built over time and tested in the fires of reality. Fred wants us to believe that just because he can spin a good yarn, refuse to raise his hand in a debate and is a good conservative, he is qualified to manage. I’m not buying it.

The ONE THING Fred HAS MANAGED that we can evalute is HIS CAMPAIGN. If THAT is any indication of his skillset, we would be in deep trouble with him as POTUS.

Obviously it isn’t too late at all.

Go Fred!

Awesome, he’s at $1,022,000 as of 10:55 on the east.

No, it’s not the $5 million in a day that Romney and Paul pulled off. Then again, what did their millions get them? No wins in every contested state thus far.

Careful dude, there aren’t enough yuts in the population to overtake AARP.