Target Fred Thompson

The lib media remain in attack mode when reporting on Fred Thompson.

DURHAM, N.H. -- Eight Republicans argued over the Iraq war and immigration before a crowd of 3,600 New Hampshire voters. Missing in action: actor-politician Fred Thompson, who skipped the debate in favor of announcing his candidacy in the more comfortable setting of late-night TV.

With delight, they zinged him for ducking the debate, their fifth.

"Maybe Senator Thompson will be known as the no-show for the presidential debates," former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said.

"Maybe we're up past his bedtime," joked Arizona Sen. John McCain. (At 65, Thompson is actually six years younger).

Thompson's scripted announcement — an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show," a commercial and a Web video — allowed him to avoid the unscripted debate, which raised troublesome issues important to conservative primary voters.

How to handle illegal immigrants. Whether to pass a constitutional amendment saying life begins at conception. Whether to sign a no-new-taxes pledge.

These questions, addressed Wednesday by his rivals, await Thompson on the campaign trail.

He begins a tour of early primary states Thursday in Iowa with just two events — remarks at an afternoon gathering and a meet Fred session in the early evening.

Staff upheaval continued at the Thompson campaign with the departure of Mark Corallo, the fourth aide to leave the communications team in the last month. The moves reflect efforts by Bill Lacy, who ran Thompson's 1994 Senate bid, to put his stamp on the presidential campaign.

This is all so lame.

---Thompson "ducked" the debate.

Why has SO much weight been put on this one debate? There will be others.

---Thompson's announcement was "scripted."

Does anyone announce a candidacy without some prepared statement?

---Thompson avoided "the unscripted debate, which raised troublesome issues important to conservative primary voters."

What a joke! "Troublesome issues." I have no doubt that Thompson could handle himself extremely well in a debate forum.

---Thompson's campaign staff is in a state of upheaval.

There have been some changes. So what? Speaking of staff changes, remember Al Gore's revolving door during his presidential bid?

...Thompson already has raised eyebrows on taxes; traveling last month in Iowa, he refused to rule out raising taxes.

"You can't win a Republican primary for the presidency without clearly stating you're not going to raise taxes," said Pat Toomey, a former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania who heads the anti-tax group Club for Growth. "He's been able to avoid taking a lot of shots."

Thompson's campaign also has stumbled, raising less money than expected and weathering a stream of staff departures amid grumbling about the active role Thompson's wife, Jeri, has played in the formerly unofficial campaign.

"Let's say we chalk it up to working the kinks out," GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio said. "But they have to run a near-perfect campaign from here on out, because they've got a lot of catching up to do."

Now the bar is set high for Thompson, who will be judged on how much money he raises, how his announcement goes and the kind of campaign team he assembles, Fabrizio said.

Reading this article, you'd think Thompson was a complete oaf.

That's wishful thinking on the part of the libs.

...But there's more to Thompson than his conservative voting record as a senator from Tennessee. As an actor — he plays gruff district attorney Arthur Branch on television's "Law & Order" — Thompson has a certain magnetism.

Another magnetic personality, former President Clinton, acknowledged as much Wednesday on CNN's "Larry King Live."

"Because of his movie roles and his television roles, he has got a certain swagger," Clinton said. "He is smart. And he knows what to say, and how to say it, to appeal to a certain big swath of the American electorate."

Is that supposed to turn off conservative voters?

Bill Clinton believes Thompson has the swagger it takes to be president. He admires Thompson's acting ability.

Anyone Bill likes has to be bad, right?

The suggestion is that Thompson isn't the real deal. He's stepped into the role of a presidential candidate.

I expect the Dems and his Republican opponents to use his work as an actor against Thompson.

Of course, that's not going to work.

Two words: Ronald Reagan.

It is rather amusing to watch the lib media and politicians and activists target Thompson. I doubt that any of their breathless criticism will stick.

It's all surface stuff.

In the end, voters will judge Thompson will be judged on substance, not debate attendance.