Everyday the news media gives us another story about one of our Republican candidates and the amount of support they have from people who supported President Bush in 2000 and 2004. First it was John McCain making up with donors who supported the President, then it was Rudy Giuliani and the big money Bush supporters, then Mitt Romney got in on the action, now there are supposedly plenty of non-committed Bush donors left to support Fred Thompson. Heck, there have even been stories about how former Bush donors are now supporting Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Is this news? No, this is lazy journalism at its finest!

President Bush set fundraising records in 2000 with his system of Pioneers. He built upon groundwork that had been laid by his father, President George H.W. Bush and even by President Reagan. Despite the fact that some people gave to other candidates in the primaries that year, practically every Republican donor gave to G.W. Bush in the general.

In 2004, as the incumbent, President Bush again raised record amounts of money from Pioneers, Rangers and small donors as well. I know, I helped to run the small donor telephone prospecting campaigns.

Taking the current group of candidates and pointing out that they have support from people who previously supported President Bush is an incredibly lazy way to measure the success of their campaigns. Practically every Republican and every conservative in the country has supported President Bush at some point in the past 8-years.

What would be interesting is to find out which of the Republican candidates are not being supported by the big money Bush donors, because that would tell us that they are not viable candidates and could help to winnow the field to a manageable number.

 

Fred Thompson was on Hannity & Colmes last night and asked about the 1994 survey where he marked the box stating that abortion should be legal and available in the first trimester.

However, instead of being upfront about the issue (like Mitt Romney) and admitting that his position has changed in the past 13-years, Thompson not only denied checking the box, but blamed it on an unknown campaign staffer.

Having worked on numerous campaigns, I can only say that this is either a complete lie or he was one of the most irresponsible candidates ever.

No Senate candidate that I have ever met lets something like this get out without checking it personally. Politicians, by their nature, are obsessive, detail-driven, Type-A personalities and if Thompson is not, then do we really want him as President. How much will get done in his name, without his review, if this is the case?

Additionally, if as Thompson said, some unknown staffer filled out the survey incorrectly, based on his beliefs about Thompson's opinion, then what does that tell us about Thompson's committment to the life issue?

Either there was a communication problem (hard to believe with the type of staffers who would be given responsibility to fill out surveys - were not talking about interns or volunteers here) or Thompson was actually Pro-Choice at the time.

Again, having worked on numerous statewide campaigns, it is impossible for me to believe that campaign staffers didn't know exactly where their candidate stood on this and other important issues.

Thompson is either lying about this or is not responsible enough to be President.

Someone needs to ask these questions.