ElephantBiz: March 2007 Archives

« February 2007 | Main | April 2007 »

Mar31	Fred Thompson's Church Roots Bill Hobbs March 31, 2007 Know More: 2008 Presidential Race Barack Obama, Church of Christ, Fred Thompson, James Dobson When Focus on the Family leader James Dobson questioned whether Fred Thompson was a Christian, a Thompson spokesman responded that Thompson had been baptized in the Church of Christ. That seemed to settle it for most people, but not for The Christian Chronicle, a newspaper published for the small Christian denomination of around 1 million members. The paper produced a story, "Future president? Fred Thompson's church roots draw interest." A reader emailed me the text... Continue Reading Posted at 6:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar30	The Daily Fred, March 30, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 30, 2007 It's Friday, March 30, and the Fred Thompson train continues to roll, so here is today's edition of The Daily Fred filled with links to the latest related news and blog coverage and commentary about Thompson. Today we start in Nashville with... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar29	Big Texas Support For Fred Bill Hobbs March 29, 2007 The Draft Fred Thompson 2008 Committee announced that its campaign to draft former Sen. Fred Thompson into the presidential race "received a big boost today when it was joined by three prominent statewide officials in Texas." Texas Land Commissioner Jerry... Continue Reading Posted at 2:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Different View of the Dobson-Thompson Incident Bill Hobbs March 29, 2007 Reuben Watkins of the pro-Fred Thompson website GrassrootsVoter.com, says don't believe the official media version of what Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said about Thompson. Watkins emailed the following today to the thousands of people who have signed up at... Continue Reading Posted at 1:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 29, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 29, 2007 Here's your Daily Fred for Thursday, March 29, chock full of links to news and blog coverage and commentary about possible presidential candidate Fred Thompson. Today's Daily Fred starts with the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, Kansas, asking, Could a Fred Thompson campaign deliver... Continue Reading Posted at 10:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar28	McCain Courts the Blogosphere. Bill Hobbs March 28, 2007 John McCain did a conference call with bloggers. NRO's Kathryn Jean Lopez serves up some quotes and says it likely worked well for McCain.The senator clearly wants right-wing bloggers to feel like one of the McCainaic guys on the bus. And... Continue Reading Posted at 10:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Forbes Endorses Giuliani Bill Hobbs March 28, 2007 Steve Forbes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine, has endorsed Rudy Giuliani for President of the United States and will serve as a National Campaign Co-Chair and Senior Policy Advisor, the Giuliani campaign announced...... Continue Reading Posted at 9:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 28, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 28, 2007 It's Wednesday, March 28, time for another edition of The Daily Fred, your daily roundup of news and bloggage about Fred Thompson. Today's Daily Fred starts with Washington Post columnist Mary Ann Akers, who is keeping track of where Fred has... Continue Reading Posted at 8:47 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar27	Smart Mitt is Right on the Money Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will pay student-volunteer fundraisers 10 percent of everything the raise, the Associated Press reports.A millionaire thanks to his work as a venture capitalist, Mitt Romney is acutely aware of the motivating power of money. His presidential... Continue Reading Posted at 5:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	An Interview With Mike Huckabee Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan has posted the transcript of an interview with Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who now is running for the Republican presidential nomination.It's a highly substantive interview in which Huckabee discusses many topics ranging from... Continue Reading Posted at 2:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Thompson Predicts He'll Win The Iowa Caucus Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 A Republican named Thompson running for president says he'll win the Iowa Caucus next year, and become a "front-runner" in the presidential race. But, wait, you say, Fred Thompson hasn't even said if he's running, and yet he's predicting victory?No,... Continue Reading Posted at 2:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Thompson Crushing Giuliani, Rest of Field, GOP Bloggers Say Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Undeclared presidential candidate Fred Thompson is the current front-runner in Hotline's GOP Bloggers Straw Poll.The Blogometer is starting to notice a pattern here: a new name is mentioned, bloggers fall in love, compromising facts are revealed, and a new name... Continue Reading Posted at 1:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Florida Governor Declines to Endorse McCain Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is being heavily courted by Republican presidential candidates, warmly praised GOP hopeful John McCain Tuesday, but stopped short of an endorsement, reports the Associated Press from Tallahassee.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dash for Cash Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 The Associated Press looks at the mad fundraising dash for cash by the plethora of people pursuing the presidential nominations of their respective political parties. But after several paragraphs detailing how the likes of Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Hillary Clinton,... Continue Reading Posted at 1:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Santorum: McCain Can't Win Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, a Pennsylvania Republican, predicts defeat for John McCain in the presidential primary race because, Santorum says, the Arizona senator has alienated too many conservative voters.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain Defends McCain-Feingold Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Arizona Sen. John McCain is defending McCain-Feingold, the campaign finance reofmr law widely derided as undermining freedom of speech because of its prohibition against certain ads naming candidates within the last 60 days before an election.Interviewed by bloggers on his... Continue Reading Posted at 10:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 27, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 The Daily Fred for Tuesday, March 27, 2007, starts with Gallup pollster Frank Newport, who says new polling shows Fred Thompson's potential candidacy is already cutting into the support for Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:16 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Receding? Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Ryan Sager at the New York Sun rounds up some bad news for Mitt Romney.It has not been a good couple of days for the Romney campaign. The former senator from Tennessee, Fred Thompson, who isn't even running, overtakes Mr.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar26	A Beltway Horse? Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 In a recent editon of The Daily Fred, I noted a blog post by influential radio talker/blogger Hugh Hewitt mentioning the Fred Thompson buzz, and remarked that Hewitt, who is flogging a new pro-Mitt Romney book, hadn't had much to say... Continue Reading Posted at 1:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Can a Late-Entry Win the Nomination? Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Washington Post op-ed columnist Fred Hiatt examines whether, with the front-loaded primary schedule and the need to raise huge sums of money, a late entrant into the presidential race can win the Republican or Democratic nomination.The pros say it can't... Continue Reading Posted at 8:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Independent" Blog Has Ties to Romney Campaign? Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 The American Spectator digs into Evangelicals for Mitt and says the "grassroots" blog actually is deeply connected to the Mitt Romney campaign.Evangelicals for Mitt appears to be the result of the early efforts of Mark DeMoss, who operates a public relations company... Continue Reading Posted at 7:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 26, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Your Daily Fred roundup of Fred Thompson news and blog coverage for Monday, March 26, begins with Paul Mirengoff at the large and influential Power Line, a Mitt Romney fan who says, "right now Thompson appears more electable than Romney." Mirengoff, an... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Google Knows the Game Has Changed Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Chicago Trib columnist Clarence Page doesn't think the new media has changed "the game" in politics and media (see previous post), but Google knows otherwise. And, comparing their relative market caps, I'm going with Google on this one. Here's the... Continue Reading Posted at 6:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Game Has Changed Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Chicago Trib columnist Clarence Page looks at the Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama/YouTube incident and comments that there may be a "new media," but politics is still "the same old game." I'm not so sure he's right. Here's a bit of what... Continue Reading Posted at 6:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Strengths and Weaknesses Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Associated Press writer Glen Johnson sucinctly captures the promise and peril of being Mitt Romney trying to win the Republican presidential nomination despite only four years of experience in politics.On the plus side, Romney's mostly nonpolitical background - primarily as a... Continue Reading Posted at 5:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar25	Money Man: How McCain Undercut His Own Presidential Campaign Bill Hobbs March 25, 2007 Did John McCain shoot his own 2008 presidential campaign in the foot several years ago with the passage of the McCain-Feingold "campaign finance reform" law? Don Surber thinks so. Noting a Hotline report that the McCain campaign is falling short of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	LA Times Searches for the Real Mitt Romney Bill Hobbs March 25, 2007 The Los Angeles Times digs into whether Mitt Romney campaigned more liberal on social issues than he really was back when he was running for governor of Massachusetts. The gist of the story is that gay-rights, abortion-rights and environmental activists... Continue Reading Posted at 7:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar24	Assessing Fred's Chances Bill Hobbs March 24, 2007 Conservative radio talk host, author and blogger Hugh Hewitt has lately been hawking his new book, A Mormon in the White House? 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney, which lays out the case for Romney being elected... Continue Reading Posted at 10:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fear Not, Unless Ye Be Democrats Bill Hobbs March 24, 2007 Townhall.com columnist Mark Alexander says Democrats fear a Fred Thompson candidacy - and should. Alexander, editor of The Patriot Post, a conservative "e-journal," writes:While there are conservative candidates for the GOP nomination, any of whom could deservedly win the Republican... Continue Reading Posted at 10:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Report: Fred Thompson's Wife Urges Candidacy Bill Hobbs March 24, 2007 A Fred Thompson presidential run is looking more and more likely, says DC columnist and political insider Robert D. Novak:Close friends of Fred Thompson say his wife Jeri is urging him to take the plunge later this year and run... Continue Reading Posted at 10:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar23	The Daily Fred, March 23, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 23, 2007 The Daily Fred for Friday, March 23, 2007, starts with Kelvin Moxley, who served as Fred Thompson's policy analyst during Thompson's eight years in the Senate and now co-hosts a Knoxville radio show, who was invited by Knoxville News Sentinel blogger... Continue Reading Posted at 7:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar22	Frontrunners Spotted in Nashville! Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 It was such a gorgeous day in Nashville today - mid-70s and sunny - and it is Spring Break, so I took my children to the Nashville Zoo, and wouldn't you know it, all three Republican presidential front-runners were there. I... Continue Reading Posted at 8:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Newt Nails Consultants (Again) Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has made attacking political consultants something of a stump speech stock item, and his appearance at the Independent Women’s Forum at the National Press Club was no different. The Hill reports:The former Speaker lambasted the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:11 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gingrich Slams Anti-Hillary YouTube Ad Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich slammed the "Big Sister" ad that appeared anonymously on YouTube attacking Hillary Clinton, calling it "the Entertainment Tonight version of governing a great country," reports The Hill.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Another Problem for Mitt? Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Syndicated columnist Robert Novak says Mitt Romney has a new problem in Massachusetts. That problem is...the decision by the Massachusetts GOP to take legal action against the anti-Romney group, Massachusetts Republicans for Truth, for infringing on the party name. The... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	And We'll Be Lucky to Live Through It Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Every campaign consultant, staffer, volunteer and candidate needs to read Howard Fineman's piece in Newsweek, headlined Out of Control, in which Fineman explores how, "increasingly, campaigning isn't something the candidates do. It's something that's done to them.""The rules are being rewritten... Continue Reading Posted at 7:27 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 22, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Your Daily Fred for Thursday, March 22, 2007, starts with a link to the audio of Fred Thompson's appearance on the Laura Ingram radio show yesterday, 14 minutes that have a lot of Republicans even more fired up than they... Continue Reading Posted at 6:41 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar21	Blowback: Anti-Hillary YouTube Ad Bites Obama Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Oops.The Barack Obama campaign said it had nothing to do with the Orwellian YouTube ad against Hillary Clinton that appeared on YouTube in recent days, but it turns out the creator of the ad "is a Democratic operative who worked... Continue Reading Posted at 8:49 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gaining a New Media Edge Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 MTV News serves up an alternative view of the anti-Hillary Clinton grassroots ad on YouTube that features Hillary in the remake of Apple's famed 1984 ad, created it seems by a Barack Obama supporter. I mentioned the ad in my... Continue Reading Posted at 4:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Just an Actor? Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey - the first Republican lieutenant governor in Tennessee since 1867 - has joined the Draft Fred Thompson 2008 as a "founding member" of the committee, the organization founded by U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Her Political Future is Blanco Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 The disaster that is Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco will come to an end soon, as Blanco won't run for a second term given how the Democratic governor so badly botched state government's handing of Hurricane Katrina, pre- and post-storm. Polls... Continue Reading Posted at 9:28 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 21, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 To kick off The Daily Fred for Wednesday, March 21, let's hear from Fred Thompson himself on the subject of illegal immigration. In his March 20 radio commentary for the Paul Harvey Show, Thompson stakes out a sensibly tough position... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dump Into the Information River Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Political campaigns are known for mudslinging, and now, thanks to cheap digital video technologies and video-sharing sites like YouTube, voters can join the fun. In fact, they already have, as seen most vividly in a remake of Apple's famed 1984 Super... Continue Reading Posted at 3:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Brownback's Problem Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 The Associated Press speculates that Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback isn't catching fire with conservatives because "some Republicans fear he may be too conservative to win a national election."They've got it all wrong...... Continue Reading Posted at 12:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wanted: A Conservative-Enough Candidate Who Can Win In November Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Influential conservative activist Richard Viguerie is urging conservative Republicans to hold off on selecting a candidate to support for the Republican presidential nomination.As Joseph Curl reported in the Tuesday Washington Times:Some conservatives searching for a new Ronald Reagan are rejecting "Rudy... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar20	The Daily Fred, March 20, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 20, 2007 The Daily Fred for Tuesday, March 20, 2007, starts with Peter A. Brown of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, who writes that, "on paper," Thompson has a good shot to win the Republican presidential nomination and even the general election.He could... Continue Reading Posted at 8:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar19	Hire Noonan Bill Hobbs March 19, 2007 The Washington Spectator's "American Prowler" feature has an interesting rumor going around involving the campaign of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.Romney, who insists he is a Reagan Republican, is attempting to further burnish that self-imposed mantle by hiring former Reagan... Continue Reading Posted at 1:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dumped Bill Hobbs March 19, 2007 As expected, Republican Tennessee Congressman Jimmy Duncan has jumped ship from the Mitt Romney campaign and is now backing former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson for president - even though Thompson hasn't even said if he's going to run. Here's the... Continue Reading Posted at 1:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 19, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 19, 2007 It's Monday, so it's time for another edition of The Daily Fred, a round-up of news and blog coverage of the possible presidential candidacy of former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson. We start with John Fund's excellent and lengthy political profile of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar18	McCain's Burden Bill Hobbs March 18, 2007 The Arizona Republic looks at the impact of the Bush administration's unpopularity on the candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination, including hometown Sen. John McCain - who may be trying to distance himself from the Bush record a bit with... Continue Reading Posted at 2:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is McCain's Age Becoming an Issue? Bill Hobbs March 18, 2007 The Associated Press questions whether Arizona Sen. John McCain's age will become an issue in the race for the Republican presidential nomination - and by doing so makes it an issue. Here's part of the AP story, followed by my... Continue Reading Posted at 2:02 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Thompson Eyes Internet For Big Campaign Role Bill Hobbs March 18, 2007 Former Tennessee Sen. Al Gore may have invented the Internet, but it is the Republican who took his place in the United States Senate who apparently is considering harnessing the 'Net to run a very different kind of presidential campaign.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar17	Romney Aiming To Catch Rivals in the Money Primary Bill Hobbs March 17, 2007 He's often described as one of the "front-runners" in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but the truth is that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has yet to really earn the title. He trails both Rudy Giuliani and John... Continue Reading Posted at 8:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Jersey Eyes Feb. 5 Primary Bill Hobbs March 17, 2007 Nw Jersey is considering moving its presidential primary - usually held in early June - to Feb. 5 like a host of other states, but some experts say it might not boost the Garden State's influence given that former New York... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar16	McCain: "I Have to Find Out What My Position Was" Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 As of Friday, March 16, 2007, John McCain has been a member of the United States Senate for 20 years and 78 days. Before that, he served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Arizona's 1st District. All... Continue Reading Posted at 11:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gingrich May Enter Race Sooner as Thompson Transformation of GOP Race Moves Ahead Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Just as I predicted in a March 12 post titled The Surge that Will Transform the Republican Presidential Race, the possible candidacy of former Sen. Fred Thompson is forcing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to speed up his own plans... Continue Reading Posted at 9:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain, Giuliani, Virtually Tied In New Hampshire as Romney Moves Up Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 The latest Franklin Pierce College/WBZ-TV poll in New Hampshire finds that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are virtually tied for first place, at 29 percent and 28 percent respectively, while former Massachusetts Gov.... Continue Reading Posted at 9:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hyde Hearts Hunter Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Henry Hyde, one of the most respected and outspoken pro-life Republicans, thinks California congressman Duncan Hunter ought to be president. Hyde, whose endorsement carries weight with pro-life activists, says Hunter "brings a wealth of experience, great foreign and domestic knowledge, and an... Continue Reading Posted at 8:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ten For Thompson Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Tennessee lists 10 reasons why Fred Thompson should be president. Wamp says he spent about an hour last week asking his Republican colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives what they thought about the possibility... Continue Reading Posted at 4:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	California Scrambles the Egg Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 California has gone and done it - moved their 2008 presidential primary to Feb. 5, "setting the stage for a potentially decisive one-day, mega-primary across the country," says the AP. Previously, California held its presidential primary in June. What does this... Continue Reading Posted at 4:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"K Street Project" Consigned to Dustbin of History Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Bloomberg News Service reports that the Republican Party's loss of power in Congress has been "mirrored by a swift reversal of fortune in some key precincts of lobbying influence." Namely, the end of the "K Street Project" that was supposed... Continue Reading Posted at 12:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain to Skip Another Conservative Event Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is posting photos and video from his four-day bus tour around Iowa that began Thursday, and his campaign's blogger Patrick Hynes says the bus tour is drawing large crowds.Meanwhile, the former front-runner for the 2008... Continue Reading Posted at 12:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is Fred Thompson a Conservative? Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Is Fred Thompson a conservative? Human Events' John Gizzi put that question to Tom Griscom, publisher of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press and a longtime friend of Thompson.When I asked him whether Thompson is a conservative, Griscom told me: “Look, a... Continue Reading Posted at 12:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 16, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 This is the March 16 edition of The Daily Fred, with links to the best recent Fred Thompson news and blog coverage and commentary... ...The Nashville City Paper reports a strong endorsement for Fred Thompson's possible presidential candidacy from most of... Continue Reading Posted at 6:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar15	The Daily Fred: March 15, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 Welcome to the March 15 edition of The Daily Fred, a festival of Fred Thompson news and blog coverage and commentary that starts right now... ...New York political consultant and blogger Karol Sheinin says that when it comes to the eventual... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	I'll take "Not a Chance" for $100, Bob. Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 SmallGovTimes.com asks: Can Ron Paul Win in 2008?Um. No. And wishful thinking won't make it otherwise. And this is certainly wishful thinking: As of now, Dr. Paul has much in common with another (physician) presidential candidate, Howard Dean, who used... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Announcing: The Daily Fred Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 ElephantBiz.com, a blog about the business of conservative/Republican politics, announces the creation of The Daily Fred, a darn-near-daily roundup of news and commentary from the MSM and the blogosphere about former Sen. Fred Thompson and his possible presidential bid.ElephantBiz.com is... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Fires Volley At "Washington Scandal Machine" Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 Fred Dalton Thompson weighed in on the "scandal" over the eight U.S. attorneys fired by the Bush Justice Department during his guest-host stint on Paul Harvey News & Comment radio show Wednesday. It's a non-scandal, actually, but that won't stop... Continue Reading Posted at 12:17 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar14	Festival of Fred Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 The possibility of former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson running for president has sparked an avalanche of interest, coverage and commentary in the media and blogosphere and ElephantBiz will try to bring you a good sampling of such most days from... Continue Reading Posted at 4:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tom Tancredo Channels Cheap Trick Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 Just like the singer of the old Cheap Trick song I Want You To Want Me, Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo wants to be president - but only if you really really want him to be. I want you to want... Continue Reading Posted at 2:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bumps Ahead For Fred? Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 I've been reading as much blog and media coverage of former Sen. Fred Thompson and his possible presidential candidacy as I can and, so far, I've spotted three of what you might consider big "issue" problems facing him if he... Continue Reading Posted at 10:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Quoting Casey Stengel Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 Rand Simberg highlights a quote from the Fred Thompson archives in which Sen. Thompson discusses the incompetence of government, and one of its causes.A big part of the problem is our outmoded civil-service system that makes it too hard to hire... Continue Reading Posted at 9:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	An Iowa Blogger Considers Fred Thompson Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 Iowa blogger Krusty Konservative konsiders the possibility of Fred Thompson running for president, and likes it.The only other kandidate in the race with a larger than life persona is Rudy Giuliani. I’m part of the minority who thinks Rudy will... Continue Reading Posted at 9:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Why McCain Can't Win Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 The image that USA Today chose to illustrate its page 5A story about immigration reform legislation pending in Congress might as well be titled "McCain's Albatross." The story focuses on the various versions of amnesty-lite "reform" proposals for addressing illegal... Continue Reading Posted at 9:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar13	Romney Supporter: Run, Fred, Run! Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 "Unequivocal Mitt Romney supporter" Dean Barnett, writing at Hugh Hewitt's blog, says he wants Fred Thompson to run for president. Now, why would a strong supporter of the former Massachusetts governor's presidential ambitions want Thompson to run? I'll let Barnett... Continue Reading Posted at 9:17 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Whose Hopping On the Law & Order Express? Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 Jonathan Martin, blogging at The Politico, has some further thoughts about endorsements in the presidential campaign.And then there is this, from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the journalistic home of the Draft Thompson movement. Rep. Jimmy Duncan, Romney's golden get in Vols Country, says... Continue Reading Posted at 8:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	That's What Commitment Means Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 One of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's early coups in his quest for the White House was signing up one of the most successful fund-raisers the Republican Party has ever had - Nashville businessman Ted Welch - a relationship that... Continue Reading Posted at 4:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Someone to Vote For Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 The American Spectator's Prowler blog looks at the prospect of a Fred Thompson presidential candidacy:"Anyone who doubts that Fred isn't the real deal needs to look at his performance on Sunday and rethink things," says a senior Republican National Committee... Continue Reading Posted at 10:55 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Door Open For Fred Thompson as McCain Campaign Falters Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani now has a double-digit lead over Arizona Sen. John McCain, leading the once media-dubbed "front-runner" 34 percent to 18 percent according to the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll.Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former... Continue Reading Posted at 9:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Fallout Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 Lots of interesting reaction and commentary in the media and blogosphere to Fred Thompson's announcement Sunday that he is giving serious consideration to running for president. The Nashville City Paper interviews a couple of national political pundits who don't think... Continue Reading Posted at 6:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar12	Why the Left Fears Thompson Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Leftwing bloggers aren't writing much about Fred Thompson yet, but do not be mislead by their silence: the Left fears a Fred Thompson candidacy. To explain why, I'll point you to the words of a young liberal voter writing for... Continue Reading Posted at 5:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Surge that Will Transform the Republican Presidential Race Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 The Hill's Brent Budosky says "the major media is missing the full magnitude of the grassroots Republican surge that will soon transform the 2008 field," and says that transformation is the coming surge of support for Fred Thompson for president.... Continue Reading Posted at 4:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A "Consensus Conservative" Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 ThePolitico.com considers the possible Fred Thompson presidential candidacy:Friends who are already mapping out his pitch say Thompson, 64, is likely to assess his chances around the beginning of May. Thompson will have access to a sizable conservative audience in coming weeks... Continue Reading Posted at 3:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Frist Encourages Thompson Candidacy Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist is encouraging Fred Thompson to run for president. On his blog, the former Senate Majority Leader from Tennessee encourages his fellow former Tennessee senator to run, saying Thompson "understands the legislative process and has a strong bipartisan appeal, though... Continue Reading Posted at 3:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Stand-Pat Republicans "No Match" for Leftwing Machine Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's latest weekly email, "The Emerging Crisis in American Politics and Government," is a thought-provoking look at the possible future of American politics...... Continue Reading Posted at 3:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Thompson, China and Ted Turner Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 During his appearance yesterday on Fox News, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson mentioned that, since leaving the Senate, he has stayed active in public policy work, including serving on the "China Commission." What is that? Neither Fox News nor the... Continue Reading Posted at 12:39 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What is Hagel Waiting For? Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel called a press conference for today to announce his intentions with regard to the 2008 presidential race, getting the national media all buzzing about the anti-war Republican's possible candidacy. And then his announcement boiled down to:... Continue Reading Posted at 9:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Makes Folks Sit Up and Take Notice Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 After the story bounced around the blogs for days, Nashville's The Tennessean newspaper is all over the Fred Thompson story this morning following Thompson's confirmation on Fox News Sunday that the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee considering running for president.... Continue Reading Posted at 8:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Group Attacks Romney's Record in Massachussets Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 A group calling itself "Massachusetts Republicans for Truth" has launched an effort to educate voters on what it says is "the real Romney record" as governor of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Republicans for Truth released this statement today...... Continue Reading Posted at 8:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 9	Fred's Voting Record Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 The "conservative dad" who blogs at Red State Kids likes Fred Thompson's Senate voting record. He tallies up the votes and summarizes that Thompson "strongly opposes" abortion and same sex marriages; "strongly favors" school choice vouchersm gun rughts, and increased... Continue Reading Posted at 3:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Hires New Director of eStrategy Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Robert Bluey likes Mitt Romney's most recent Internet-related hire, Mindy Finn, who will serve as Romney’s "director of eStrategy," who Bluey calls "the key piece of the puzzle."Finn brings to the team much experience, having worked for Sen. Rick Santorum’s... Continue Reading Posted at 2:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Right Said: FRED! Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Free Republic polled its very conservative readers and found that Fred Thompson would easily defeat Rudy Giuliani in a primary involving only those two candidates. Of course, that's not the actual GOP field. Still, Giuliani's current high poll numbers are... Continue Reading Posted at 2:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Firing Up Fred Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 A Fred Thompson presidential bid is looking more and more likely, says The Hill, reporting that former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker of Tennessee "is contacting powerbrokers in the Republican Party to build support for a 2008 presidential campaign by... Continue Reading Posted at 8:44 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Watch Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 The Fred Thompson buzz is booming, and the latest to weigh in is Jonathan Martin at The Politico, who writes that he is "more than a little skeptical of Thompson actually running, but one well-connected Tennessee Republican said the Senate... Continue Reading Posted at 8:14 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Media Will Swoon Over Him Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Is anti-war Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska about to jump into the already crowded Republican field chasing the 2008 presidential nomination? Yes he is, and soon, says Washington Post political reporter Chris Cillizza...... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hunter Leaves Guns Behind Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Glenn and Helen Reynolds (he of Instapundit.com) did an interview with U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican candidate for the party's presidential '08 presidential nomination. You can listen to or download the podcast at this link. Summarizes Glenn: We... Continue Reading Posted at 1:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 8	Romney Locking Up Tennessee? Bill Hobbs March 8, 2007 Tennessee political blogger Adam Groves reports on a Nashville campaign even for Mitt Romney. The former Republican governor of Massachusetts now running for president "had a meet-and-greet following what was rumored to be a very successful private fundraising session last... Continue Reading Posted at 10:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is Rudy Too "New York" to Win? Bill Hobbs March 8, 2007 The New York Times wonders if Rudy Giuliani is too New York to win over the nation, saying the "swaggering, brash and opinionated" style that "won him some acclaim in New York" may not play as well in other parts... Continue Reading Posted at 9:02 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 7	Baptist Leader Slams Giuliani Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, told The Associated Press Tuesday that evangelical voters might tolerate a divorced presidential candidate, but they have deep doubts about GOP hopeful Rudy Giuliani, who has been married three times.... Continue Reading Posted at 10:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Rising Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Michael Silence, a reporter and blogger for the Knoxville News Sentinel, has the latest from the Fred Thompson rumor mill. Several items and links on his list - here's one that really intrigued me:Amid rumors that Senator Fred Thompson might make... Continue Reading Posted at 10:22 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain Trying to Change the Rules of the Game? Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 The Washington Times carries an interesting report today out of California that the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain "is mounting a stealth effort to change Republican presidential nomination rules in California to allow independents to vote in the Feb.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:58 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	No Limits Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Is the news media about to "redefine" what is and isn't off-limits in terms of the personal lives of political candidates? Yesterday's news conference with Rudy Giuliani in which his estrangement from his adult children due to his second divorce... Continue Reading Posted at 7:49 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	This Too Shall Pass Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in Southern California to speak with sheriffs about gang violence, instead "found himself peppered with questions about his family after his son, Andrew, publicly stated that their relationship had soured after Giuliani's messy... Continue Reading Posted at 7:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	CPAC Speeches Online Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 The Conservative Political Action Conference has posted the text of speeches by two of the Republican presidential candidates who spoke at the conference last week in Washington D.C.Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's speech repeatedly invokes the name of Ronald Reagan, and draws lessons... Continue Reading Posted at 6:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 6	They Love Him in L.A. Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 Austin Bay reports at Pajamas Media from inside a Rudy Giuliani fundraiser reception in Southern California.Organized by a cross-section of the Los Angeles and southern California business, media, and entertainment community such as Bill Simon and John Liebman, the private... Continue Reading Posted at 5:53 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred's Name Keeps Popping Up Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 John Fund, writing at OpinionJournal.com, says no Republican candidate has sealed the deal with conservatives. Writing from the Conservative Political Action Conference, Fund says undeclared potential candidate Newt Gingrich "gave the most inspiring speech," while Mitt Romney narrowly won the... Continue Reading Posted at 12:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Huckablogging Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign website now includes a blog. Huckabee's been getting some good press attention lateley, including a Newsweek article which calls Huck "a would-be Knight for the Religious Right." Asks Newsweek:Mike Huckabee is pro-gun, pro-life, and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gilmore and the Bloggers Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore spoke to a group of conservative bloggers at The Heritage Foundation recently and made an interesting promise: He pledged to be the first President to maintain a personal blog, reports Matt Lewis at his Townhall.com... Continue Reading Posted at 11:53 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 5	Veepstakes Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell both say they have no interest in being a candidate for vice president, reports the Associated Press because, apparently, someone at the AP thought it was important news.Well, uh, okay. I... Continue Reading Posted at 9:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Adds Up A Win, But... Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the most support for the Republican presidential nomination in a straw poll of GOP activists attending the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. But the numbers leave no doubt that the Republican Party's conservative base... Continue Reading Posted at 9:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Personal Problem Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 CBS News reports that Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani is estranged from his two young-adult children because of his divorce from their mother and his subsequent third marriage, and says "political analysts" believe it is one of many things that... Continue Reading Posted at 11:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Obama's Mistake Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Hispanic Business magazine has an interesting item regarding the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. It involves Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, whom the magazine says "is receiving less-than-favorable press from Hispanic leaders who say he hasn't really explained two... Continue Reading Posted at 10:53 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Mormon Math Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam says Mitt Romney can't win the presidency because of the past history of polygamy in the Mormon church. But what Beam doesn't mention is that the successful business executive and former Massachussets governor has had... Continue Reading Posted at 8:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hunter on the Prowl Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, a longshot candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, has a guest-blog post at PoliPundit regarding the unconscionable prosecution and conviction of two American border guards who shot a Mexican illegal alien drug dealer...... Continue Reading Posted at 7:42 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 4	The Giuliani Factor Bill Hobbs March 4, 2007 Capitol Hill Blue says GOP conservatives gathered for the first time the GOP's November election losses "found little to cheer about in a 2008 Republican White House field they largely viewed with skepticism and distrust.""There is some disillusionment, some demoralization... Continue Reading Posted at 3:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Trails Non-Candidate Gingrich Among GOP Conservatives Bill Hobbs March 4, 2007 If your name is Mitt Romney and you are running for president, this is nothing but bad news from the Associated Press:Conservative stalwart Newt Gingrich has done nothing to lay the foundation for a presidential run except talk - yet... Continue Reading Posted at 2:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Wrong Horse Bill Hobbs March 4, 2007 Time columnist Margaret Carlson suggests that the Republican conservative base is so unhappy with the current crop of presidential candidates that there's room for a "dark horse" to emerge. If only they could take John McCain's gung-ho militarism, Sam Brownback's... Continue Reading Posted at 12:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 3	Nevada GOP Creates Early Caucus To Counter Dem's Ground Game Bill Hobbs March 3, 2007 Nevada Republicans are moving to arrange a caucus in early February 2008 in order to make the state more relevant in the presidential nominating process - and to prevent a similar Democratic Party move from tilting Nevada blue.The Ely, Nevada,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Colorado Rising Bill Hobbs March 3, 2007 Colorado and other western states are rising in prominence in the 2008 presidential race, reports the Associated Press, which says Colorado, "once shunned by presidential candidates because of its meager nine electoral votes, is already getting a lot of attention... Continue Reading Posted at 9:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Philly Inky Sez: Show Us the Money Men! Bill Hobbs March 3, 2007 The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial page calls for public disclosure of the "bundlers" who raise big bucks for the various presidential candidates - and notes that the leading GOP candidates and two of the three leading Democratic candidates have agreed to... Continue Reading Posted at 8:17 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 2	California Dreaming Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 As California lawmakers prepare to move that state’s presidential primary from June to Feb. 5, presidential campaigning in the Golden State "has taken an uncharacteristic urgency, with presidential aspirants from both parties jockeying to make an impression on Californians beyond... Continue Reading Posted at 12:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Giuliani at CPAC, While McCain To Lose Ground Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani "has much on the line" in his speech today to the conservative activists gathered for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., says today's New York Times.Forums such as the CPAC meeting,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain, Obama, Agree to Socialist View of Campaign Finance Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain pledged to accept public financing of the 2008 presidential election if they win the nominations of their parties and their opponents agree to do the same, reports Bloomberg news service. Their announcements came... Continue Reading Posted at 11:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain's Mojo Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 John McCain's second run for the presidency is kicking off on an odd note. An AP analysis says McCain's campaign faces "high hurdles."This time a Republican heavyweight not an underdog, John McCain embarks on his second presidential run facing numerous challenges in courting... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Dark Side of the Internet Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 "The Internet has become an integral part of modern politics; one-time presidential candidate Howard Dean made it an essential tool for organizing and fund-raising. But increasingly, cyberspace also has a dark side," says M.E. Sprengelmeyer, writing for the Rocky Mountain... Continue Reading Posted at 10:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Eye on Newt Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 Stephen Spruiell, writing in National Review, says Newt Gingrich is talking like a presidential candidate - one who would raise the level of discourse in the campaign to a real discussion of important issues:During a scathing and often hilarious discourse... Continue Reading Posted at 9:27 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 1	What If The Right Said Fred? Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 The speculation about former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson running for president that was mentioned in the original post at this link has been superceded by actual events, reported and commented on in many subsequent blog posts. I'm posting a list... Continue Reading Posted at 12:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Giuliani Leading in the South Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 A poll of five southeastern states by Elon University finds that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani have the early advantage in the 2008 presidential race, the Business Journal in Greensboro, N.C., reports.Neither the Democrat, Clinton, nor the Republican, Giuliani, drew... Continue Reading Posted at 10:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Slapping a 527 Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 The Federal Elections Commission has slapped a conservative group - the Progress for America Voter Fund, which raised $54 million dollars in the 2004 election cycle - with a $750,000 fine as part of settling a case of alleged campaign... Continue Reading Posted at 10:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	YouTube Launches Presidential Campaign Video Hub Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 YouTube is launching a "hub" for campaign videos from the 2008 presidential race, and has big plans for it.Coverage from the Associated Press, from Reuters, and from ZDNet, which reports on YouTube's new "You Choose '08" channel thusly:The YouTube channel... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Well, I Declare... Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 Arizona Sen. John McCain announced on Late Night with David Letterman that he will officially announce that he's running for president some time in April. With a simple declarative sentence McCain declared that he would declare his candidacy next month.... Continue Reading Posted at 10:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments

« February 2007 | Main | April 2007 »

Mar31	Fred Thompson's Church Roots Bill Hobbs March 31, 2007 Know More: 2008 Presidential Race Barack Obama, Church of Christ, Fred Thompson, James Dobson When Focus on the Family leader James Dobson questioned whether Fred Thompson was a Christian, a Thompson spokesman responded that Thompson had been baptized in the Church of Christ. That seemed to settle it for most people, but not for The Christian Chronicle, a newspaper published for the small Christian denomination of around 1 million members. The paper produced a story, "Future president? Fred Thompson's church roots draw interest." A reader emailed me the text... Continue Reading Posted at 6:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar30	The Daily Fred, March 30, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 30, 2007 It's Friday, March 30, and the Fred Thompson train continues to roll, so here is today's edition of The Daily Fred filled with links to the latest related news and blog coverage and commentary about Thompson. Today we start in Nashville with... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar29	Big Texas Support For Fred Bill Hobbs March 29, 2007 The Draft Fred Thompson 2008 Committee announced that its campaign to draft former Sen. Fred Thompson into the presidential race "received a big boost today when it was joined by three prominent statewide officials in Texas." Texas Land Commissioner Jerry... Continue Reading Posted at 2:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Different View of the Dobson-Thompson Incident Bill Hobbs March 29, 2007 Reuben Watkins of the pro-Fred Thompson website GrassrootsVoter.com, says don't believe the official media version of what Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said about Thompson. Watkins emailed the following today to the thousands of people who have signed up at... Continue Reading Posted at 1:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 29, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 29, 2007 Here's your Daily Fred for Thursday, March 29, chock full of links to news and blog coverage and commentary about possible presidential candidate Fred Thompson. Today's Daily Fred starts with the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, Kansas, asking, Could a Fred Thompson campaign deliver... Continue Reading Posted at 10:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar28	McCain Courts the Blogosphere. Bill Hobbs March 28, 2007 John McCain did a conference call with bloggers. NRO's Kathryn Jean Lopez serves up some quotes and says it likely worked well for McCain.The senator clearly wants right-wing bloggers to feel like one of the McCainaic guys on the bus. And... Continue Reading Posted at 10:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Forbes Endorses Giuliani Bill Hobbs March 28, 2007 Steve Forbes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine, has endorsed Rudy Giuliani for President of the United States and will serve as a National Campaign Co-Chair and Senior Policy Advisor, the Giuliani campaign announced...... Continue Reading Posted at 9:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 28, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 28, 2007 It's Wednesday, March 28, time for another edition of The Daily Fred, your daily roundup of news and bloggage about Fred Thompson. Today's Daily Fred starts with Washington Post columnist Mary Ann Akers, who is keeping track of where Fred has... Continue Reading Posted at 8:47 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar27	Smart Mitt is Right on the Money Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will pay student-volunteer fundraisers 10 percent of everything the raise, the Associated Press reports.A millionaire thanks to his work as a venture capitalist, Mitt Romney is acutely aware of the motivating power of money. His presidential... Continue Reading Posted at 5:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	An Interview With Mike Huckabee Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan has posted the transcript of an interview with Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who now is running for the Republican presidential nomination.It's a highly substantive interview in which Huckabee discusses many topics ranging from... Continue Reading Posted at 2:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Thompson Predicts He'll Win The Iowa Caucus Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 A Republican named Thompson running for president says he'll win the Iowa Caucus next year, and become a "front-runner" in the presidential race. But, wait, you say, Fred Thompson hasn't even said if he's running, and yet he's predicting victory?No,... Continue Reading Posted at 2:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Thompson Crushing Giuliani, Rest of Field, GOP Bloggers Say Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Undeclared presidential candidate Fred Thompson is the current front-runner in Hotline's GOP Bloggers Straw Poll.The Blogometer is starting to notice a pattern here: a new name is mentioned, bloggers fall in love, compromising facts are revealed, and a new name... Continue Reading Posted at 1:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Florida Governor Declines to Endorse McCain Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is being heavily courted by Republican presidential candidates, warmly praised GOP hopeful John McCain Tuesday, but stopped short of an endorsement, reports the Associated Press from Tallahassee.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dash for Cash Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 The Associated Press looks at the mad fundraising dash for cash by the plethora of people pursuing the presidential nominations of their respective political parties. But after several paragraphs detailing how the likes of Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Hillary Clinton,... Continue Reading Posted at 1:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Santorum: McCain Can't Win Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, a Pennsylvania Republican, predicts defeat for John McCain in the presidential primary race because, Santorum says, the Arizona senator has alienated too many conservative voters.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain Defends McCain-Feingold Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Arizona Sen. John McCain is defending McCain-Feingold, the campaign finance reofmr law widely derided as undermining freedom of speech because of its prohibition against certain ads naming candidates within the last 60 days before an election.Interviewed by bloggers on his... Continue Reading Posted at 10:06 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 27, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 The Daily Fred for Tuesday, March 27, 2007, starts with Gallup pollster Frank Newport, who says new polling shows Fred Thompson's potential candidacy is already cutting into the support for Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:16 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Receding? Bill Hobbs March 27, 2007 Ryan Sager at the New York Sun rounds up some bad news for Mitt Romney.It has not been a good couple of days for the Romney campaign. The former senator from Tennessee, Fred Thompson, who isn't even running, overtakes Mr.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar26	A Beltway Horse? Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 In a recent editon of The Daily Fred, I noted a blog post by influential radio talker/blogger Hugh Hewitt mentioning the Fred Thompson buzz, and remarked that Hewitt, who is flogging a new pro-Mitt Romney book, hadn't had much to say... Continue Reading Posted at 1:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Can a Late-Entry Win the Nomination? Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Washington Post op-ed columnist Fred Hiatt examines whether, with the front-loaded primary schedule and the need to raise huge sums of money, a late entrant into the presidential race can win the Republican or Democratic nomination.The pros say it can't... Continue Reading Posted at 8:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Independent" Blog Has Ties to Romney Campaign? Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 The American Spectator digs into Evangelicals for Mitt and says the "grassroots" blog actually is deeply connected to the Mitt Romney campaign.Evangelicals for Mitt appears to be the result of the early efforts of Mark DeMoss, who operates a public relations company... Continue Reading Posted at 7:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 26, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Your Daily Fred roundup of Fred Thompson news and blog coverage for Monday, March 26, begins with Paul Mirengoff at the large and influential Power Line, a Mitt Romney fan who says, "right now Thompson appears more electable than Romney." Mirengoff, an... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Google Knows the Game Has Changed Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Chicago Trib columnist Clarence Page doesn't think the new media has changed "the game" in politics and media (see previous post), but Google knows otherwise. And, comparing their relative market caps, I'm going with Google on this one. Here's the... Continue Reading Posted at 6:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Game Has Changed Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Chicago Trib columnist Clarence Page looks at the Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama/YouTube incident and comments that there may be a "new media," but politics is still "the same old game." I'm not so sure he's right. Here's a bit of what... Continue Reading Posted at 6:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Strengths and Weaknesses Bill Hobbs March 26, 2007 Associated Press writer Glen Johnson sucinctly captures the promise and peril of being Mitt Romney trying to win the Republican presidential nomination despite only four years of experience in politics.On the plus side, Romney's mostly nonpolitical background - primarily as a... Continue Reading Posted at 5:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar25	Money Man: How McCain Undercut His Own Presidential Campaign Bill Hobbs March 25, 2007 Did John McCain shoot his own 2008 presidential campaign in the foot several years ago with the passage of the McCain-Feingold "campaign finance reform" law? Don Surber thinks so. Noting a Hotline report that the McCain campaign is falling short of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	LA Times Searches for the Real Mitt Romney Bill Hobbs March 25, 2007 The Los Angeles Times digs into whether Mitt Romney campaigned more liberal on social issues than he really was back when he was running for governor of Massachusetts. The gist of the story is that gay-rights, abortion-rights and environmental activists... Continue Reading Posted at 7:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar24	Assessing Fred's Chances Bill Hobbs March 24, 2007 Conservative radio talk host, author and blogger Hugh Hewitt has lately been hawking his new book, A Mormon in the White House? 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney, which lays out the case for Romney being elected... Continue Reading Posted at 10:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fear Not, Unless Ye Be Democrats Bill Hobbs March 24, 2007 Townhall.com columnist Mark Alexander says Democrats fear a Fred Thompson candidacy - and should. Alexander, editor of The Patriot Post, a conservative "e-journal," writes:While there are conservative candidates for the GOP nomination, any of whom could deservedly win the Republican... Continue Reading Posted at 10:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Report: Fred Thompson's Wife Urges Candidacy Bill Hobbs March 24, 2007 A Fred Thompson presidential run is looking more and more likely, says DC columnist and political insider Robert D. Novak:Close friends of Fred Thompson say his wife Jeri is urging him to take the plunge later this year and run... Continue Reading Posted at 10:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar23	The Daily Fred, March 23, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 23, 2007 The Daily Fred for Friday, March 23, 2007, starts with Kelvin Moxley, who served as Fred Thompson's policy analyst during Thompson's eight years in the Senate and now co-hosts a Knoxville radio show, who was invited by Knoxville News Sentinel blogger... Continue Reading Posted at 7:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar22	Frontrunners Spotted in Nashville! Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 It was such a gorgeous day in Nashville today - mid-70s and sunny - and it is Spring Break, so I took my children to the Nashville Zoo, and wouldn't you know it, all three Republican presidential front-runners were there. I... Continue Reading Posted at 8:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Newt Nails Consultants (Again) Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has made attacking political consultants something of a stump speech stock item, and his appearance at the Independent Women’s Forum at the National Press Club was no different. The Hill reports:The former Speaker lambasted the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:11 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gingrich Slams Anti-Hillary YouTube Ad Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich slammed the "Big Sister" ad that appeared anonymously on YouTube attacking Hillary Clinton, calling it "the Entertainment Tonight version of governing a great country," reports The Hill.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Another Problem for Mitt? Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Syndicated columnist Robert Novak says Mitt Romney has a new problem in Massachusetts. That problem is...the decision by the Massachusetts GOP to take legal action against the anti-Romney group, Massachusetts Republicans for Truth, for infringing on the party name. The... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	And We'll Be Lucky to Live Through It Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Every campaign consultant, staffer, volunteer and candidate needs to read Howard Fineman's piece in Newsweek, headlined Out of Control, in which Fineman explores how, "increasingly, campaigning isn't something the candidates do. It's something that's done to them.""The rules are being rewritten... Continue Reading Posted at 7:27 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 22, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 22, 2007 Your Daily Fred for Thursday, March 22, 2007, starts with a link to the audio of Fred Thompson's appearance on the Laura Ingram radio show yesterday, 14 minutes that have a lot of Republicans even more fired up than they... Continue Reading Posted at 6:41 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar21	Blowback: Anti-Hillary YouTube Ad Bites Obama Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Oops.The Barack Obama campaign said it had nothing to do with the Orwellian YouTube ad against Hillary Clinton that appeared on YouTube in recent days, but it turns out the creator of the ad "is a Democratic operative who worked... Continue Reading Posted at 8:49 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gaining a New Media Edge Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 MTV News serves up an alternative view of the anti-Hillary Clinton grassroots ad on YouTube that features Hillary in the remake of Apple's famed 1984 ad, created it seems by a Barack Obama supporter. I mentioned the ad in my... Continue Reading Posted at 4:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Just an Actor? Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey - the first Republican lieutenant governor in Tennessee since 1867 - has joined the Draft Fred Thompson 2008 as a "founding member" of the committee, the organization founded by U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Her Political Future is Blanco Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 The disaster that is Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco will come to an end soon, as Blanco won't run for a second term given how the Democratic governor so badly botched state government's handing of Hurricane Katrina, pre- and post-storm. Polls... Continue Reading Posted at 9:28 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 21, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 To kick off The Daily Fred for Wednesday, March 21, let's hear from Fred Thompson himself on the subject of illegal immigration. In his March 20 radio commentary for the Paul Harvey Show, Thompson stakes out a sensibly tough position... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dump Into the Information River Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Political campaigns are known for mudslinging, and now, thanks to cheap digital video technologies and video-sharing sites like YouTube, voters can join the fun. In fact, they already have, as seen most vividly in a remake of Apple's famed 1984 Super... Continue Reading Posted at 3:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Brownback's Problem Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 The Associated Press speculates that Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback isn't catching fire with conservatives because "some Republicans fear he may be too conservative to win a national election."They've got it all wrong...... Continue Reading Posted at 12:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wanted: A Conservative-Enough Candidate Who Can Win In November Bill Hobbs March 21, 2007 Influential conservative activist Richard Viguerie is urging conservative Republicans to hold off on selecting a candidate to support for the Republican presidential nomination.As Joseph Curl reported in the Tuesday Washington Times:Some conservatives searching for a new Ronald Reagan are rejecting "Rudy... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar20	The Daily Fred, March 20, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 20, 2007 The Daily Fred for Tuesday, March 20, 2007, starts with Peter A. Brown of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, who writes that, "on paper," Thompson has a good shot to win the Republican presidential nomination and even the general election.He could... Continue Reading Posted at 8:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar19	Hire Noonan Bill Hobbs March 19, 2007 The Washington Spectator's "American Prowler" feature has an interesting rumor going around involving the campaign of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.Romney, who insists he is a Reagan Republican, is attempting to further burnish that self-imposed mantle by hiring former Reagan... Continue Reading Posted at 1:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dumped Bill Hobbs March 19, 2007 As expected, Republican Tennessee Congressman Jimmy Duncan has jumped ship from the Mitt Romney campaign and is now backing former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson for president - even though Thompson hasn't even said if he's going to run. Here's the... Continue Reading Posted at 1:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 19, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 19, 2007 It's Monday, so it's time for another edition of The Daily Fred, a round-up of news and blog coverage of the possible presidential candidacy of former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson. We start with John Fund's excellent and lengthy political profile of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar18	McCain's Burden Bill Hobbs March 18, 2007 The Arizona Republic looks at the impact of the Bush administration's unpopularity on the candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination, including hometown Sen. John McCain - who may be trying to distance himself from the Bush record a bit with... Continue Reading Posted at 2:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is McCain's Age Becoming an Issue? Bill Hobbs March 18, 2007 The Associated Press questions whether Arizona Sen. John McCain's age will become an issue in the race for the Republican presidential nomination - and by doing so makes it an issue. Here's part of the AP story, followed by my... Continue Reading Posted at 2:02 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Thompson Eyes Internet For Big Campaign Role Bill Hobbs March 18, 2007 Former Tennessee Sen. Al Gore may have invented the Internet, but it is the Republican who took his place in the United States Senate who apparently is considering harnessing the 'Net to run a very different kind of presidential campaign.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar17	Romney Aiming To Catch Rivals in the Money Primary Bill Hobbs March 17, 2007 He's often described as one of the "front-runners" in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but the truth is that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has yet to really earn the title. He trails both Rudy Giuliani and John... Continue Reading Posted at 8:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Jersey Eyes Feb. 5 Primary Bill Hobbs March 17, 2007 Nw Jersey is considering moving its presidential primary - usually held in early June - to Feb. 5 like a host of other states, but some experts say it might not boost the Garden State's influence given that former New York... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar16	McCain: "I Have to Find Out What My Position Was" Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 As of Friday, March 16, 2007, John McCain has been a member of the United States Senate for 20 years and 78 days. Before that, he served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Arizona's 1st District. All... Continue Reading Posted at 11:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gingrich May Enter Race Sooner as Thompson Transformation of GOP Race Moves Ahead Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Just as I predicted in a March 12 post titled The Surge that Will Transform the Republican Presidential Race, the possible candidacy of former Sen. Fred Thompson is forcing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to speed up his own plans... Continue Reading Posted at 9:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain, Giuliani, Virtually Tied In New Hampshire as Romney Moves Up Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 The latest Franklin Pierce College/WBZ-TV poll in New Hampshire finds that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are virtually tied for first place, at 29 percent and 28 percent respectively, while former Massachusetts Gov.... Continue Reading Posted at 9:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hyde Hearts Hunter Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Henry Hyde, one of the most respected and outspoken pro-life Republicans, thinks California congressman Duncan Hunter ought to be president. Hyde, whose endorsement carries weight with pro-life activists, says Hunter "brings a wealth of experience, great foreign and domestic knowledge, and an... Continue Reading Posted at 8:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ten For Thompson Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Tennessee lists 10 reasons why Fred Thompson should be president. Wamp says he spent about an hour last week asking his Republican colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives what they thought about the possibility... Continue Reading Posted at 4:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	California Scrambles the Egg Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 California has gone and done it - moved their 2008 presidential primary to Feb. 5, "setting the stage for a potentially decisive one-day, mega-primary across the country," says the AP. Previously, California held its presidential primary in June. What does this... Continue Reading Posted at 4:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"K Street Project" Consigned to Dustbin of History Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Bloomberg News Service reports that the Republican Party's loss of power in Congress has been "mirrored by a swift reversal of fortune in some key precincts of lobbying influence." Namely, the end of the "K Street Project" that was supposed... Continue Reading Posted at 12:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain to Skip Another Conservative Event Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is posting photos and video from his four-day bus tour around Iowa that began Thursday, and his campaign's blogger Patrick Hynes says the bus tour is drawing large crowds.Meanwhile, the former front-runner for the 2008... Continue Reading Posted at 12:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is Fred Thompson a Conservative? Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 Is Fred Thompson a conservative? Human Events' John Gizzi put that question to Tom Griscom, publisher of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press and a longtime friend of Thompson.When I asked him whether Thompson is a conservative, Griscom told me: “Look, a... Continue Reading Posted at 12:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Daily Fred, March 16, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 16, 2007 This is the March 16 edition of The Daily Fred, with links to the best recent Fred Thompson news and blog coverage and commentary... ...The Nashville City Paper reports a strong endorsement for Fred Thompson's possible presidential candidacy from most of... Continue Reading Posted at 6:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar15	The Daily Fred: March 15, 2007 Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 Welcome to the March 15 edition of The Daily Fred, a festival of Fred Thompson news and blog coverage and commentary that starts right now... ...New York political consultant and blogger Karol Sheinin says that when it comes to the eventual... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	I'll take "Not a Chance" for $100, Bob. Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 SmallGovTimes.com asks: Can Ron Paul Win in 2008?Um. No. And wishful thinking won't make it otherwise. And this is certainly wishful thinking: As of now, Dr. Paul has much in common with another (physician) presidential candidate, Howard Dean, who used... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Announcing: The Daily Fred Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 ElephantBiz.com, a blog about the business of conservative/Republican politics, announces the creation of The Daily Fred, a darn-near-daily roundup of news and commentary from the MSM and the blogosphere about former Sen. Fred Thompson and his possible presidential bid.ElephantBiz.com is... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Fires Volley At "Washington Scandal Machine" Bill Hobbs March 15, 2007 Fred Dalton Thompson weighed in on the "scandal" over the eight U.S. attorneys fired by the Bush Justice Department during his guest-host stint on Paul Harvey News & Comment radio show Wednesday. It's a non-scandal, actually, but that won't stop... Continue Reading Posted at 12:17 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar14	Festival of Fred Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 The possibility of former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson running for president has sparked an avalanche of interest, coverage and commentary in the media and blogosphere and ElephantBiz will try to bring you a good sampling of such most days from... Continue Reading Posted at 4:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tom Tancredo Channels Cheap Trick Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 Just like the singer of the old Cheap Trick song I Want You To Want Me, Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo wants to be president - but only if you really really want him to be. I want you to want... Continue Reading Posted at 2:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bumps Ahead For Fred? Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 I've been reading as much blog and media coverage of former Sen. Fred Thompson and his possible presidential candidacy as I can and, so far, I've spotted three of what you might consider big "issue" problems facing him if he... Continue Reading Posted at 10:20 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Quoting Casey Stengel Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 Rand Simberg highlights a quote from the Fred Thompson archives in which Sen. Thompson discusses the incompetence of government, and one of its causes.A big part of the problem is our outmoded civil-service system that makes it too hard to hire... Continue Reading Posted at 9:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	An Iowa Blogger Considers Fred Thompson Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 Iowa blogger Krusty Konservative konsiders the possibility of Fred Thompson running for president, and likes it.The only other kandidate in the race with a larger than life persona is Rudy Giuliani. I’m part of the minority who thinks Rudy will... Continue Reading Posted at 9:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Why McCain Can't Win Bill Hobbs March 14, 2007 The image that USA Today chose to illustrate its page 5A story about immigration reform legislation pending in Congress might as well be titled "McCain's Albatross." The story focuses on the various versions of amnesty-lite "reform" proposals for addressing illegal... Continue Reading Posted at 9:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar13	Romney Supporter: Run, Fred, Run! Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 "Unequivocal Mitt Romney supporter" Dean Barnett, writing at Hugh Hewitt's blog, says he wants Fred Thompson to run for president. Now, why would a strong supporter of the former Massachusetts governor's presidential ambitions want Thompson to run? I'll let Barnett... Continue Reading Posted at 9:17 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Whose Hopping On the Law & Order Express? Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 Jonathan Martin, blogging at The Politico, has some further thoughts about endorsements in the presidential campaign.And then there is this, from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the journalistic home of the Draft Thompson movement. Rep. Jimmy Duncan, Romney's golden get in Vols Country, says... Continue Reading Posted at 8:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	That's What Commitment Means Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 One of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's early coups in his quest for the White House was signing up one of the most successful fund-raisers the Republican Party has ever had - Nashville businessman Ted Welch - a relationship that... Continue Reading Posted at 4:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Someone to Vote For Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 The American Spectator's Prowler blog looks at the prospect of a Fred Thompson presidential candidacy:"Anyone who doubts that Fred isn't the real deal needs to look at his performance on Sunday and rethink things," says a senior Republican National Committee... Continue Reading Posted at 10:55 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Door Open For Fred Thompson as McCain Campaign Falters Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani now has a double-digit lead over Arizona Sen. John McCain, leading the once media-dubbed "front-runner" 34 percent to 18 percent according to the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll.Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former... Continue Reading Posted at 9:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Fallout Bill Hobbs March 13, 2007 Lots of interesting reaction and commentary in the media and blogosphere to Fred Thompson's announcement Sunday that he is giving serious consideration to running for president. The Nashville City Paper interviews a couple of national political pundits who don't think... Continue Reading Posted at 6:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar12	Why the Left Fears Thompson Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Leftwing bloggers aren't writing much about Fred Thompson yet, but do not be mislead by their silence: the Left fears a Fred Thompson candidacy. To explain why, I'll point you to the words of a young liberal voter writing for... Continue Reading Posted at 5:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Surge that Will Transform the Republican Presidential Race Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 The Hill's Brent Budosky says "the major media is missing the full magnitude of the grassroots Republican surge that will soon transform the 2008 field," and says that transformation is the coming surge of support for Fred Thompson for president.... Continue Reading Posted at 4:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A "Consensus Conservative" Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 ThePolitico.com considers the possible Fred Thompson presidential candidacy:Friends who are already mapping out his pitch say Thompson, 64, is likely to assess his chances around the beginning of May. Thompson will have access to a sizable conservative audience in coming weeks... Continue Reading Posted at 3:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Frist Encourages Thompson Candidacy Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist is encouraging Fred Thompson to run for president. On his blog, the former Senate Majority Leader from Tennessee encourages his fellow former Tennessee senator to run, saying Thompson "understands the legislative process and has a strong bipartisan appeal, though... Continue Reading Posted at 3:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Stand-Pat Republicans "No Match" for Leftwing Machine Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's latest weekly email, "The Emerging Crisis in American Politics and Government," is a thought-provoking look at the possible future of American politics...... Continue Reading Posted at 3:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Thompson, China and Ted Turner Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 During his appearance yesterday on Fox News, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson mentioned that, since leaving the Senate, he has stayed active in public policy work, including serving on the "China Commission." What is that? Neither Fox News nor the... Continue Reading Posted at 12:39 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What is Hagel Waiting For? Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel called a press conference for today to announce his intentions with regard to the 2008 presidential race, getting the national media all buzzing about the anti-war Republican's possible candidacy. And then his announcement boiled down to:... Continue Reading Posted at 9:56 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Makes Folks Sit Up and Take Notice Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 After the story bounced around the blogs for days, Nashville's The Tennessean newspaper is all over the Fred Thompson story this morning following Thompson's confirmation on Fox News Sunday that the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee considering running for president.... Continue Reading Posted at 8:59 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Group Attacks Romney's Record in Massachussets Bill Hobbs March 12, 2007 A group calling itself "Massachusetts Republicans for Truth" has launched an effort to educate voters on what it says is "the real Romney record" as governor of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Republicans for Truth released this statement today...... Continue Reading Posted at 8:57 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 9	Fred's Voting Record Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 The "conservative dad" who blogs at Red State Kids likes Fred Thompson's Senate voting record. He tallies up the votes and summarizes that Thompson "strongly opposes" abortion and same sex marriages; "strongly favors" school choice vouchersm gun rughts, and increased... Continue Reading Posted at 3:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Hires New Director of eStrategy Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Robert Bluey likes Mitt Romney's most recent Internet-related hire, Mindy Finn, who will serve as Romney’s "director of eStrategy," who Bluey calls "the key piece of the puzzle."Finn brings to the team much experience, having worked for Sen. Rick Santorum’s... Continue Reading Posted at 2:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Right Said: FRED! Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Free Republic polled its very conservative readers and found that Fred Thompson would easily defeat Rudy Giuliani in a primary involving only those two candidates. Of course, that's not the actual GOP field. Still, Giuliani's current high poll numbers are... Continue Reading Posted at 2:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Firing Up Fred Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 A Fred Thompson presidential bid is looking more and more likely, says The Hill, reporting that former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker of Tennessee "is contacting powerbrokers in the Republican Party to build support for a 2008 presidential campaign by... Continue Reading Posted at 8:44 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Watch Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 The Fred Thompson buzz is booming, and the latest to weigh in is Jonathan Martin at The Politico, who writes that he is "more than a little skeptical of Thompson actually running, but one well-connected Tennessee Republican said the Senate... Continue Reading Posted at 8:14 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Media Will Swoon Over Him Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Is anti-war Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska about to jump into the already crowded Republican field chasing the 2008 presidential nomination? Yes he is, and soon, says Washington Post political reporter Chris Cillizza...... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hunter Leaves Guns Behind Bill Hobbs March 9, 2007 Glenn and Helen Reynolds (he of Instapundit.com) did an interview with U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican candidate for the party's presidential '08 presidential nomination. You can listen to or download the podcast at this link. Summarizes Glenn: We... Continue Reading Posted at 1:07 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 8	Romney Locking Up Tennessee? Bill Hobbs March 8, 2007 Tennessee political blogger Adam Groves reports on a Nashville campaign even for Mitt Romney. The former Republican governor of Massachusetts now running for president "had a meet-and-greet following what was rumored to be a very successful private fundraising session last... Continue Reading Posted at 10:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is Rudy Too "New York" to Win? Bill Hobbs March 8, 2007 The New York Times wonders if Rudy Giuliani is too New York to win over the nation, saying the "swaggering, brash and opinionated" style that "won him some acclaim in New York" may not play as well in other parts... Continue Reading Posted at 9:02 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 7	Baptist Leader Slams Giuliani Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, told The Associated Press Tuesday that evangelical voters might tolerate a divorced presidential candidate, but they have deep doubts about GOP hopeful Rudy Giuliani, who has been married three times.... Continue Reading Posted at 10:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred Rising Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Michael Silence, a reporter and blogger for the Knoxville News Sentinel, has the latest from the Fred Thompson rumor mill. Several items and links on his list - here's one that really intrigued me:Amid rumors that Senator Fred Thompson might make... Continue Reading Posted at 10:22 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain Trying to Change the Rules of the Game? Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 The Washington Times carries an interesting report today out of California that the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain "is mounting a stealth effort to change Republican presidential nomination rules in California to allow independents to vote in the Feb.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:58 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	No Limits Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Is the news media about to "redefine" what is and isn't off-limits in terms of the personal lives of political candidates? Yesterday's news conference with Rudy Giuliani in which his estrangement from his adult children due to his second divorce... Continue Reading Posted at 7:49 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	This Too Shall Pass Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in Southern California to speak with sheriffs about gang violence, instead "found himself peppered with questions about his family after his son, Andrew, publicly stated that their relationship had soured after Giuliani's messy... Continue Reading Posted at 7:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	CPAC Speeches Online Bill Hobbs March 7, 2007 The Conservative Political Action Conference has posted the text of speeches by two of the Republican presidential candidates who spoke at the conference last week in Washington D.C.Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's speech repeatedly invokes the name of Ronald Reagan, and draws lessons... Continue Reading Posted at 6:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 6	They Love Him in L.A. Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 Austin Bay reports at Pajamas Media from inside a Rudy Giuliani fundraiser reception in Southern California.Organized by a cross-section of the Los Angeles and southern California business, media, and entertainment community such as Bill Simon and John Liebman, the private... Continue Reading Posted at 5:53 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fred's Name Keeps Popping Up Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 John Fund, writing at OpinionJournal.com, says no Republican candidate has sealed the deal with conservatives. Writing from the Conservative Political Action Conference, Fund says undeclared potential candidate Newt Gingrich "gave the most inspiring speech," while Mitt Romney narrowly won the... Continue Reading Posted at 12:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Huckablogging Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign website now includes a blog. Huckabee's been getting some good press attention lateley, including a Newsweek article which calls Huck "a would-be Knight for the Religious Right." Asks Newsweek:Mike Huckabee is pro-gun, pro-life, and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gilmore and the Bloggers Bill Hobbs March 6, 2007 Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore spoke to a group of conservative bloggers at The Heritage Foundation recently and made an interesting promise: He pledged to be the first President to maintain a personal blog, reports Matt Lewis at his Townhall.com... Continue Reading Posted at 11:53 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 5	Veepstakes Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell both say they have no interest in being a candidate for vice president, reports the Associated Press because, apparently, someone at the AP thought it was important news.Well, uh, okay. I... Continue Reading Posted at 9:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Adds Up A Win, But... Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the most support for the Republican presidential nomination in a straw poll of GOP activists attending the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. But the numbers leave no doubt that the Republican Party's conservative base... Continue Reading Posted at 9:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Personal Problem Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 CBS News reports that Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani is estranged from his two young-adult children because of his divorce from their mother and his subsequent third marriage, and says "political analysts" believe it is one of many things that... Continue Reading Posted at 11:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Obama's Mistake Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Hispanic Business magazine has an interesting item regarding the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. It involves Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, whom the magazine says "is receiving less-than-favorable press from Hispanic leaders who say he hasn't really explained two... Continue Reading Posted at 10:53 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Mormon Math Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam says Mitt Romney can't win the presidency because of the past history of polygamy in the Mormon church. But what Beam doesn't mention is that the successful business executive and former Massachussets governor has had... Continue Reading Posted at 8:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hunter on the Prowl Bill Hobbs March 5, 2007 U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, a longshot candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, has a guest-blog post at PoliPundit regarding the unconscionable prosecution and conviction of two American border guards who shot a Mexican illegal alien drug dealer...... Continue Reading Posted at 7:42 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 4	The Giuliani Factor Bill Hobbs March 4, 2007 Capitol Hill Blue says GOP conservatives gathered for the first time the GOP's November election losses "found little to cheer about in a 2008 Republican White House field they largely viewed with skepticism and distrust.""There is some disillusionment, some demoralization... Continue Reading Posted at 3:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Romney Trails Non-Candidate Gingrich Among GOP Conservatives Bill Hobbs March 4, 2007 If your name is Mitt Romney and you are running for president, this is nothing but bad news from the Associated Press:Conservative stalwart Newt Gingrich has done nothing to lay the foundation for a presidential run except talk - yet... Continue Reading Posted at 2:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Wrong Horse Bill Hobbs March 4, 2007 Time columnist Margaret Carlson suggests that the Republican conservative base is so unhappy with the current crop of presidential candidates that there's room for a "dark horse" to emerge. If only they could take John McCain's gung-ho militarism, Sam Brownback's... Continue Reading Posted at 12:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 3	Nevada GOP Creates Early Caucus To Counter Dem's Ground Game Bill Hobbs March 3, 2007 Nevada Republicans are moving to arrange a caucus in early February 2008 in order to make the state more relevant in the presidential nominating process - and to prevent a similar Democratic Party move from tilting Nevada blue.The Ely, Nevada,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Colorado Rising Bill Hobbs March 3, 2007 Colorado and other western states are rising in prominence in the 2008 presidential race, reports the Associated Press, which says Colorado, "once shunned by presidential candidates because of its meager nine electoral votes, is already getting a lot of attention... Continue Reading Posted at 9:54 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Philly Inky Sez: Show Us the Money Men! Bill Hobbs March 3, 2007 The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial page calls for public disclosure of the "bundlers" who raise big bucks for the various presidential candidates - and notes that the leading GOP candidates and two of the three leading Democratic candidates have agreed to... Continue Reading Posted at 8:17 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 2	California Dreaming Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 As California lawmakers prepare to move that state’s presidential primary from June to Feb. 5, presidential campaigning in the Golden State "has taken an uncharacteristic urgency, with presidential aspirants from both parties jockeying to make an impression on Californians beyond... Continue Reading Posted at 12:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Giuliani at CPAC, While McCain To Lose Ground Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani "has much on the line" in his speech today to the conservative activists gathered for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., says today's New York Times.Forums such as the CPAC meeting,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain, Obama, Agree to Socialist View of Campaign Finance Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain pledged to accept public financing of the 2008 presidential election if they win the nominations of their parties and their opponents agree to do the same, reports Bloomberg news service. Their announcements came... Continue Reading Posted at 11:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	McCain's Mojo Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 John McCain's second run for the presidency is kicking off on an odd note. An AP analysis says McCain's campaign faces "high hurdles."This time a Republican heavyweight not an underdog, John McCain embarks on his second presidential run facing numerous challenges in courting... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Dark Side of the Internet Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 "The Internet has become an integral part of modern politics; one-time presidential candidate Howard Dean made it an essential tool for organizing and fund-raising. But increasingly, cyberspace also has a dark side," says M.E. Sprengelmeyer, writing for the Rocky Mountain... Continue Reading Posted at 10:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Eye on Newt Bill Hobbs March 2, 2007 Stephen Spruiell, writing in National Review, says Newt Gingrich is talking like a presidential candidate - one who would raise the level of discourse in the campaign to a real discussion of important issues:During a scathing and often hilarious discourse... Continue Reading Posted at 9:27 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Mar 1	What If The Right Said Fred? Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 The speculation about former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson running for president that was mentioned in the original post at this link has been superceded by actual events, reported and commented on in many subsequent blog posts. I'm posting a list... Continue Reading Posted at 12:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Giuliani Leading in the South Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 A poll of five southeastern states by Elon University finds that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani have the early advantage in the 2008 presidential race, the Business Journal in Greensboro, N.C., reports.Neither the Democrat, Clinton, nor the Republican, Giuliani, drew... Continue Reading Posted at 10:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Slapping a 527 Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 The Federal Elections Commission has slapped a conservative group - the Progress for America Voter Fund, which raised $54 million dollars in the 2004 election cycle - with a $750,000 fine as part of settling a case of alleged campaign... Continue Reading Posted at 10:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	YouTube Launches Presidential Campaign Video Hub Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 YouTube is launching a "hub" for campaign videos from the 2008 presidential race, and has big plans for it.Coverage from the Associated Press, from Reuters, and from ZDNet, which reports on YouTube's new "You Choose '08" channel thusly:The YouTube channel... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Well, I Declare... Bill Hobbs March 1, 2007 Arizona Sen. John McCain announced on Late Night with David Letterman that he will officially announce that he's running for president some time in April. With a simple declarative sentence McCain declared that he would declare his candidacy next month.... Continue Reading Posted at 10:03 AM \| Permalink \| Comments

Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

Advertise

Related Resources

recent comments

sponsored ads

topics

subscribe

Current News

resources

Support This Blog

archives

blogroll

business social media

Know More Media - Government / Politics

know more media network

we support unitus

PRWeb

Influencer

ProductivityGoal

CallCenterScript

AdHurl

TheBizofKnowledge

LandingTheDeal

CustomersAreAlways

HealthCareVox

BrainBasedBusiness

TheInsurancePolicy

MarketingBlurb