ATTACK ON FRED THOMPSON: GUILT BY ASSOCIATION SMEAR TACTICS
As much as the media and the Hollywood hypocrites portrays trial lawyers as being the "scum of the earth" unless they are liberal crusaders, the fact remains that lawyers are paid advocates for clients who may represent the seamy side of law. They are trained to argue both sides of any question -- along with learning how to suppress one's own sensibility and feelings which may impair the defense efforts.
For John Solomon, staff writer at the Washington Post, to claim that Thompson's "Cases Indicate Willingness to Defy GOP Orthodoxy" is to engage in the worst type of smear campaign: guilt by association.
Some of the cases cited by Solomon prove the point:
"...Fred Dalton Thompson worked as a lawyer who argued against the government's authority to regulate drug paraphernalia or to search a boat packed with 14 tons of marijuana."
Once, two decades ago, he urged that more witnesses refuse to testify before grand juries by invoking their constitutional right against self-incrimination, boasting that "I start on the assumption that my client will not testify."
And over the years, lawsuits he filed helped a state worker win reinstatement to her job while exposing a parole bribery scheme and won money for the family of a Marine pilot killed by a helicopter blade when the family could not sue the Defense Department.
"His work representing white-collar criminals, drug defendants and lawsuit victims has given Thompson an affinity with one of the Republican Party's perennial targets, trial lawyers, and he carries that connection with him even today as he prepares to seek the GOP presidential nomination. It also helped shape a view on lawsuit reform that has frequently put him at odds with his own party."
SO WHAT?
You can list all of the disgusting clients, cite all of the positions that were used to mount a defense, disclose all of the lobbying clients -- and in the final analysis, you still have a paid advocate that is attempting to discharge his sworn duty to his client: obtain a favorable outcome to resolve pending charges.
Does this make Fred Thompson a bad person? Does this advocacy indicate his true beliefs? Does his past behavior disqualify him from assuming the Presidency of the United States should he decide to run? THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING: NO!
And it also says something about those who attack him... they are made of exactly the same stuff as trial lawyers with two big exceptions: they have no code of ethics and the rules under which they operate are made up as they go. In fact, the only thing a campaign operative can be fired for is embarrassing his client publicly by being caught attempting or perpetrating "dirty tricks."
It should also be noted that if the same criteria were applied by the liberal media to two other famous lawyers: Bill and Hillary Clinton and the people that they have associated with or represented -- Hillary would have absolutely no chance for the democrat party nomination for the Presidency.
What can YOU do?
Recognize that this is the political silly season where the pundits jockey for position by essentially throwing sticks, stones and mud at candidates to see what sticks. Should something gain traction, they may win a position with the inside campaign staff. Sort of like all of the pseudo-party operatives who appear regularly on the media outlets.
Decide what characteristics you want in a presidential candidate and form your own opinion.
Remember those who voted to sell out America's culture, healthcare, education and retirement benefits and strike them from your list.
-- steve
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