Tuesday, September 11, 2007
News Fred Thompson, lawyer for terrorists
Posted by Andisheh Nouraee on Tue, Sep 11, 2007 at 7:52 PM
Fred Thompson has a large and vocal following among Georgia Republicans. He's a "real" conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan, they say.
I wonder what, if any response, the FredHeads will have to news that Thompson sold his legal expertise to a terrorist responsible for bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
From today's NYTimes:
A little over three years after Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, Fred D. Thompson provided advice to a colleague about one of his law firm’s new clients: The man representing the two Libyan intelligence officials charged in the terrorist bombing.
And:
The firm was hired to provide guidance on the tense questions surrounding where the two men should be tried, Mr. Fleischaker said, and Mr. Thompson’s background as a former prosecutor, as well as his government relations experience — he had close ties to senior officials in the first Bush administration — “gave him insight on jurisdictional issues such as that.â€
My question for Georgia's FredHeads: What's conservative and/or Reaganesque about selling your legal services to terrorists who blew up a civilian passenger jet packed with innocent Americans? Sen. Ted Kennedy's wife RESIGNED HER PARTNERSHIP at her law firm when it accepted Libya as a client. Aren't conservative Republicans looking for a candidate who's at least as principled and tough on terrorism as Ted Kennedy's wife?
The New Republic's blog The Plank puts it in perspective:
In a political era in which the cost of a man's haircut can be treated as though it were a window into his soul, you'd think people would be a little more curious what it says about Fred Thompson that he'd do work--even just 3.3 hours of it--for indicted terrorists.
Imagine what Limbaugh, Hannity and Boortz, as well as the Peach Pundit crowd, would be having with this story if Thompson were a Democrat.
Comments (5)
Showing 1-5 of 5
Didn't the last actor in the white house stage the Iran Contra - multi act play? That's how tax, borrow and spend-on-war conservatives get to be multi million dollar talk show hosts, authors and movie stars...
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So I guess anyone who has ever defended a criminal in court is disqualified from public office? Defending a criminal is obviously immoral. Idiot.
BTW, I want the very best lawyers, and by accounts Thompson was a skilled lawyer, defending the terrorists so no one can complain about inadequate defense when we execute the murdering bastards.
Actually, Dale, that's not what I was stating or implying. First of all, he wasn't defending a criminal in court. He was advising agents of a foreign nation hostile to the United States. Secondly, I actually don't have a problem per se with Thompson's lawyering. I do have a problem, however, with the disconnect between Thompson's lawyering and the Republican Party's strong support of subverting the legal system when dealing with suspected terrorists or foreign fighters. He's a candidate for the highest office in the land -- he should be forced to acknowledge, defend and explain. Thirdly, you know perfectly well that media sympathetic to Republicans would be going apeshit Thompson was a Democrat. For Allah's sake, Sen. Obama took a beat down from the conservative press for a bogus report about a Muslim religious school he never attended. Incidentally, I feel the same way about Thompson and Obama -- charismatic, rhetorically gifted people on whom supporters project their hopes and wishes. I like Obama slightly more, because I like more of his policies, but at this point I feel like both of them are more media phenomenon than actual candidates.
First, I am not sure where the text supporting the "Idiot" tag went. It applied to the non-sensical Iran-Contra-actor-talk show host post preceeding mine. You know my opinion would prevent me from thinking that of you. For any misunderstanding, I apologize. I guess I should have said "It is the epitome of the Conservative, and Liberal, ethic to operate our courts and legal proceedings to the best of our ablity. A deep seated trust in our system allows that position without fear." You said he was consulting with a colleague whose clients were the two Libyans charged in a bombing about venue. That is a criminal court proceeding. Whether you stand in the courtroom and do your best Perry Mason, or advise the guy before he goes to court, you are part of a criminal defense. Turns out it was the process of getting them tried in The Netherlands rather than Libya. Thompson was defending the accused in court by advising on one of the myriad procedural items that precedes the Judge walking into the room. Ergo, representing in court. Kudos to Mrs. Kennedy for resigning, bravo. Seriously. Her resignation was due to her firm taking on Libya as a client, I believe, in civil cases stemming from their sponsoship of terrorist activity and to improve their image. I am not sure... can't find the link....operating on memory here. The country of Libya, as opposed to two agents accused and charged in criminal court by the rest of the world. There is no duty to defend in civil court. Apples and oranges. Yes, media sympathetic to Republicans would jump on it, just as media sympathetic to Dems has jumped on this article. You really should compare Obama and Thompsons resume....Thompsons began as a prosecutor in Watergate (actually coined the phrase "What did the President know and when did he know it") and he may be the most qualified candidate in the race for either party. As a prosecutor of Nixon, Thompson was dedicated and tough, does that demonstrate his beliefe in the system go back a long way? No need for an Independent Counsel, the conservatives were prosecuting it the right way. As a Conservative (Republican is not required) I thought the madrasa smear was shameful. I don't like most of Obama's policies but personally appreciate his conduct. He seems to set a high standard, both publicly and privately.
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