Chasing the moonshiners “was hard work,” said Charles Lowe, who investigated cases for the federal division then called Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. “The population in general bought the whiskey, and they kind of sided with the bootleggers philosophically. But Fred believed in what he was doing. . . . He fought.

A fighter? Sounds like a good president.

Talking about him only taking down a handful of moonshiners is a gross generalization of someone who works as an attorney in Tennessee. It’s on par with comments others like BKennedy have made, regarding “hicks” and the like. It seems like the most vociferous of Fred-haters usually manage to reference his heritage at some point.
MadisonConservative on January 18, 2008 at 8:22 PM

Sure bank robbery is a federal offense. He had to try them. But more than anything else, Fred used his time to chase moonshiners. And that is important, because it conflicts with his stated ideals of federalism and state’s rights.

There were a few bank robbers and counterfeiters. But more than anything, Thompson took on the state’s moonshiners and a local culture, rooted in Tennessee’s hills and hollows, that celebrated the independent whiskey maker’s battle against the government’s revenue agents.

Twenty-seven of his cases involved moonshining — more than any other crime.

Fred was not responsible for removing Gov. Blanton…

tommylotto on January 18, 2008 at 7:10 PM

Actually, he was. In the course of the investigation of Marie’s case, it was he who first brought the fact that the governor was taking bribes for clemency to light. Had it not been for him, the “real prosecutors” (nice shot at acting like Fred isn’t a real lawyer, by the way…your spin is that Fred is the antichrist from what I can tell) would have not been aware of the scandal and not taken action.

I really have no idea what you are talking about with bias. I grew up and went to school in Texas. Last time I checked, Texas was South of Madison…

tommylotto on January 18, 2008 at 7:15 PM

Talking about him only taking down a handful of moonshiners is a gross generalization of someone who works as an attorney in Tennessee. It’s on par with comments others like BKennedy have made, regarding “hicks” and the like. It seems like the most vociferous of Fred-haters usually manage to reference his heritage at some point.

And besides which, your generalization is utterly false:

He worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972,[14] successfully prosecuting bank robberies and other cases.

There is a difference between us. I acknowledge Rudy’s accomplishments because I have no hatred for him merely because I want someone else to be nominated. You refuse to do the same for Fred because you have that hatred, else you would not make such ignorant assertations while shining Rudy’s accomplishments in a light that might as well make him Atticus Finch.

There are more conservative choices… and I’d rather pull their levers first.

I’d like to see the race down to just 3 horses… Mitt, Rudy and Fred. Only my opinion, but I figure there are some others who would agree with that 3 way race here. No need to have Huckaspin or Maveramnesty.

Remember, your boy Rudy is putting all his eggs in a southern basket. If he adopts your bigotry about those below the Mason-Dixon line, you might find your New Yawk lawyer trottin’ back to Manhattan with his tail between his legs.

MadisonConservative on January 18, 2008 at 6:43 PM

You are right. If Rudy looses FL, he will have run the worst campaign in history. He was leading all the polls just a few weeks ago, and if he looses FL, he will probably not win a single state and may not even break 10% in any state — pathetic. However, my prediction still holds. If he wins, FL, when we wake up on 2/6 Rudy will be the delegate leader.

I really have no idea what you are talking about with bias. I grew up and went to school in Texas. Last time I checked, Texas was South of Madison…

Remember, your boy Rudy is putting all his eggs in a southern basket.

Not really. Florida’s in the south. But it isn’t exactly a “Southern” state. Rudy’s counting on the Cuban community in Miami and retired New Yorkers to carry the day.

Will it pay? Who knows? But if it does, the bounce will be incredible. The same press that wrote him off as roadkill will be praising him as a strategic genius days before Super Teusday.

Whether it does or it doesn’t, however, it’s not all that dependent on southerners such as Tenneseans or South Carolinians.

And referring to “wiz bang accomplishments”, I guess taking down the corrupt governor of Tennessee doesn’t count.
MadisonConservative on January 18, 2008 at 6:43 PM

Even if Fred did that (which he didn’t), it would still be insignificant to Rudy’s accomplishments as a prosecutor against the mafia and corruption on Wall Street.

Fred was not responsible for removing Gov. Blanton. Fred was a private practice tort lawyer for a woman named Marie Ragghianti. Fred won $38,000 for Marie and took his 1/3 contingent fee. So, Fred made a whopping $12,666.67 off the deal. Then the real prosecutors in Tennessee, took up some information that Fred had accidentally stumbled upon. Then they, not Fred, brought down the governor. But that never stopped Fred from taking credit for “fighting corruption.”

If you find yourself criticizing Rudy for listing his impressive accomplishments, that is because you are backing a candidate who’s accomplishment pale by comparison.

tommylotto on January 18, 2008 at 6:19 PM

Nice spin, but as denial as it gets. “If you criticize what my candidate did, then no matter who yours is, theirs are worse.” Give me a break.

And referring to “wiz bang accomplishments”, I guess taking down the corrupt governor of Tennessee doesn’t count. Why? Well, they’re in the south, which makes Fred and everyone around him just a “bunch of moonshiners”. Careful, your elitism is showing…just like it has before. Remember, your boy Rudy is putting all his eggs in a southern basket. If he adopts your bigotry about those below the Mason-Dixon line, you might find your New Yawk lawyer trottin’ back to Manhattan with his tail between his legs.

No skeletons, just a few dresses. ;-)

tommylotto on January 18, 2008 at 6:30 PM

hahaha!!

Right now, it’s Rudy or Mitt. But that may change if we find some skeletons in Rudy’s closet.

csdeven on January 18, 2008 at 6:11 PM

No skeletons, just a few dresses. ;-)

ThackerAgency on January 18, 2008 at 6:07 PM

FYI — Rudy was the mayor of New York City.
If he talks about his experience and accomplishments I think NYC will be mentioned. Let’s have Mitt not mention Mass or Fred the South. Huck would love to forget ARK. Wait. That’s not fair. As I pointed out earlier, Rudy actually has accomplishments in his personal history to point to. The other candidates, not so much.

Tell the auto workers what you think about their issues. Tell the farmers how your ideas in the future might help them in their issues. Tell textile and manufacturing people what you think the direction should be on a federal level. Pointing to your record in NY doesn’t help an understanding of what you will do in REAL WORLD AMERICAN SITUATIONS

So you’d have the federal government step in and right all those situations huh? You think a President should have a plan for each of those industries and then if boy, we just get that guy, all our problems will go away, huh?

See, it doesn’t work that way. Truth is what we’ve got is a whining country that can’t understand that as long as we keep looking to government to solve all our problems, they’re only going to get worse.

And the fact is, in New York, Rudy took a city that was rife with that very mindset, and turned it around.

That’s about as close–as real live actual close–to the kind of real experience it’s going to take to even try to face the real challenges facing this country as any candidate can ever have other than doing the actual job.

Because Rudy seems incapable of explaining any of his positions without somehow bringing up NYC, even when it doesn’t help explain his stance at all.

Hollowpoint on January 18, 2008 at 4:33 PM

Related, and true. It’s often because what works in NYC tends to work elsewhere. We’re all human, after all.

I know he has accomplishments. All the candidates have accomplishments.

MadisonConservative on January 18, 2008 at 4:38 PM

Not true. Rudy is the only candidate with real accomplishments in public service. Mitt made money and saved the Olympics — big deal. Huck lost weight. McCain was shot down and got tortured (with class). Fred convicted a handful of moonshiners, botched an investigation of Clinton and help McCain pass CFR. Only Rudy has wiz bang accomplishments — breaking the five mafia families, wrecking the junk bond kings, saving NYC from crime, welfarism and excessive taxes, and leading the recovery of NYC after 9/11.

If you find yourself criticizing Rudy for listing his impressive accomplishments, that is because you are backing a candidate who’s accomplishment pale by comparison.

(e.g. leaks from the State Department) Rudy talks about NYC precisely because he recognizes the similarities in the problems NYC faced compared to those the country now faces.

Big S on January 18, 2008 at 6:17 PM

How is experience of prosecuting the mob (as a prosecutor) going to help him help Americans in Iowa, or North Carolina?

You don’t see any parallels between Islamic terrorist groups and the Mafia? Really? What about the “broken windows” policing policies he put into action in NYC? You don’t see any parallels between that and the surge strategy in Iraq? You don’t see the parallels between his crime policies in NYC and what needs to be done in order to address illegal immigration and/or port security? If not, I suggest you do some more research. I assume you don’t think tax and welfare reform could be of any use in the rest of the country, either, not to mention the need to get control of the various executive branch departments, and make them work in America’s interests, not against them (e.g. making sure Rudy talks about NYC precisely because he recognizes the similarities in the problems NYC faced compared to those the country now faces.

He hasn’t been running for a month now. He hasn’t been scrutinized like the rest of the candidates lately. If he wins Florida, the long knives will come out, and we will see what really lies in Rudy’s past.

Right now, it’s Rudy or Mitt. But that may change if we find some skeletons in Rudy’s closet.

Someone with foreign policy experience and familiar with our intelligence apparatus. Therefore not Rudy.

Hollowpoint on January 18, 2008 at 4:16 PM

Is that the same Rudy that you criticize for having a security arrangement with essential US mideast ally Qatar? And the same Rudy that was the 3rd highest ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department, you know the Department that the FBI is in?

What to do, what to do…..

However, the entire country is not like New York, so we don’t know if we want him running the entire country.

MadisonConservative on January 18, 2008 at 5:46 PM

And THIS is specifically the point. All he ever talks about is what he did in New York. Every time he talks. . . even if it isn’t 9/11, it’s about something else he did in NY. WE (the other 290 million Americans) DON’T CARE!

This country is huge and vast and has a lot of different problems. Many of NY issues that ruDy takes credit for were the result of someone else too. The economy was humming along better than any in history and he was the benefactor of it. Just because ruDy was THERE when the economic boom happened doesn’t mean he caused it. That’s like crediting anything that Clinton did with the internet revolution that created wealth and jobs.

I have a problem with people who take too much credit for things that they didn’t necessarily CAUSE (scientifically speaking). Are we to believe that if ruDy wasn’t mayor during 9/11 that somehow it would not have been as ‘good’ as it was with him there? I think anyone would have done as good because you don’t really have a choice.

Tell the auto workers what you think about their issues. Tell the farmers how your ideas in the future might help them in their issues. Tell textile and manufacturing people what you think the direction should be on a federal level. Pointing to your record in NY doesn’t help an understanding of what you will do in REAL WORLD AMERICAN SITUATIONS (ie. I prosecuted the mob – of course I was a prosecutor and my dad was a hitman for them, but I prosecuted all 5 families – meaning made the weak members squeal). How is experience of prosecuting the mob (as a prosecutor) going to help him help Americans in Iowa, or North Carolina? That’s like Michael Jordan running because he won 6 NBA championships. Hey great Michael, what difference does that make in my life. You were a great basketball player/ prosecutor who cares?

That’s what ruDy and his supporters don’t understand. They keep pointing to what he did in NY and that’s supposed to be some sort of magical elixir that everyone is just supposed to say ‘Oh, he did THAT?! well then we must vote for him.’ New York is not like anywhere else in the country. None of his supporters have yet to understand that, and neither has ruDy himself.

Yawn. The One Trick Pony candidate performs the only routine he knows yet again.

Hollowpoint on January 18, 2008 at 4:09 PM

The ad talks about challenging corruption, changing welfare, fighting crime, fixing broken government, and leading in times of national crisis.

That is one hell of a trick pony.

I have been a Rudy supporter this entire campaign…

Chakra Hammer on January 18, 2008 at 5:57 PM

Shocker of the year.