EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Former Senator And Law & Order Star Fred Thompson
EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Former Senator And Law & Order Star Fred Thompson
Today, the White House announced it has called on Law & Order District Attorney Fred Thompson to shepherd the next Supreme Court nominee through the nomination process. The former Tennessee Senator is also well-known for his supporting role in Die Hard 2, starring Bruce Willis. Below is an exclusive ThinkProgress interview with Thompson from earlier today.
Question: We were surprised to learn this morning that you would be temporarily leaving your successful acting career on Law & Order to guide the nominee through the Supreme Court nomination process on behalf of the White House. What was your response when President Bush called you on the phone?
THOMPSON: listen to his response here
Question: And if that’s what you told the President, what are you saying to all the conservative interest groups who want the president’s ear on the next Supreme Court nominee?
THOMPSON: listen to his response here
Question: What were your marching orders from Karl Rove?
THOMPSON: listen to his response here
Question: News reports indicate that the White House and the Senate Republican leadership have been asking right-wing groups to cool their rhetoric. Can you describe the scene at the White House over the past few days?
THOMPSON: listen to his response here
Question: President Bush has said he’d like to nominate a candidate in the mold of Scalia and Thomas. What are you going to say about that?
THOMPSON: listen to his response here
Last question: Do you mind if we put a transcript of this interview up on our blog?
THOMPSON: listen to his response here
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HA! This is AWESOME! Yippee Kay-ay!
July 6th, 2005 at 2:59 pmThey should have asked :
“What sets of the metal detectors first, the lead in you ass or the shit in you brain?”
July 6th, 2005 at 3:23 pm…
That was just… Evil!!
Keep it up!
July 6th, 2005 at 5:10 pmWonderful! Thanks for the laugh at the end of a crappy day!
July 6th, 2005 at 6:44 pmthat is funny.
July 6th, 2005 at 7:02 pmExcellent, excellent post.
July 6th, 2005 at 7:30 pmBush’s problem is that he has to balance his long term goal with his short term reality. The fact is that Bush would LOVE to appoint someone who will overturn roe v/s wade , affirmative actions and carry out the rest of the far right agenda that would meet his long standing aim of being a transformative president and cement his place in conservative history for decades. However as of today the president “enjoys” approval ratings of 45% not only that the public overwhemingly wants to maintain the status quo when it comes to abortion and other issues. Nominating a conservative would put Bush in the position of being a unpopular president making a unpopular pick.
July 6th, 2005 at 8:38 pmSo who thinks Fred Thompson will pull a Dick Channey and shepard himsef through congress as the next supreme court judge. Want bet on it.
July 6th, 2005 at 9:49 pmJoseph,
Since when has Bush ever done anything for the sake of popularity. He is so unlike pretty boy Clinton who couldn’t take a crap without checking his poll numbers first. Great presidents know that its not how you are viewed at the time you are president, but how history will look back at you twenty, thirty and forty years later. Take Reagan for example. He was every bit as disliked by Europe as Bush is, yet he knew in his heart that he was doing the right thing to bring down communism. Now, Reagan is one of our most admired presidents ever! I don’t think you will ever say that about Carter or Clinton.
July 7th, 2005 at 8:25 amJudd,
I never thought that one of our favorite movies would provide such good material for a Supreme Court nomination.
Keep up the good work! Good use of technology!
July 7th, 2005 at 11:40 amp.s.
“Yippie Ki Yay” was from Die Hard I
July 7th, 2005 at 11:43 amRandy:
Based on an ABC poll when Clinton left office, he was one point ahead of Reagan in his end-of-presidency job approval rating, which was 65%, and finished ahead of all presidents since Eisenhower. As for his career average job approval, he tied Reagan for the approval and disapproval ratings.
Since this poll was taken when Clinton left office, I doubt that it will change twenty, thirty, or forty years down the road.
(Source: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/poll_clintonlegacy010117.html)
Clinton has also scored high on recent “Most Popular Presidents” polling; see http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/2003-05-26-wickham_x.htm
-W
July 7th, 2005 at 11:58 amHmmm Maybe Bush should nominate Karl Rove to the Supreme Court. That way if he is actually indicted for ‘Plamegate’, he can exhonerate himself. After all, everyone else in this administration who screwed up got promoted…and at this point nothing Bush does would surprise me.
July 7th, 2005 at 5:11 pmLove it. There are some choice quotes from Hunt For Red October that coulda been used, too. Like this:
“This situation will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it!” (After the F-14 explodes on the flight deck)
July 7th, 2005 at 7:32 pmHere’s another appropriate Fred Thompson quote from Die Hard 2: (talking to air traffic controllers) “Stack ‘em, pack ‘em and rack ‘em.” IE., the Supreme Court with conservative judges.
July 8th, 2005 at 8:37 pm