Why is it that these guys seem to be perpetually overdrawn at the memory bank? Everyone remembers Alberto Gonzales' compelling testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee:
"I can't remember... I don't recall... I don't remember... I can't recall..."
Now GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson has joined the ranks of the memory-impaired with regard to the lobbying work he did for an abortion rights group:
"WASHINGTON - Fred Thompson says he "has no recollection" of lobbying on behalf of a family planning group.
Now GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson has joined the ranks of the memory-impaired with regard to the lobbying work he did for an abortion rights group:
"WASHINGTON - Fred Thompson says he "has no recollection" of lobbying on behalf of a family planning group.
The Los Angeles times reports that back in 1991 Thompson lobbied then President George Bush to relax a regulation that prevents federally funded clinics from offering abortion counseling."
Let's review. On Friday the LA Times (and since then, others) revealed Thompson lobbied for a pro-choice organization in the early 90's. The lobbying alone, regardless of the client, is probably enough to cast suspicion on him in authoritarian circles. One does not question a Republican administration! But when the client is a Planned Parenthood-type pro-choice organization, and the lobbying is for abortion rights... oh, the pearl-clutching and swooning and... quick! to the fainting couch!
On the weekend, "Blogs for Fred" was calling it a "swing and miss" hit piece by the LA Times. Today they're calling it "sloppy", a smear campaign by the left, probably Clinton's campaign. (When in doubt, "Clinton" out.) The latest Rasmussen poll shows that in a Clinton/Thompson match-up, they'd be head-to-head, so this possibility might almost be believable. Except that three days after the story broke, Thompson's campaign should be able to deliver a more substantial rebuttal to the allegation than memory deficit. That's the Answer of Last Resort.
It's actually reassuring to know that Thompson isn't really anti-choice, but not so reassuring that he's willing to lie to make people think he is. And if he became president and had to act that way, then there's really no difference. But come to think of it, if he lied about this his campaign's probably over anyway.
On the weekend, "Blogs for Fred" was calling it a "swing and miss" hit piece by the LA Times. Today they're calling it "sloppy", a smear campaign by the left, probably Clinton's campaign. (When in doubt, "Clinton" out.) The latest Rasmussen poll shows that in a Clinton/Thompson match-up, they'd be head-to-head, so this possibility might almost be believable. Except that three days after the story broke, Thompson's campaign should be able to deliver a more substantial rebuttal to the allegation than memory deficit. That's the Answer of Last Resort.
It's actually reassuring to know that Thompson isn't really anti-choice, but not so reassuring that he's willing to lie to make people think he is. And if he became president and had to act that way, then there's really no difference. But come to think of it, if he lied about this his campaign's probably over anyway.
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