Very disappointed to learn Giuliani and Co. are on Chavez payroll.  Not good.  Absent a very strong rebuke and instant disassociation it is a deal breaker in my book. Story right here Hugo Chávez Is Tied to Giuliani Firm - New York Times 

Also, Richard Viguerie at www.conservativesbetrayed.com questions, quite extensively and persuasively I might add, the conservative bonafides of Fred Thompson.  Here's a key part of his argument:


He also lays out how Thompson fails both the Goldwater and Reagan conservative litmus tests and his championing of the McCain Feingold assault on the first amendment.  I didn't know he almost had his name attached to that abortion and have already said Big Fred has some splainin to do on that one.  We shall see.

Now to be fair Mr. Viguerie, co-architect of the moral majority if my history is correct, is all too comfortable assuming the role as sole arbiter of conservatism and his chief form of actiivism is brow beating Republicans for lack of conservative purity.  This making the perfect the enemy of the good problem has always beset the conservative movement.  That being said, his research appears to be in order and he relies on the American Conservative Unions ranking system for much of his concern, a consistently trustworthy measurement. 

In the meantime Mr Thompson has submitted, and had posted, a column "A lawyer who is a prospective candidate." at www.powerline.com wherein he tries to explain how it is wrong to judge a potential candidate who happens to be a lawyer, by the clients he represents.

Here, I think, is the pertinent rationale, or excuse for the less forgiving: 
“… [I]t’s a tradition of the American Bar that goes back before the founding of the country that lawyers are not identified with the positions of their clients. The most famous example probably was John Adams, who represented the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre.”

"Roberts (Chief Justice) pointed out that Adams was actually vindicating the rule of law. Every person, unpopular or not, is entitled to representation. He further said, “That principle that you don’t identify the lawyer with the particular views of the client or the views that the lawyer advances on behalf of the client, is critical to the fair administration of justice.”

I can buy that, to a point.  Most of us can rationalize how a lawyer must sometimes ally with unsavory clients. Thompson completely ignores that they have a choice in who they decide to represent but tepidly offers the rather hollow "support my family" line.  (I somehow doubt Thompson's current wealth would have been severly diminished had he not represented that pro abortion group back in the 90's or whenever, nor do I believe Mr Giuliani's family would be under any hardship had he declined to represent the South American fascist dictotor)  What we can't get around, and this probably helps explain the widespread disdain for lawyers, is how they so easily shelve their core principles, even if temporarily, for a fee, but hey, that's just lawyering I guess.  Wonder if my lawyer friends Kay, Brian, Tom, Bob, JJ etc. have any thoughts on this.  If so please comment and shine some light for us non lawyers.   

The good ship McCain run aground and all the negativity swirling around the other top 2 GOP contenders certainly makes Gov Romney all the more attractive. Not a bad thing in my view.  The man's got more credibility, integrity, charisma, and substance between his toes than the entire Democrat slate has combined.  Why, if he only had breasts and a dark complexion - - he'd be perfect.