Fred Thompson to the Rescue

I disagree with many of Mark Shield's characterizations in the liked piece, especially the GOP, conservatism and the Iraq war. But his commentary from that side of things is interesting in that he finds Fred Thompson to be a strong and credible candidate.

Let me be clear. I like former U.S. senator (1994-2003) and current professional actor Fred Thompson, R-Tenn. A loyal conservative, he wore no man's collar in public office, took on corrupt political fund-raising where he found it and was one of only four U.S. senators who endorsed John McCain for president in 2000.

[The Rest of the Story]

The fact that one of the more estimable public servants of the last four decades, former Thompson mentor and Senate Republican leader Howard Baker, is backing him is a major reference. Almost as important a recommendation was the questioning of Thompson's religious orthodoxy by arbitrary arbiter and political boss Dr. James Dobson: "I don't think he's a Christian."

Republican voters are looking to be "rescued." They know that an unpopular president, George W. Bush, who took the country into an unpopular and disastrous war of occupation of Iraq, is the face of the Republican Party.

Courtesy of Mark Shields in his online opinion column

There is far more to his article than the small fair use excerpt I have here. Some of it disagreeable, but all of it interesting.