Reordered by "fitness":

• Books are worthless. Most prior knowledge is likely based on a false premise.
• Don’t speak unless it’s unique and profound. Other people will do the talking anyway.
• Karma is real; God is a “sweet” physics equation. So give people rides to the airport when they ask, but don’t bother going to church.
• For every problem there is a solution. But for every solution there is a better solution.
• Do the first and second draft in your head. When you write it down, it should be perfect.
• Silence is distracting. If you want to innovate, surround yourself with obnoxious city noises.
• The office floor is cold and it hurts. Nonetheless, it is for lying on and contemplating one’s next bout of suffering.
• Windows, medicine cabinets, and sliding doors have multiple uses. For instance, they are better scratch paper than scratch paper.
• Nutrition doesn’t matter. A croissant, five Diet Cokes, and a Margarita keeps the mind in tip-top shape all day long.
• Exercise is for the weak. Real strength is shown in being able to achieve striking intellectual feats while sitting still for hours at a time.

http://avanoo.wordpress.com/about-wilford/

Fred Thompson has acted his way into the 2008 presidential race and doesn't deserve to be the next president.  The party is so disconnected and they want another Reagan so bad that they are willing to take an inexperienced phoney.  The only fiscally conservative, honest candidate with a proven track record, Ron Paul, is barely mentioned in the media.  They will find it difficult to silence the internet....

Below are some points that were made on the web site:

Moron Fred

“‘Oh shit,’” Nixon said of Thompson, fearing he would be out-skilled by Democrats on the committee. “He’s dumb as hell.”

Acting Fred 

“Please don’t compare him to Ronald Reagan. He’s not a hardcore conservative”
- Rep. Zach Wamp, Chairman, Draft Fred

One of the first articles that we ran across had this quote in it that pretty much sums up why we’re here:

“Evidence that Thompson worked for a family-planning group in 1991 as part of his little-known but extensive portfolio as a part-time lobbyist underscores how much the public has yet to learn about the former senator, who is best known for acting in movies and on TV, especially his role as a district attorney on the popular show ‘Law & Order.’”

You’re probably in the same boat – you can’t get the theme to Law and Order out of your head, but can you name one thing that Fred did during his eight years in the United States Senate?

Lying Fred

When ol’ Fred started talking about running for President, we have to admit that we were just a little bit excited. After all, isn’t this the same Arthur Branch tough-on-crime, Nixon-busting, conservative stalwart we see on TBS every half hour? After some digging, we found that Fred has had a few flim-flaming peccadilloes in his day (and we’re not talking about the Bill Clinton kind – we’ll get to that later…). Turns out that ol’ Fred has changed his mind about more than a few issues – and we’re not talking about whether he’s in the mood for a vodka martini or a gin martini at The Palm.

I Did Not Have Relations With That Organization, NFPRHA

We’ve seen lots of flip flops in our day, but none so blatantly sandal-like as this one. Seems that ol’ Fred spent some time as a lobbyist for an abortions rights group called the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association back in the day. Now that’s something that we might be able to get past – “I wasn’t thinking, it was a stupid mistake” or “I sincerely apologize for being so foolish” would have gone a long way. Unfortunately, Fred outright lied, then kinda lied, then kinda admitted it, then kinda didn’t. This is an easy question – did you or didn’t you? Unfortunately, Fred didn’t quite figure that one out. Just in case you missed the drama back in July, we’ve assembled this handy timeline.

“Fred Thompson did not lobby for this group, period.”
–Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo. (Los Angeles Times, 7/7/07)

• Nope! Confronted with documents claiming that Thompson was hired by the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, he becomes, well, less than certain:

“[Thompson] may have been consulted by one of [his] firm’s partners who represented this group in 1991.”
– Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo (Los Angeles Times, 7/7/07)

Later that day at the National YR Convention in Florida, Thompson himself is asked whether or not he lobbied for the pro-abortion group – gotta admit, he’s got a way with words, but we don’t see the word “yes” or the word “no” anywhere in here…

“I’d just say the flies get bigger in the summertime. I guess the flies are buzzing.”
– Fred Thompson (Associated Press, 7/7/07)

(and yes, he actually said those words – if we could talk like that, we’d be running for president too)

Three days later, Sean Hannity (who could try out for the Olympic Softball team when it comes to asking Fred questions) hangs a slow curve out over the plate when he asks Fred to clear it up, but Fred manages to get hit by the pitch anyway.

“You need to separate a lawyer advocating a position from a position itself.”
–Fred Thompson (Interview with Hannity, 7/10/07)

Seriously? You’re in front of thousands of adoring social conservatives begging (JUST BEGGING) you to run for President, and you say THAT? C’mon man…

Next, Ol’ Fred returns to the New Media, where he’s had such great success in the past with gems like that Michael Moore video, but he whiffs again!

“I’ve experienced another gambit of those schooled in the creative uses of law and politics: dredging up clients – or another lawyer’s clients – that I may have represented or consulted with, and then using the media to get me into a public debate as to what I may have done for them or said to them 15 or 20 years ago.”
–Fred Thompson (Powerline, 7/12/07)

Fred. Seriously. Keep it short. Yes or no. “May have represented” isn’t exactly the phrase that your would-be supporters are looking to hear.

Later in the column (and this is our favorite part), Fred asserts “lobbyist-client privilege.” Now we’re all for attorney-client privilege, but there’s a HUGE difference between a lawyer and a lobbyist that happened to go to law school. There are plenty of lobbyists that aren’t lawyers in Washington, and to assert that they live under some moral code that prohibits them from talking about their clients is ludicrous – hell, they’re PAID to talk about their clients. (and for more on the lobbyists’ moral code, see Jack Abramoff)

“Even if my memory serves me correctly, it would not be appropriate for a lawyer to make such comments.”
–Fred Thompson (Powerline, 7/12/07)

That one just doesn’t pass the smell test. Yes or no, Fred, yes or no.

And for more on the “not ready for the big leagues” argument, see this exchange.

“I don’t recall him ever lobbying me on that at all. I don’t think that ever happened.”
– John Sununu (Los Angeles Times, 7/7/07)

Fred says that he called John Sununu to talk to him about the allegations:

“I called Sununu. I said ‘You remember this?’ He said ‘No.’ And that was the end of that.”
–Fred Thompson (Interview with Hannity, 7/10/07)

Thompson spokesman denies that Fred called Sununu, despite what Thompson himself said on Sean Hannity’s show:

“Contacted last night Corallo denied, despite Thompson’s on air comments, that Thompson had called Sununu to compare memory and/or question Sununu’s recollection.”
– (American Spectator, 7/11/07)

So far, we really haven’t heard a “yes,” a “no,” or an “oops, that was a mistake, sorry ‘bout that.” Still waiting, Fred.

Me? Run for President? Aw, Shucks…

Fred loooooves to use a line about how he “hasn’t been running since high school” or something like that. He’d like you to think that it just occurred to him that he oughta run for President because he felt drawn to serve the people blah blah blah. In fact, he told David Broder of the Washington Post in August that he just all of a sudden thought about running for the first time recently:

“After spending most of the past few years on TV’s ‘Law and Order,’ and starting a new family, with two children under 4, the 65-year-old lawyer says he finds himself motivated for the first time to seek the White House.

“There’s no reason for me to run just to be president,” he said. “I don’t desire the emoluments of the office. I don’t want to live a lie and clever my way to the nomination or election.” (Washington Post, August 16, 2007)

Hey Fred – if you don’t want to “clever” yourself to the nomination, quit inventing verbs and just tell us when you first started thinking about a White House job? We did just a little bit of digging and found an article dated Election Day 1996 where Fred’s name came up as a possible candidate:

“Who will be the Republican candidate? Christie Whitman? Fred Thompson? Lamar Alexander, who, smiling and relaxed in the corner of the room, suddenly looks more presidential than he ever did on the campaign trail?” (Weekly Standard, November 18, 1996)

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that ol’ Fred himself was talking about it, right? Oh wait, yeah it does:

“Thompson’s off-the-record chats with reporters also suggest that his claim that he hasn’t given much thought to running for president might be somewhat disingenuous (his campaign has attempted to make a virtue of the fact that Thompson, unlike his competitors, isn’t obsessed with power). During one 1998 off-the-record bull session, Thompson boasted to a reporter, “Al Gore goes to bed at night and says, ‘Please don’t let it be Fred Dalton Thompson.’” (New York Magazine, July 30, 2007)

And then Ambinder over at the Atlantic did some digging of his own and found an article that had Fred saying:

“Taking a jab at such career campaigners as former Gov. Lamar Alexander and Vice President Al Gore, Thompson responded to a question about a possible presidential candidacy by saying, ‘Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think you have to run for president for 15 years. Or four years.’

“He said he would wait until later this year or early 1999 before making a decision about whether to run.” (Commercial Appeal, August 21, 1998)

Hmmmmmm – guess Fred isn’t quite the “I didn’t wanna, but I was called to service” self-sacrificing lamb that he makes himself out to be… Then again, it’s true that he hasn’t been running since high school – just since 1998.

Fair Tax? Love it! Oh wait, it’s okay, I guess. No, wait – I LOVE it!

The FairTax is one helluva deal, and if you haven’t read about it, you should (www.fairtax.com). Fred, on the other hand, can’t seem to get his head on straight when it comes to whether he actually likes it or not. He can’t even get the story straight with his own staff!

“Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., appears to have flip flopped on his pledge to sign federal legislation replacing all federal taxes with a 23 percent sales tax, according to an unedited FairTax.org video reviewed by ABC News.

“‘He has not taken this pledge,’ Thompson spokesperson Linda Rozett told ABC News.

“The Thompson camp’s denial appears to be contradicted, however, by an unedited FairTax.org video in which Thompson is asked, ‘Senator, if the House and Senate pass the ‘Fair Tax’ bill would you sign it?’

“Thompson replies to the question by saying, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’” (ABCnews.com, July 31, 2007)

Watch the evolution for yourself!

Fred Thompson Was For The Fair Tax (link)

Before He Was Against It (link)

Before He Was For It Again (link)

Lazy Fred

Now there’s been a lot of talk about ol’ Fred not being, shall we say, a man who likes to get his hands (or Guccis) dirty. Of course, back when the Gipper was running for President, there was a lot of talk that he less than hardworking too (and we all know how that turned out). But it seems that there might be a just little bit more credibility when it comes to ol’ Fred, who has never run anything but a red light (let alone California).

Hey Fred, You Gotta Hear This! Fred! Fred? Dammit, Is He At The Bar Again?

For all the credit that ol’ Fred gives himself for asking the bombshell question that brought Nixon down and launched Fred’s career, he wasn’t even around when somebody else got the information out of White House aide Alexander Butterfield!

“Investigators for the committee had gotten the information out of Butterfield during hours of behind-the-scenes questioning three days earlier, on July 13.

“Thompson was not present, but a Republican investigator immediately tracked him down at the Carroll Arms Hotel bar . . . .” (Associated Press, July 8, 2007)

The Trial Lawyer Days

We pick up the trail in 1985, back in Fred’s trial lawyer days. Seems that Fred was in the middle of defending a drug dealer when he decided that he’d check out the rumor that Paris was nice that time of year. Now, when your lawyer takes off for a little R&R in the middle of a trial, that give you grounds for appeal, even if you’re a drug dealer:

“In 1985, however, he was rebuked by a local judge for missing a drug defendant’s trial to go on vacation in Paris, giving the client grounds for appeal.“The judge said he was ‘astonished that a lawyer with his experience and record would go traipsing off to Europe.

“Some lawyers need to learn that their personal plans aren’t the only things that count in this business.’” (Washington Post, July 26, 2007)

We’re all for vacations, but we certainly hope that ol’ Fred isn’t planning on firing up Air Force One to take a few days on the Rivera just because the Situation Room starts feeling a little claustrophobic when it all hits the fan.

The Senate Days

Of course, it’s not like Fred was a member of the United States Senate back then – he was just a simple country trial lawyer. Surely, when he was representing the fine people of the state of Tennessee, he was hard at work till the wee hours of the morning, right? Well, not exactly…

“Says a former adviser: ‘While the Senate is filled with ambitious men who aren’t in a rush to get home at night, Senator Thompson kept a lean formal schedule, did the bare minimum to get by and then hightailed [it] to the Prime Rib or the Capital Grille.’” (Time, June 4, 2007)

For those of you who may not hobnob with the Washington-lobbyist set, the Capital Grille ain’t exactly the Red Lobster, if you know what we mean. Now there’s nothing wrong with a steak every once in a while, but if you take a look at Fred’s record in the Senate, it certainly looks like he spent a little more time bellied up to the bar at one of those fancy lobbyist-expense-account steakhouses instead of cracking the legislative whip:

“A scouring of the legislative website of the Library of Congress, from 1995 to 2002, when Mr. Thompson was in the Senate, yields a total of five bills that became law for which he was the head sponsor. A sixth passed the Senate and was replaced by an identical House bill that was eventually signed by the president.

“The bills include the naming of a post office and courthouse in Cookeville, Tenn., a private bill that granted permanent residency status to a young Bolivian girl getting treatment for cancer and her family and several other minor pieces of legislation.” (New York Times Blog, August 20, 2007)

Everybody needs post offices, but ol’ Fred managed to pass less than one bill per year during his time as a Senator (including bills renaming post offices) – not exactly the stuff legends are made of.

And if Fred makes it to the Oval Office, his lobbyist buddies aren’t gonna be too happy when the Secret Service shuts down the Capital Grille every time Fred feels like a steak and a martini.

Scummy Fred's
client list includes such worthy luminaries and causes as…

Deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide 

“. . . deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was widely criticized for endorsing ‘necklacing,’ the gruesome practice of execution where gasoline-soaked tires are thrown over a person’s neck and set ablaze.  In September 1991, Aristide said: ‘The burning tire, what a beautiful tool! … It smells good. And wherever you go, you want to smell it.’” (Associated Press, June 26, 2007)

The Associated Press also reported that “lobbying records show that in 1991 Thompson called then-White House Chief of Staff John Sununu on Aristide’s behalf.” (Associated Press, June 26, 2007)

National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association

“Former Tennessee Sen. Fred D. Thompson, who is campaigning for president as a ‘pro-life’ Republican, accepted a lobbying assignment from a family-planning group to persuade the first Bush White House to ease a controversial abortion restriction, according to a 1991 document and five people familiar with the matter.” (Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2007)

 NFPRHA is a pro-abortion group closely associated with Planned Parenthood, whose mission is “to assure access to voluntary, confidential, comprehensive, culturally sensitive family planning and reproductive health care services and to support reproductive freedom for all.” (www.nfprha.org, Accessed July 2, 2007)

The Teamsters Pension Fund

“Other clients included a Tennessee savings-and-loan group advocating some of the looser regulations that contributed to the savings and loan crisis . . .  Teamsters pension fund; and a Baltimore-based group seeking federal business grants for urban neighborhoods.” (New York Times, July 2, 2007)

We think that one pretty much speaks for itself.

Savings and Loan Deregulation

Phony Fred also lobbied “for a savings-and-loan deregulation bill that helped hasten the industry’s collapse . . .  The fiasco ultimately led to about a $150 billion taxpayer bailout of the industry, said Robert Litan, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution and co-author of a 1993 report on the causes of the disaster that describes the influence of lobbyists as ‘pervasive, pernicious — and effective.’” (Associated Press, June 25, 2007)