Talk:Fred Thompson

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Archive 1: 23 January 2007 - 13 May
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Contents

[edit] Age Issue

Ok, as I have said before, the issue regarding Jeri Thompson is about her apperance, not her age. The current version has refs that discuss her apperance, the age is ancillary to the issue.

ref1:

http://www.tnr.com/currentissue/story.html?id=43abb294-19e7-4451-b58c-d2e3f1a43311&p=2

Last June, at a fund-raiser for the Virginia GOP, Jeri Thompson entered on her husband's arm looking more Dallas beauty queen than D.C. power player. The hair was a shade too bright, the skin a shade too tan, and the sleeveless V- neck dress a shade too snug. Although Jeri is chronologically only 24 years Fred's junior, she is a young-looking 41 to his old-looking 65, making the gap appear much larger.

ref2, which talks about all of them:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07224/808904-176.stm

Never mind that, by all accounts, Ms. Thompson is an experienced political professional who worked for the Republican National Committee and as a media consultant for a Washington law firm. She's also devoted to her husband, who was single for years, dating starlets and country singer Lorrie Morgan, before marrying Ms. Kehn. But her relative youth -- she is 40, he's 64 -- and her predilection for tight, low-cut outfits, as well as a blond hairstyle more often seen on Hollywood's red carpet than in dowdy Washington, D.C., provided the perfect opening for MSNBC commentator Joe Scarborough, who jokingly wondered on camera if she "works the pole." Amid cries of "inappropriate!" and "sexist!" Mr. Scarborough insisted it was all in the context of a discussion about a new exercise trend using strippers' poles.

This is twice now that the ref's did not support the wording, I am reopening this issue because it is apparant that the issue is not the age difference, but her apperance. Arzel 01:47, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

Arzel, the references make it clear that it is age AND appearance difference that is the issue, not just the appearance as you say. If you'd like, the sentence can be reworded to include both the age and appearance difference as being the issue. --Bobblehead (rants) 02:11, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
Would something along the lines of "Although the 24-year age and relative attractiveness differences between Kehn and Thompson has generated commentary, Kehn had already established a career as a political consultant prior to meeting Thompson.[1][2]" work? I bolded the addition just to make it clear what I changed. I would hope the bolding would not be repeated in the article itself. --Bobblehead (rants) 02:16, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
Bobblehead is right--it's age and attractiveness. I don't like Bobblehead's wording above, though. It reads as if it implies that Thompson is ugly. If we're going to change the wording, I'd go with something like "Although the 24-year age difference between Kehn and Thompson--as well as Jeri Thompson's glamourous appearance--has generated commentary, Kehn had already established a career as a political consultant prior to meeting Thompson." Eseymour 16:29, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
I'm not sure I like the "as well" within the mdash as it seems to imply the appearance portion is less important than the age difference, Perhaps "Although the 24-year age difference between Kehn and Thompson and Jeri's glamorous appearance has generated commentary, Kehn had already established a career as a political consultant prior to meeting Thompson."--130.76.32.181 16:46, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
I don't think there should be any wording like "glamorous appearance". How is that neutral? While her looks might play somewhat of a note in the gossip magazines, I think we should stick to the facts (ages, etc.), and leave the editorializing out of it. Mahalo. --Ali'i 17:05, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
All the sources mention her attractiveness and age as being a factor in the commentary, so something in relation to her appearance is warranted. Would you be open to changing glamorous to a different word or leaving the word out entirely? So "24-year age difference between Kehn and Thompson and Jeri's appearance..." --Bobblehead (rants) 17:49, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
Read the first one again. Age is ancillary to the issue, and in fact is saying that the age would be a complete non-issue if not for her appearance. The second focuses on her appearance as well. As have all of the references put forth regarding this issue thus far, the primary reason for the commentary is her appearance compared to Fred Thompson. Let us stop trying to WP:SYNTH the issue into more than it really is. Arzel (talk) 21:31, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
So no futher response? The wording is still synthesis of material, but yet I see it has been reverted without discussion. Arzel (talk) 05:51, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Error in career

According to the cited sources, Kehn had not already established a career as a political consultant prior to meeting Thompson. They met on July 4, 1996, in a Kroger check-out line in Nashville, and she moved to Washington two years later to try her hand at political work.Ferrylodge 17:00, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

Hmm.. Excellent point, the TNR article seems to indicate at the time Kehn and Thompson met in Tennessee her employment is rather fuzzy. The article mentions several sales jobs[1], moonlighting for an internet entrepreneur[2], and with creditors going after her wages... It isn't until she moved to Washington that her career started to take off. It seems if the successful part is to be kept, it should be mentioned reworded to make it clear her career was established before they married. --Bobblehead (rants) 17:32, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

But that was not a reason to remove the 24-year age difference that we reached consensus on after weeks of dispute. Tvoz |talk 17:42, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Watergate role

The quote "thereby revealing the existence of tape recordings of conversations within the White House." is misleading because if you look at the sources that reference that information, (17) http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6757748 is no longer working and (15) http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/archives/9612.cottle.html says

"Far from a surprise attack by Thompson, this question had already been answered by Butterfield the previous Friday, during questioning by investigators of the minority and majority staffs."

Who was the staffer that actually asked Butterfield the question? This NY Times article says that it was Donald G. Sanders.

Mr. Sanders dug deeper and asked if it were possible that some sort of recording system had been used in the White House. Mr. Butterfield answered, I wish you hadn't asked that question, but, yes, there is. Mr. Sanders then hurried to tell Fred D. Thompson, the lead minority counsel who is now a Republican senator from Tennessee.

Also, this University of Missouri Archives article says

"As minority counsel, it often fell to Sanders to directly question witnesses called to give testimony before the committee. And so it was that Sanders asked Butterfield the fateful question: "Is there any kind of recording system in the White House?""

Even (20) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16019179 says

On that program, Thompson recalled events this way: "Don Sanders on the staff really was the guy who asked the question at a staff meeting. He came to me and told me that. And that was kind of my reaction, somewhat of a surprise, to say the least." Sanders was Thompson's deputy counsel.

Opti280 (talk) 02:30, 21 February 2008 (UTC)opti280


The description of Thompson's Watergate role is just incorrect. I can't even find a credible reference that says Thompson had anything to do with Baker's comment, "What did the President know and when did he know it?"

Instead, it was Thompson's question of Alexander Butterfield, a former aide to White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman, "Mr. Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?" that led to Nixon's resignation 8 days later.

The article should be edited to reflect the correct question and remove the reference to Sen. Baker. GregE625 (talk) 19:07, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

I've added a reference regarding Thompson's role in the question "What did he know and when did he know it?" Also, the article already mentions that "Thompson asked about listening devices in the White House" (though the article does not quote Thompson).Ferrylodge (talk) 19:08, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

I've found several sources that say that Thompson is "sometimes" or "often" credited with Baker's line, for example this AP article and this Weekly Standard article, which implies there may be some doubt. It would be nice to have something more definitive on this. Wasted Time R (talk) 19:28, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

I looked around some more, but still couldn't find anything definitive. Most web hits are just parroting what someone has read elsewhere. Would really need to look at Thompson's book, Baker's book if he wrote one, or some other thorough accounts of the Senate Watergate Committee hearings. Until then, I think the AP stance of "sometimes credited" is the most cautious one to use here, and I've changed and cited the article accordingly. Wasted Time R (talk) 22:10, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Council on Foreign Relations

I think this reference should probably be removed from this page. I can find no credible source that can verify that Fred Thompson is a CFR member. There are plenty of far left and far right sites that make this claim, often posting long lists of names of supposed members. But I can find no valid evidence for Fred Thompson being a member -- those sites are not credible references. So I am posting this to let people comment. If there are no objections, and if no one can find a credible source for this, then I will delete this bit from the 2nd paragraph. SunSw0rd (talk) 14:34, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

See the previous discussion here. Is this source adequate? Here's another source.Ferrylodge (talk) 18:31, 9 January 2008 (UTC)
I think probably neither source is adequate. The first source you provide goes to an advocacy site: stopthenorthamericanunion - I suggest the credibility of that one is nil. The second source is no longer valid, the current link is here: mpa.utk.edu/fredthomson -- and it no longer makes that claim.
So I think we still need a valid source. One from the CFR site itself would be best, but I can't find anything there. SunSw0rd (talk) 16:11, 10 January 2008 (UTC)
See here.Ferrylodge (talk) 16:25, 10 January 2008 (UTC)
Good job. I think that link -- U.S. Department of State -- is a valid one. I will reinsert the statement now with the attribution. SunSw0rd (talk) 18:48, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] "born Freddie Dalton Thompson"

This wording (born Freddie Dalton Thompson) is less than precise. Children are usually named some time after they are born. TableMannersC·U·T 21:55, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

Oh, give me a break. Whether a birth name is given at the precise moment of birth or several weeks later is utterly irrelevant. It's still a birth name. If you have a problem with the English language, go take it up with the Academy for the English Language - oh, wait, there isn't such a body. Oh well. -- Zsero (talk) 01:56, 16 January 2008 (UTC)
God bless Wikipedia. Where else would such a matter ever need to be brought up. Hilarious. Hooper (talk) 19:31, 23 February 2008 (UTC)
When is the exact moment of birth, as shown on a birth certificate? Crowning, or completely out? I want to know so that I can name my children when they are born, and not before or after. Robert K S (talk) 19:52, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Potential Vice Presidential Candidacy

Rumors have started floating that he might be a top vp pick for the republican party, Mitt Romney in particular mentioning him. It may be worth mentioning in here at the moment, although we don't want to go overboard on this. Definitely something to possibly mention and keep an eye on though. Bradkoch2007 (talk) 22:52, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia is not a crystal ball and doesn't print rumors or speculation. At this point in time, that's all Thompson as VP is. Mitt's comment is little more than paying lip service to a fallen competitor. Give it some time to develop before making any additions in the article. --Bobblehead (rants) 00:26, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] His endorsement of remaining Candidates for Republican PARTY Presidential nomination (2008)

Fred Thompson political staffers (Elizabeth Cheney in particular) were mentioned on FOX NEWS SUNDAY (broadcast today) as announcing that he endorsed Mitt Romney - - this is prior to Tuesday's voting in Florida - - Bill Kristol was announcing this as part of his POWER PANEL comments at conclusion of the show. Sorry I haven't yet located the news web corroboration. Hope this is appearing somewhere we can all see what are the specifics and what Romney had to offer the Republican voters in upcoming tight races in South and nationwide. Timothy Shaw Timothyjshaw (talk) 20:46, 27 January 2008 (UTC)Timothyjshaw