Fred: The "I'll Get Back To You On That" Candidate

Maybe the interview took place in Prime Time and Fred simply wasn't up to it?

THE VILLAGES — Republican Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, addressing some Florida-specific questions for a Tampa Bay-area cable program, says he doesn’t have an opinion about a national catastrophic insurance fund or the 2005 congressional intervention in the Terri Schiavo case.

“I don’t know enough about it yet…I’ll give it serious consideration,” Thompson said of the national cat fund after being asked about it by Adam Smith of The St. Petersburg Times during a taping of the Bay News 9 “Political Connections” show.

Thompson also said he didn’t have an opinion on the Schiavo case.

“I don’t know the facts surrounding that case…That’s going back in history. I don’t remember the details of it,” Thompson said. In 2005, in an attempt to keep the brain-damaged Schiavo alive against the wishes of her husband and rulings by Florida courts, Congress voted to have federal courts review the case. Federal courts ultimately declined to intervene and Schiavo died a few weeks after the vote.

Comments

[from the LA Times]

"In 2005, in an attempt to keep the brain-damaged Schiavo alive against the wishes of her husband and rulings by Florida courts, Congress voted to have federal courts review the case. Federal courts ultimately declined to intervene and Schiavo died a few weeks after the vote."

Actually, Shiavo's husband was fighting to end Terri's life by removing nourishment.

Terri's parents fought for years to gain custody of her. Terri's husband, Michael Shiavo, refused to grant them custody, refused to allow Terri to have rehabilitative treatment while she was in the hospital, and even refused to let them TRY to feed her with a spoon after he convinced a court to remove her feeding tube.

This is actually a very complicated story, as there is some reason to suspect that Terri's husband had something to do with the injuries that caused her to become a vegetable in the first place.

[dumbblonde]

Maybe he was unprepared. Or maybe he chose not to dip his toes into such an emotionally charged subject as the Schiavo case at this particular time.

[MikeNite]

A truthful answer and you criticize him for his honesty.......am I surprised?

[MikeNite]

A truthful answer and you criticize him for his honesty.......am I surprised?

[MikeNite]

A truthful answer and you criticize him for his honesty.......am I surprised?

[BobInStamford]

Fred is a tired old man. Sadly, its the best that you guys have. How pathetic...

[Capitalist Infidel]

I sure don't blame him for not wanting to weigh in on the Schiavo case. As far as the cat fund is concerned, I've never heard of it.

[bill-tb]

OK, I will take a stab at it -- I wouldn't touch the national catastrophic insurance fund snake pit with a herd of ten foot poles, and I live in Florida and have to deal with it every year with my sky high insurance. Ducking was the only answer.

As to Shiavo, it was a mistake for Congress to get involved, but it is the same rats nest. Ducking was the right answer.

Better Fred than Red, who wants to wear a grey drab Marxists zoot suit and stand in line for your health care day and night.

[seekeronos]

Ditto here -- Schiavo was something that should have been -- and rightly was -- left at the State level to determine.

Pesonally, I think that each state should have its own catastrophic event fund or agency set up to handle it, with one or more non-governmental national entit(y/ies) permitted to solicit voluntary tax deductible contributions on a broader scale for when big nasty things like Katrina hit really hard.

Fred! is on board with what federalism is all about: letting the states determine their course on issues that are not specifically assigned to the Federal government by the Constitution, and has handled himself wisely thus far.

[bloodrage bob]

not seein' a problem. fred was asked about something that's not a federal issue, and he answered honestly. i'll take an "i don't know" or "it's none of my business" anyday over the usual political non-answer/speech: "the schaivo case just illustrates something i've been saying for years: we as americans must come together; and ask ourselves 'what kind of america do we want'? in a world where complex issues like the schaivo case exist, it's finally clear that the old answers are no longer good enough, and that america is ready for fresh, bold, new leadership. which is why i'm running for president."

[BobInStamford]

Fred! is better suited to napping, the early-bird special at Red Lobster and watching Matlock than running for president.

[Fred Beloit]

The Boob thinks that everyone likes what he likes.

[templar knight]

The Boob is better suited for a fat lip, or in the alternative, alligator bait for you, Fred. Haha! Actually, I love whiney Leftists who get on the internet and do their big talking, as they have nothing to say when you have them man to ma...or in Boobs case, man to it.

[BobInStamford]

Clearly you are one of those Larry Craig-type conservatives. I shudder to think about what you sweaty fat slobs do with each other after your bbq 'competitions'.

[templar knight]

Larry Craig makes you "shudder", huh, Boob. Whatever. You gay guys have a different way of thinking, that's for sure. I guess you will continue to troll the restrooms at airports. Good luck with that crap.