Fred Makes Campaign Appearance At Gun Show
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson walked through rows of assault rifles, pistols and other firearms, signing autographs and greeting people at a gun show Saturday.
Despite his pitch for support, some of the gun advocates were not convinced that the former Tennessee senator was completely on their side.
“I was all for him until I started reading the votes,” said gun dealer Ken Strevels, standing at a table lined with machine guns, including an enormous .50 caliber rifle held up by a tripod. “I’m not sure now. He’s flipping on the vote. It’s like he’s working both sides.”
A Gun Owners of America report said Thompson voted “anti-gun” 14 times on 33 votes the group tracked during his eight years in the Senate, ending in 2003.
Tim Smith, a Winter Haven dealer, said the report raises questions about whether Thompson is entirely pro-gun. But among the Republican candidates in 2008, Smith said Thompson may offer the best choice.
“We really have nobody that we would consider a 100 percent pro-gun candidate running,” said Smith, who acknowledged that some of Thompson’s votes came on issues that were “borderline anti-gun issues.”
Among the votes the group listed as “anti-gun,” for example, were ones to appoint a federal judge and restrict political fundraising. The group’s Web site said Thompson generally votes against gun control.
Thompson said he did not know what Smith was talking about. “He’d have to look pretty hard to find one,” he said.
Thompson was met with enthusiasm when he arrived at the show in this central Florida town between Orlando and Tampa. The Pasco County GOP chairman, Bill Bunting, introduced him to the crowd as a strong supporter of the National Rifle Association.
“He’s one of us. He’s an endowment member of the NRA. That’s a heavyweight,” said Bunting, who is a concealed weapons instructor.
“It’s good to be among friends. I’ve been to a lot of shows like this,” Thompson said. “I need your help. I want to work with you because you’re my friends, and you’re going to be my friends all the way to the White House.”
Thompson attended the show during the last day of a three-day bus tour of Florida, where he drew large crowds around the state the week after getting into the race.
He also planned to campaign at the Florida-Tennessee college football game in Gainesville before heading back to Tennessee on Saturday night.
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Poor AP - Oh the humanity tailing Fred to a gun show. How many gun booths did they have to endure wading through until they eventually found some lone dissenting voice in Ken Strevels?
September 15th, 2007 at 10:06 amBut it was worth the AP’s agoninzing ordeal. The AP got their twofer. Fire up the anti-gun crowd by reporting on Fred’s attendance at a…gasp…gunshow. And create some doubt to the pro-gun crowd by casting doubt on Fred’s pro-gun position.
Look guys, just because the GOA organization is against a candidate doesn’t mean that they are bad. They went after the only man in our state that was fully behind CCW and he lost his seat. What a f-ing short-sighted mistake that was. If the GOA has a wild hair about you because you aren’t as virulently pro-gun as they are, you are Fk’d.
I’ll take Fred’s gun views over Rudy’s and definitely over any Dumpocrap. Fred is the man for gun owners, trust me on this. He’s the only guy that stands a chance of beating Hitlery too.
September 15th, 2007 at 10:34 amOh…and did I fotget to mention?? FUCK the AP and the horse they rode in on.
September 15th, 2007 at 10:35 amI knew it wouldn’t be long before they started grasping at straws, looking for some dirt on Fred Thompson.
The drive-by media…so pathetic and predictable.
September 15th, 2007 at 10:35 amThis is laughable. FT is no anti-gunite as Rudi is or as the Dhimis are. I’ll take Fred over the Dhimis or Rudi any day. Nice attempt at tagyiya AP. The AP guy/gal who wrote this piece ought to go to work for CAIR….or the ACLU…same diff.
September 15th, 2007 at 11:18 amI like Fred a lot, but this isn’t going to get my vote alone–Fred is going to have to show me a lot more than just his love of guns.
September 15th, 2007 at 2:03 pmI’m leaning pretty heavily towards Rudy (but I’d love to see a Rudy/Fred ticket).