NRO and EFM's take on Thompson's Lobbying Denials: Fred Losing his Memory?

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Fred Thompson’s campaign has hit its first bump even before it has officially begun. The Los Angeles Times claimed that Thompson, 15 years ago, did lobbying work for a pro-abortion group. Thompson’s campaign denied the story at first. Then Thompson argued that a lobbyist can help his clients promote their positions without sharing them. Now the New York Times has found billing records showing that Thompson did indeed lobby to make it possible for family-planning clinics that make abortion referrals to get federal funds.

A few quotes from the complete NRO story:

Pro-lifers should nonetheless treat this episode as a regrettable bit of ancient history — provided that Thompson demonstrates that he has changed his mind about the right to life.

But the picture is cloudier than it should be, because Thompson has been less than forthcoming about the evolution of his views. In April, he said that he was baffled that anyone would have thought he had been pro-choice. But debate clips, questionnaires, and constituent letters from the mid-1990s all establish that he was indeed pro-choice.

It may be that Thompson is being reticent out of concern that he will catch the same flak as Mitt Romney for flip-flopping.

Obviously, Fred has seen the suffering Mitt has had to endure for his straight talk relative to his abortion stance change. Yet, over the long term the honest approach will win Romney solid support.

Charles Mitchell of EFM says the following about Fred's Washington-style spin and abortion record:

First, I have to respectfully disagree with Carter on Governor Romney's record, and point him to the words of social conservative leaders from Massachusetts. His guy [Fred] compiled a pro-life voting record as a senator from a safe seat in a pro-life state. Ours [Mitt] compiled a record of executive action in the most hostile place imaginable.

Second, I get the same feeling of "lawyerly nuance" from the latest abortion statements from the Senator's non-campaign. But as Carter mentions, that's now how this discussion began. It started off with a brusque denial--with the unspoken message being, "How dare you question him!" That is a classic DC move: deny wrongdoing and try to fault the questioner.

It is also the opposite of the statements Governor Romney makes on abortion. He admits that he was wrong to have attempted to keep his pro-life beliefs in his personal life. To some, that's a flip-flop. To me, it takes integrity to admit having been wrong--if it didn't, more people here in DC would do it.

Mitchell goes on to say that he believes calling Thompson "dishonest" is not helpful. If by "helpful" he means helping to bringing Fred fans to Mitt, he may be right. Those individuals will have to come around gradually on their own. Seeing Fred in this new light, however, will aid them in choosing a more credible candidate. To declare "dishonesty" may not be "helpful" in one sense; yet, it appears to be the truth.

So, what are we left to conclude if he wasn't out to deceive or mislead? He's got a absolutely terrible memory? Forgetful Fred's been compared to Reagan for numerous supposed similarities. Perhaps memory loss is one that we should add to that list.

Reagan, in contrast to Fred, lost his memory after a brilliant political career secondary to Alzheimer's Disease. By the time this disease had set in, Pres. Reagan was retired from public and respected around the globe. He'd performed his life's work. Fred's amnesia does not result from any known pathology. Nevertheless, this forgetfullness is a bad sign to American voters, and may induce the undoing of his pre-candidacy candidacy.