J
Joe S.
Guest
QUOTE
During the August 17 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, former Sen. Fred
Thompson (R-TN), a potential Republican presidential candidate, asserted, "I
think Roe vs. Wade was a bad decision," and added, "You don't just get up
one day and overturn the entire history of the country with regard to major
social policy without any action by Congress, without any action by the
American people or a constitutional amendment. And that's what happened. It
shouldn't have happened. It ought to be reversed." National correspondent
John King did not note that Thompson's statement contradicted comments
Thompson reportedly made in 1993 to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. As Media
Matters for America has documented, a July 29, 1993, article in the
Commercial Appeal reported that Thompson said in an interview that he
"supports the Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision that established a
constitutional right to abortion."
As Media Matters has noted, King has previously reported that leaders of
socially conservative advocacy groups are "gravitating toward" Thompson in
part because former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) changed his position
on abortion -- suggesting that Thompson has not.
From the August 17, 4 p.m. ET edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
KING: You met this morning privately with some conservative activists in
this state, the people who helped people win the caucuses in the past.
They say that they were very comfortable with everything you said in that
private meeting, very comfortable with your agenda. But they say they are
skeptical, that they don't want to just hear lip service. They want to see
results.
And they want to know, over time, as they meet you, would a President Fred
Thompson actively push a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage?
Would a President Fred Thompson actively push to overturn Roe v. Wade? What
are the answers to those questions?
THOMPSON: Yes. Yes. I think that, with regard to gay marriage, you have a
full faith and credit issue. I don't think one state ought to be able to
pass a law requiring gay marriage or allowing gay marriage, and have another
state be required to follow along under full faith and credit.
There are some exceptions and exemptions for that. It hasn't happened yet,
but I think a federal court would very much -- very well likely will -- will
go in that direction. And the constitutional amendment would cure that.
I think Roe vs. Wade was a bad decision. I think it was bad law and bad
medicine. You don't just get up one day and overturn the entire history of
the country with regard to major social policy without any action by
Congress, without any action by the American people or a constitutional
amendment. And that's what happened. It shouldn't have happened. It ought to
be reversed.
KING: So, it wouldn't be a speech a year or two speeches a year; you would
promise, on those issues, on both of those issues, a sustained effort if you
were the president?
THOMPSON: Well, I don't think, as a president, you can do anything
halfway. I mean, if you take a position, you're bringing the whole office of
the presidency to bear. And you have a bully pulpit. You have an obligation
to speak about those things that are important to you. And those things are
important.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200708190002?src=other
END QUOTE
During the August 17 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, former Sen. Fred
Thompson (R-TN), a potential Republican presidential candidate, asserted, "I
think Roe vs. Wade was a bad decision," and added, "You don't just get up
one day and overturn the entire history of the country with regard to major
social policy without any action by Congress, without any action by the
American people or a constitutional amendment. And that's what happened. It
shouldn't have happened. It ought to be reversed." National correspondent
John King did not note that Thompson's statement contradicted comments
Thompson reportedly made in 1993 to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. As Media
Matters for America has documented, a July 29, 1993, article in the
Commercial Appeal reported that Thompson said in an interview that he
"supports the Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision that established a
constitutional right to abortion."
As Media Matters has noted, King has previously reported that leaders of
socially conservative advocacy groups are "gravitating toward" Thompson in
part because former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) changed his position
on abortion -- suggesting that Thompson has not.
From the August 17, 4 p.m. ET edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
KING: You met this morning privately with some conservative activists in
this state, the people who helped people win the caucuses in the past.
They say that they were very comfortable with everything you said in that
private meeting, very comfortable with your agenda. But they say they are
skeptical, that they don't want to just hear lip service. They want to see
results.
And they want to know, over time, as they meet you, would a President Fred
Thompson actively push a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage?
Would a President Fred Thompson actively push to overturn Roe v. Wade? What
are the answers to those questions?
THOMPSON: Yes. Yes. I think that, with regard to gay marriage, you have a
full faith and credit issue. I don't think one state ought to be able to
pass a law requiring gay marriage or allowing gay marriage, and have another
state be required to follow along under full faith and credit.
There are some exceptions and exemptions for that. It hasn't happened yet,
but I think a federal court would very much -- very well likely will -- will
go in that direction. And the constitutional amendment would cure that.
I think Roe vs. Wade was a bad decision. I think it was bad law and bad
medicine. You don't just get up one day and overturn the entire history of
the country with regard to major social policy without any action by
Congress, without any action by the American people or a constitutional
amendment. And that's what happened. It shouldn't have happened. It ought to
be reversed.
KING: So, it wouldn't be a speech a year or two speeches a year; you would
promise, on those issues, on both of those issues, a sustained effort if you
were the president?
THOMPSON: Well, I don't think, as a president, you can do anything
halfway. I mean, if you take a position, you're bringing the whole office of
the presidency to bear. And you have a bully pulpit. You have an obligation
to speak about those things that are important to you. And those things are
important.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200708190002?src=other
END QUOTE
