12-27-07 (Help FDT Run this Ad "Substance")
(h/t Rick Moran and RWNH)

Two Hundred and Thirty One years ago yesterday, a barefoot, ill-clad army of 2,000 men crossed the ice choked Delaware River to surprise the Hessians at Trenton, giving George Washington his most important victory in the cause of American independence.

The story of how that victory came about is instructive to the cause of Fred Thompson%u2019s campaign for the presidency and the reason for this blogburst today. Not because Fred resembles George Washington in any way or that a Thompson presidency would be as significant an event in history as the American revolution. But because when the chips were down and the cause all but lost, a very small group of Americans helped make the difference between victory and defeat.

Consider if you will the circumstances. Washington had been pushed out of New York by the British in a series of battles during the summer and fall where the Continentals had suffered one humiliating defeat after another. The Americans were levered out of New Jersey and forced to cross the Delaware to the Pennsylvania side of the river. There they waited grimly for the British to attempt a crossing and finish them off.

Patriots in New York and New Jersey began to lose heart, giving their oaths of allegiance to the King so they could trade and buy food for their families. The Congress fled Philadelphia for Baltimore which made Washington not only head of the military but titular head of the government as well. There was no food, no clothing, little in the way of arms and powder, no money, and no credit.

And to make matters worse, Washington%u2019s army was set to disband after the first of the year. A last minute appeal to patriotism by Washington (as pitiful a missive ever written by the Great Man) salvaged the situation with a little more than half the army agreeing to re-up.

In short, things couldn%u2019t get any worse for the patriot cause. Both friend and foe believed that American independence was a lost cause. But then two events were to occur that changed the fortunes of the war and turned the tide inevitably toward success.

The first fortunate happenstance occurred on December 23, 1776 when the first of Tom Paine%u2019s %u201CCrisis%u201D essays hit the streets of America. %u201CThese are the times that try men%u2019s souls%u2026%u201D had an electric effect on the citizens and the army. The second event was Washington%u2019s audacious attack on Trenton, as unlikely and impossible a victory as has ever been recorded.

Washington devised a complex plan involving three separate columns crossing the river at three points and converging on Trenton by dawn on Christmas day. One of the columns failed to cross but the other two made it safely through the ice floes and stinging sleet and arrived on the New Jersey side of the Delaware %u2013 late but intact. It was madness crossing the river in the middle of an ice storm. But Washington had the perfect bunch to attempt the impossible; the seafaring men of the 14th Continental Regiment.

Better known to us as %u201CThe Marblehead Regiment,%u201D these were the hard cases of the American army %u2013 a group of swaggering, swearing, spitting fishermen and common seamen led by a remarkable Brigadier by the name of John Glover. Under the guns of the British on Long Island, they ferried 10,000 men and horses across the East River in one night and part of a morning (aided by a heavy fog that obscured the retreat from prying British eyes). This movement forever earned them the gratitude of Washington who liked the spirit and pluck of the sailors as well as their fighting abilities; they held off the British singlehandedly at Pelham, New York in October once again aiding the escape of the bulk of the army.

But that Christmas night in 1776, they truly earned their spurs as they tirelessly rowed time and again across the river and back again, making their way through the ice choked waters in the worst conditions imaginable. Rain mixed with sleet and ice later turning to snow, the waves on the Delaware crashing over the bow covering the rowers with a sheet of clinging ice, the gunwales sometimes perilously close to tipping into the water and capsizing the boats %u2013 a certain death in a matter of minutes given the temperature of the water.

The fate of American independence rested with those 400 hardy souls who manned the oars that blustery night. And herein lies the reason for my little historical digression and an illustration of why, if you support Fred Thompson for President, this is the time to get the hell off the sidelines and start rowing the damn boat.

To be brutally frank in appraising the situation realistically, Fred Thompson%u2019s chances of winning the nomination are not good. I will not attempt to snow you, gentle readers, with the idea that the Thompson campaign is anything but a hope and a prayer at this point. But where there is a will to fight, so there is a will to win. It doesn%u2019t matter how many pundits, pollsters, and assorted %u201Cexperts%u201D have written off Fred Thompson. What matters is that there is still a chance, still life in the campaign, and still a belief that the race can be won. Your support is absolutely crucial to propel the campaign forward, to build on the momentum generated by Thompson%u2019s bus tour through Iowa by giving as much as you possibly can.

The campaign has set a goal of raising $248,000 by sundown on Friday so that they can run a new ad in Iowa. This ad could make the difference and allow Thompson to make a surprise showing in the Iowa Caucuses a week from tomorrow. Exceeding expectations is the game now and this media buy could very well put Fred in a very strong position coming out of Iowa.

So climb aboard and grab an oar. Join the Marbleheaders for Fred and contribute as much as you possibly can to make this Blogburst a big success. Go directly to the contributions page here.

Public Policy Polling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2007
CONTACT: DEAN DEBNAM
888-621-6988 / 919-880-4888

Fred Thompson begins campaign ahead in North Carolina

Raleigh, N.C. %u2013 While Republicans around the country were awaiting Fred Thompson%u2019s presidential campaign announcement on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, North Carolina Republicans were signaling their approval in Public Policy Polling%u2019s latest tracking poll. Thompson begins his campaign as an official candidate for President with a strong lead in the North Carolina Republican Primary. Thompson received the support of 34% of likely Republican primary voters. Thompson was followed by Rudy Giuliani (16%), Mitt Romney (13%) and John McCain (7%).
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Click picture above to watch Fred's Official Announcement, then visit www.fred08.com to get involved. Become a North Carolina FredHead today!

Sanctuary Cities
Posted on August 13th, 2007
By Fred in Commentaries, Immigration


If you listen to folks who oppose immigration and border enforcement, you get the feeling they think we put locks on our doors to keep everybody out. The truth is we have locks so we can choose who comes in.

An example of what happens when we don%u2019t make the choice took place August 4th when three Newark, New Jersey, college students with great promise were executed, gangland style. The killers%u2019 ringleader was apparently an illegal alien indicted twice in 2007 for felonies, including the rape of a kindergarten-aged girl.

Why would such a person be set free instead of being handed over to authorities for deportation? The answer is that Newark is a %u201Csanctuary city%u201D which bans cooperation between local officials and federal immigration officials. More than 60 sanctuary zones, including 30 of America%u2019s largest cities, provide a national networked haven for foreign and organized criminals who recruit and operate outside those areas as well. These sanctuaries include Cambridge, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Austin and Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and New York City.

The Gas Tax
By Fred in the FredFile Commentaries
Posted on August 10th, 2007

Whoa now. Let%u2019s hold our horses a minute and think about the calls for new tax increases to fix our infrastructure problems. The Minneapolis bridge collapse is a tragedy, but we can%u2019t let it be used to compound other problems %u2013 which is what will happen if we%u2019re scared into raising gas taxes.

As we all know, there are few things more permanent than a temporary tax. Just ask the folks who footed the cost of the Spanish-American War for the past 108 years via a federal excise tax on our phone bills. Congress is contemplating a new %u201Ctemporary%u201D 5-cent increase in the federal gas tax %u2013(already at 18.3 cents a gallon), which is on top of the state and local gas taxes that have been in place over the years %u2013 to finance a %u201Ctrust fund%u201D for infrastructure repairs.

In addition to this new video providing Fred Thompson's take on Federalism, check out imwithfred.com Version 2.0. FDT's website now includes all kinds of new tools and features to help Alabama FredHeads reach out to friends and neighbors to spread the word. Check it out today.

In the latest (August 2007) North Carolina 2008 Republican Presidential Poll, Fred Thompson is the clear leader with the support of 30% . In North Carolina, Fred Thompson enjoys a 10-point lead over Rudy Giuliani. Fred is also doing quite well in other recent 2008 polls in Alabama and Georgia. Remember folks, Fred has not even declared his candidacy yet and is in first or second place in nearly every national and state poll in America. We are building up steam North Carolina FredHeads, so prepare to jump on the FDT Express.

NC, AL, GA
Fred Thompson 30%, 31%, 27%
Rudy Giuliani 20%, 26%, 20%
John McCain 7%, 16%, 7%
Mitt Romney 12%, 3%, 14%

Fred Thompson Leads in the Great State of North Carolina by 19%
Public Policy Polling
For immediate release
July 5, 2007
Raleigh, N.C. %u2013 According to the latest Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey released today, the race for the Democratic nomination for President is tightening up in North Carolina. The survey shows Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama in a three-way tie. Clinton and Obama each received 27% and Edwards has 26% support. Eleven percent of likely Democratic Primary voters are still undecided while 10% support another candidate.

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson continues to lead the Republican race, with 34% support. Rudy Giuliani%u2019s support fell for the second month in a row, now down to 15%. Newt Gingrich has 13% support, and John McCain and Mitt Romney bring up the rear with 7% and 6%, respectively. However, 21% of likely Republican voters are still undecided. Five percent said they support a candidate other than the five mentioned.
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Click here for the entire Public Policy Polling 2008 NC Presidential Poll.

Here is Mary Matalin on Meet the Press explaining Fred's secret weapon:

Tim Russert : "Mary Matalin, has Fred Thompson waited too long?"

Mary Matalin : "No, he's not waited too long, and this organization is just building around him. Last night at that event, just in passing, a young person came up to him and said, well, 'We have captains in every county in the state for you. We have volunteers all over the state.' Everywhere we go there are 'FredHeads.'"

Well, there you have it--straight from Mary Matalin herself!

Please forward to your friends who haven't quite decided what to think of these fired-up "FredHeads."

Let the fence-sitters know: when it comes to this race, FredHeads is where the action is.

In that same segment, there's a segment of Fred explaining that he's exactly where he wants to be.

Video clip here.

This button will fit into any sidebar that is at least 160 pixels wide:

Covered at IsraelToday:

Fred Thompson, US presidential hopeful and former star of the hit television series "Law & Order," is scheduled to make his first visit to Israel in the coming days.

Thompson, who is said to have a fair chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination, will meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and various other senior officials during his tour of Israel.

Of the dozen or so candidates contesting the nomination, Thompson is among the most supportive of Israel.

The former actor, who has also served as a US senator, bucked popular international sentiment by insisting in a hard-hitting editorial column that Israel has been almost too careful in its war on Palestinian terrorism.

Public Policy Polling North Carolina GOP Primary

F. Thompson - 37% (25)
Giuliani - 25% (32)
Romney - 14% (13)
McCain - 14% (16)
Someone else - 9% (14)
Undecided - 1% (3)

Survey was done June 4 of 603 likely GOP primary voters, and has an MoE of 3.9%.

(Note : Feel free to copy, but please do not hotlink to this file. Bad things may happen. We take no responsibility whatsoever for the results of hotlinking.)

Fred's committee "Friends of Fred Thompson" is now formed and is ready to take contributions.

You can contribute to Fred through the "I'm With Fred" sidebar widget to the left.

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(Note : FredHeadsUSA is an independent grassroots organization, and not officially affiliated with the "Friends of Fred Thompson" committee. All contributions made through ImWithFred.com go directly to "Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.")