Blacktygrrrr was at the Republican Jewish Coalition, and so was Fred Thompson. I’ll allow his words to do the talking in this shamelessly-ripped-off excerpt:
Senator Thompson then took questions, and I was the first person to ask him a question. I spoke quickly to pack many words in without droning on.
I stated, "Senator, it’s an honor sir." He thanked me. I then continued.
"Senator, I am a republican blogger (yes, this was a shameful attempt at self promotion, and it worked) who understands that with freedom of the press comes responsibility. Are you willing to enforce the Bush Doctrine that anyone harboring or aiding terrorists is a terrorist, even if it means cracking down on our own cultural institutions? Two examples are Poison Ivy League universities doing Tea With Mussolini and Columbian Coffee with Armageddonijad, and our troops getting killed because their movements are being given up by the Jayson Blair Times (the crowd and the Senator cracked up at that point, where I said, "The Jewish fellow running that paper does not speak for me")? How do you as a member of the media yourself balance freedom of speech with the fact that we cannot have our media getting our troops murdered, and we cannot have our students being lectured by a terrorist who belongs in Guantanamo Bay?"
Fred Thompson started out by wagging his finger at me in mock anger and indignation and said, "First of all, let me say that I resent being called a member of the media!"
The crowd erupted in laughter, and I said into the microphone, "I apologize." The Senator then continued.
"I was once a member of the media. I did a little television and movies now and then. I will do what is necessary to keep the American people safe. Yes, I will put pressure on institutions that break the law. If they cross the line, I will get them. Political pressure can be applied, but so can market pressure. We believe in the free market, and we have a right to apply pressure. The wingnuts have a right to speak, but they fail to understand that normal Americans also have a right to speak. There are more of us, and we need to make our voices loud and clear that we will not tolerate violations of law. We have the power to vote with our wallets."
If only Thompson had stopped in Bloggers Row at the Defending the American Dream Summit,….
