Fred
Thompson is one of the most respected and visible figures speaking out
on the important challenges facing America today. Senator Thompson’s
uniquely American life has been marked not only by recognizing
opportunity when it arose, but by answering the call to public service
and leadership. His dedication to law and passion for the founding
principles that laid America’s foundation led him to serve for eight
years as a Senator from Tennessee and to his recent presidential
campaign.
Elected
to the United States Senate in 1994, his independent approach to
campaigning has become legendary; he refused to play by the
establishment’s political rules. Driving a red pickup truck, he took to
the highways and back roads of the Volunteer State, talking to
Tennessee citizens from the back of what became the symbol of his
campaign. Mr. Thompson spoke about the need for a competent and ethical
federal government, reminding voters of the importance of
self-government and lower taxes. His effort paid off; he defeated a
6-term Congressman by a large margin of victory.
Two
years later, the people of Tennessee returned him to office with more
votes than any candidate for any office in the state’s history at that
time. Serving as Chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee,
and as a member of the Finance Committee and Select Committee on
Intelligence, Senator Thompson focused on lowering taxes, strengthening
national security, and cutting wasteful government spending. In the
tradition of President George Washington, a leader Thompson had admired
growing up, he walked away from an easy reelection victory in 2002.
In
March 2002, in the aftermath of the loss of his adult daughter, Senator
Thompson announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate. He
has two sons who live in Nashville. He retired with an 86% American
Conservative Union rating and a 100% rating pro-life voting record.
Divorced in 1985, he remarried in 2002. He and Jeri have a three-and-a-half year old daughter, and a seven-month old son.
Prior to his election, Thompson maintained law offices in Nashville and
Washington. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant United
States Attorney in Tennessee. In 1973, he was appointed by Senator
Howard Baker to serve as Minority Counsel to the Senate Watergate
Committee where Thompson first gained national attention for leading
the line of inquiry that revealed the audio-taping system in the White
House Oval Office. He detailed his Watergate experience in his
Watergate memoir, At That Point in Time. In 1974, after the Watergate hearings concluded, Thompson returned to the practice of law.
Senator Thompson first appeared on screen in the film Marie
in 1985, portraying himself in the fact-based story of a high-profile
public corruption case he handled in Tennessee. Since then, he has
appeared in numerous movies and television programs, including No Way Out, In the Line of Fire, Die Hard II, Days of Thunder and The Hunt for Red October and the television series China Beach, Wiseguy, and Matlock.
Recently, he has become known for his portrayal of New York District
Attorney Arthur Branch on the Emmy Award-winning NBC drama, Law & Order.
In
2005, Senator Thompson was named by President Bush as an advisor to
Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee John Roberts, helping to move his
nomination through the Senate confirmation process. Thompson continued
his public service as Chairman of the State Department’s International
Security Advisory Board.
In all this, Thompson has been a man of
the times, adapting his unique abilities and leveraging today’s
communications technologies to speak to the American people about
issues he feels are important to the nation. Whether it’s on the radio,
filling in for Paul Harvey on the ABC Network with news and
commentaries, on his own “Fred Thompson Reports” commentaries and
broadcasts, online blog posts or TV appearances, Senator Thompson has
focused on the issues of the day viewed through the “first principles”
he’s stressed throughout his career.
He’s talked about big issues and challenges our nation is facing now, and will face tomorrow:
- The ongoing threat of Islamist terrorism
- The unresolved economic threat of entitlements
- The need for lower taxes to ensure our nation remains economically competitive and innovative
- The need to secure our borders
- The need to support families and to protect our children from the harder edges of culture
- The need to remain engaged in the world while remaining true to America’s principles
In
early 2007, Thompson embarked on what he calls a “dialogue” with the
American people, through his various venues, to determine whether there
was a desire among American voters for him to enter Republican
Presidential race. Along the way, sites such as “Draft Fred Thompson,”
“Fred Head” and “Fred Facts” proliferated online. In June, Thompson
filed papers that would allow him to raise funds to further explore a
presidential run.
Senator Thompson withdrew from the
race for the Republican nomination in late January, 2008 and endorsed
the eventual winner, Senator John McCain. Since that time, Senator
Thompson has remained active in public affairs while continuing his
varied interests in law, entertainment and commentary. In August, 2008
Thompson announced the formation of Fred PAC, a federal political
action committee dedicated to electing men and women who share his
First Principles approach to government. A featured speaker at the
Republican National Convention, Thompson continues to speak out on the
vital issues of the day.
Senator Thompson is a native of
Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. He attended Memphis State University, where he
earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science. He
received his law degree from Vanderbilt University.