The Nation Claims Fred is a Neocon
Is Fred a neocon? The Nation tries to paint that story in theAugust 13 issue of the magazine. I think this is more than a bit dubious. Thompson has a strong record as a pro-American senator and is taking appropriate hardline positions on key issues like terrorism and possibly Iran (and immigration too for that matter). However, thus far, I have not heard anything that puts him into the realm of Wolfowitz or either Kristol (Bill or Irving). Yes he supported Scooter Libby, but so did a lot of non-neo conservatives.
By the way, I don’t think Cheney is a raging neocon either. I think there is a convergence of views between Cheney who is at bottom an American nationalist (which is not a bad thing) and the neoconservative intellectuals. That convergence is part of the reason he helped empower certain thinkers of that persuasion. However, I don’t think Cheney has gone through the multiple metamorphoses that the neoconservatives have over the last several decades as they shifted from the political left to the right. Cheney has always been pretty consistent in his conservatism. Bottom line is, I suspect the left is trying to tar Fred early on with the dreaded appellation of “neocon” in order to discredit him. I think this might be because they are afraid of him. I know he is getting hit in the press for staff shakeups and a poor $3 million fundraising total (which was the total for under a month of actual raising). All candidates get their lumps, his is now because he still the hot commodity. I think when he gets in, his operation will be effective and as the laid back, yet firm and avuncular candidate, he stands a good chance of securing the nomination and being a challenge for Hillary in swing states.
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