Reporting moves by Fred Thompson to launch a presidential campaign, ABC's Jake Tapper on Wednesday night interjected a conservative take on the actor and former Senator, suggesting “Thompson will soon face questions” about “the liberal positions he's taken in the past on campaign finance reform and abortion.” Describing McCain-Feingold as “liberal” is noteworthy in itself. In his World News piece, Tapper had explained how, given conservative dissatisfaction with the three leading Republican contenders, Thompson thinks he can be “a conservative with star power.” But, Tapper cautioned, “playing a President is a lot easier than being one.”
The NBC Nightly News also took time to look at a potential Thompson bid, but neither Brian Williams or Tim Russert hinted at any liberal views held by Thompson. In fact, Williams relayed how “he would run as a red-meat conservative” and Russert reported that, to fill the vacuum felt by conservatives, “Thompson would try to cast himself as a consistent conservative.”
The relevant portion of Jake Tapper's May 30 World News story:
“But playing a President is a lot easier than being one. Thompson will soon face questions about his lack of legislative accomplishments during his eight years as a Senator from Tennessee and the liberal positions he's taken in the past on campaign finance reform and abortion. And, as he faced during his successful 1994 Senate race, about his past career as a lobbyist.”
