Thompson officially dropped out of the race for president on Jan. 22, 2008.
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Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Dalton Thompson, 65, is perhaps best known by the TV-watching American public as the gritty New York District Attorney on NBC's Law & Order. A pro-life conservative, Thompson earned a coveted endorsement from the National Right To Life Committee mainly on the grounds that he is the one candidate who could beat Rudy Giuliani and win the 2008 Republican nomination for president.
Political Views
Thompson considers himself a "Federalist," in that he believes that the federal government shares power with individual states.
Thompson believes abortion should be dealt with at the state level, but maintains the decision reached in Roe v. Wade was the "wrong" one. In the early 1990s, Thompson made a variety of conflicting statements on the abortion issue, but the NRTLC researched his Senate voting record and stands by its endorsement.
Thompson is opposed to same-sex marriage and civil unions. He voted in favor of a bill defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, and voted against a bill prohibiting discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. Although he doesn't believe the constitution should be amended to ban same-sex marriage, it is only because he believes the issue should be left up to individual states.
On the issue of embryonic stem-cell research, Thompson says US resources should instead be put "where the breakthroughs are happening," which he believes is in the area of adult stem cell research.
A gun-control opponent, Thompson believes the second amendment applies to individuals not collective groups like militias, and he has received campaign funding from all three major American gun lobbies.
Personal
Thompson was married in 1959 and divorced in 1985. He and his ex-wife have two surviving children. In 2002, his daughter accidentally overdosed on prescription medication. He married his second wife in 2002 after a six-year courtship. They have two children. Thompson has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but the cancer is in remission. He belongs to a non-denominational group of Christian churches.
Career Highlights
Thompson has performed in 24 movies and ten TV shows. A lawyer by profession, Thompson was also a part-time Capitol Hill lobbyist before running for Senate. He represented a variety of clients, including a family-planning group according to billing records. Thompson claims to have "no recollection" of working for the organization, however.
Political Views
Thompson considers himself a "Federalist," in that he believes that the federal government shares power with individual states.
Thompson believes abortion should be dealt with at the state level, but maintains the decision reached in Roe v. Wade was the "wrong" one. In the early 1990s, Thompson made a variety of conflicting statements on the abortion issue, but the NRTLC researched his Senate voting record and stands by its endorsement.
Thompson is opposed to same-sex marriage and civil unions. He voted in favor of a bill defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, and voted against a bill prohibiting discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. Although he doesn't believe the constitution should be amended to ban same-sex marriage, it is only because he believes the issue should be left up to individual states.
On the issue of embryonic stem-cell research, Thompson says US resources should instead be put "where the breakthroughs are happening," which he believes is in the area of adult stem cell research.
A gun-control opponent, Thompson believes the second amendment applies to individuals not collective groups like militias, and he has received campaign funding from all three major American gun lobbies.
Personal
Thompson was married in 1959 and divorced in 1985. He and his ex-wife have two surviving children. In 2002, his daughter accidentally overdosed on prescription medication. He married his second wife in 2002 after a six-year courtship. They have two children. Thompson has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but the cancer is in remission. He belongs to a non-denominational group of Christian churches.
Career Highlights
Thompson has performed in 24 movies and ten TV shows. A lawyer by profession, Thompson was also a part-time Capitol Hill lobbyist before running for Senate. He represented a variety of clients, including a family-planning group according to billing records. Thompson claims to have "no recollection" of working for the organization, however.