Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Cage Match! Thompson Camp Rips Romney Over "Phoney Fred" Web Site

Cage Match! Thompson Camp Rips Romney Over "Phoney Fred" Web Site

By Greg Sargent - September 11, 2007, 4:29PM

Fred Thompson's campaign says they're not buying Mitt Romney's claim that the creator of the "Phoney Fred" Web site acted without authorization from his campaign.

Team Thompson -- or perhaps determined to distract from his Osama "due process" comment the other day -- is just out with a new statement demanding Romney ax the people responsible for the site:

"There is no room in our party for this kind of smut. As the top executive of his own campaign, Gov. Romney should take full responsibility for this type of high-tech gutter politics and issue an immediate apology. In addition, Gov. Romney should exercise some of his much-touted executive acumen, take control of his flailing campaign, and immediately terminate anyone and everyone related to this outrage.
"This latest episode only serves to prove what many voters are already figuring out: Mitt Romney will do anything, say anything, smear any opponent and flip flop on any position in order to win. The American people in general and the Republican Party in particular deserve better than this."

We agree that whoever came up with all those silly alliterative insults of Fred is perhaps guilty of a firing offense. Either way, this is some pretty hot rhetoric for a campaign that only just launched. The Thompson campaign's full statement after the jump.

Late Update: Romney spokesman Kevin Madden has just emailed us a response to Thompson's statement, rapping the Thompson campaign for engaging in attack politics on the anniversary of September 11. Madden:

“Today is a day of remembrance, and should be a day without political statements or attacks on opposing campaigns.”

"Fred Thompson entered the race for president just days ago, talking about uniting our country around a core set of conservative beliefs. According to the Washington Post, it is now clear that while Fred Thompson is working to bring our country together, an increasingly desperate Mitt Romney and his campaign are already hard at work to divide us, practicing the lowest kind of politics.
"Today's half-baked cover-up attempt by the Romney campaign does not even pass the laugh test. The Romney campaign has paid Warren Tompkins and his various firms hundreds of thousands of dollars. Wesley Donehue works for Tompkins and is listed on Tompkins' own webpage as an associate of the firm. According to PalmettoScoop.com, Donehue 'runs the daily operations of their political consulting firm, Tompkins, Thompson and Sullivan, including direct mail efforts and a number of Web-based ventures.'

"There is no room in our party for this kind of smut. As the top executive of his own campaign, Gov. Romney should take full responsibility for this type of high-tech gutter politics and issue an immediate apology. In addition, Gov. Romney should exercise some of his much-touted executive acumen, take control of his flailing campaign, and immediately terminate anyone and everyone related to this outrage.

"This latest episode only serves to prove what many voters are already figuring out: Mitt Romney will do anything, say anything, smear any opponent and flip flop on any position in order to win. The American people in general and the Republican Party in particular deserve better than this."

Comments (28)

cT Voter wrote on September 11, 2007 4:34 PM:

Obama due process? Or...is this a typo?

distract from his Obama "due process" comment

Cap'n Phealy wrote on September 11, 2007 4:48 PM:

Smut?

bob wrote on September 11, 2007 5:23 PM:

Mary Matalin has been caged up for months waiting to get back into attack dog mode once Fred finally announced.

I love the irony of Romney, a huge phony if I ever heard of one, accusing Thompson of being a phony.

Can we just stipulate that they are both phonies down to the core of their beings?

Steve wrote on September 11, 2007 5:24 PM:

Why does Kevin Madden care what's being written here?

coozledad wrote on September 11, 2007 5:35 PM:

I thought this kind of "smut" was the lifeblood of the Republican party. Well I guess not this particular kind: to the Romney campaign's credit, there was no mention of Thompson's eleven black homosexual children, or that he burns an American flag while parading naked inside a magic circle, and he has those Ronald Reagan lightswitch covers.
Oh, and he ain't never kilt a bar on a tree.

flip the switch wrote on September 11, 2007 6:04 PM:

ronald reagan lightswitch covers?

lambert strether wrote on September 11, 2007 6:04 PM:

Let's try to keep the tone civil, shall we?

For example, I wouldn't call Romney phoney; I'd call him hinky.

See how easy?

coozledad wrote on September 11, 2007 6:15 PM:

flip the switch: Back in the day, you could get switchplate covers that made it appear the switch protruded through Ronnie's trousers. Up for "ON" and down for "Oh mommy, I really could use a nap".

Shii wrote on September 11, 2007 6:45 PM:

Today is a day of remembrance, and should be a day without political statements or attacks on opposing campaigns.

Today is a day of dodging the question.

markg8 wrote on September 11, 2007 6:56 PM:

Pistols at dawn! A southern gentleman's honor has been besmirched! If I have my way Ol' Fred is gonna shoot somebody in the face before this is all over.

Answer Man wrote on September 11, 2007 9:25 PM:

I apologize. I'll ask you the same question tomorrow. Or the next day. Which will be better for you?

tekel wrote on September 11, 2007 10:05 PM:

A day of remembrance? The only thing I'm remembrancing is how George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney let a bunch of Saudi terrorists stage an attack on American soil, and how they still haven't done anything about it.

Nice work, George W. Bush. Way to fail at being President.

I would trust Mitt Romney to fail just as spectacularly.

Re: pistols at dawn, that would be great- especially if they both hit their targets. Two less douchebags polluting my public airwaves.

commie atheist wrote on September 12, 2007 12:16 AM:

In addition, Gov. Romney should exercise some of his much-touted executive acumen, take control of his flailing campaign, and immediately terminate anyone and everyone related to this outrage

Perhaps Romney should hire Jeri Thompson, who apparently has some experience in firing campaign managers.

jackifus wrote on September 12, 2007 12:18 AM:

I'm curious why the vitriol for Fred Thompson?

I'm not a supporter of his - but, I found his manner to be a great improvement over all other GOP candidates except for Ron Paul.

He specifically called for bipartisanship in solving the nation's problems ... that's pretty amazing during a primary. He publishes short essays on his positions on his website - yes, in a folksy manner - but still, though i disagree with his position, I find that he has elevated the discussion as compared with other pols.

I'm genuinely curious to hear why people are so vitriolic. If I'm greatly mistaken, and the guy has done some horrible things - please post a link ...

thanks

Richard L. Adlof wrote on September 12, 2007 12:36 AM:

"There is no room in our party for this kind of smut."

What the fuck?!? A member of the Party of Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich,Tom Delay, George W. Bush and Karl Rove wrote that . . . And seriously meant that.

Did I just drop acid without a watch dog to keep me from hurting myself?

BlueStateRedhead wrote on September 12, 2007 7:06 AM:

The site is still linkable in todays online version of the article in the NYT. It takes you, however, to a far right blog.
http://www.texasrainmaker.com/
Is this an ambush or has the Times been hijacked?Can anyone explain?

Goldspinner wrote on September 12, 2007 8:22 AM:

Mr. Romney is probably just perturbed that he didn't have first dibs on Tim Griffith.

Goldspinner wrote on September 12, 2007 8:24 AM:

Oops, my bad. I meant "Tim Griffin". Where's my espresso?

brew wrote on September 12, 2007 8:37 AM:

What really struck me was the end of the prepared statement.

"The American people in general and the Republican Party in particular deserve better than this."

wtf?

Did they just admit that they put the interests of the Republican Party ahead of the American people?

I realize we all knew that was the case, but it is nevertheless stunning to see them put it in writing.

qkslvrwolf wrote on September 12, 2007 5:34 PM:

Brew, that is exactly the question I was jumping down the comment stream to ask. Unfreakin' believable. Please, people with more audience than me, save that comment just in case freddy wins the primary. I would love to see that thrown in his face during the general.

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Cage Match! Thompson Camp Rips Romney Over "Phoney Fred" Web Site

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