President Fred Thompson – Veto or Sign It?

Pat Toomey has written an interesting idea over at NRO If you don’t bother to read the article, the basic premise: “Veto or Sign It” poses hypothetical Democratic bills to the candidates and asks if they would veto or sign them.

I would like to run with that idea on a question that I have about Fred Thompson.

President Fred Thompson, a Democratic bill comes to your desk that removes enhanced law enforcement investigatory tools allowed by the US Patriot Act. Veto or Sign It?

Let me add that I do support Fred Thompson for POTUS. Fred is the conservative political outsider who also has some Washington insider experience from being an attorney during the Nixon Watergate hearings to serving in the US Senate. Fred has written some excellent essays at Townhall.com from where I can get an understanding of his position about the important issues the USA faces. Fred has given some excellent stump speeches that also make clear where he stands. From my research on Fred Thompson there is only one instance that really bothers me. What really bothers me is why Sen. Fred Thompson voted with Sen. Russ Feingold on a “poison pill” amendment that Sen. Feingold introduced to kill the US Patriot Act. I don’t know why Fred voted this way, and it troubles me because I truly believe that the enhanced law enforcement investigatory tools that the US Patriot Act have provided are the reason there has been no successful terrorist attack in the US since 9/11/01. Maybe somebody else has done better research than I, and they can provide me with answers that will give me comfort.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 107^th Congress - 1^st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On Passage of the Bill (S.1510 )

Vote Number: 302 Vote Date: October 11, 2001, 11:43 PM

Required For Majority: ½ Vote Result: Bill Passed

Measure Number: S. 1510

Measure Title: A bill to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes.

Vote Counts: YEAs 96

NAYs 1 Feingold (D-WI)

Not Voting – 3 Domenici (R-NM) Helms (R-NC) Thurmond (R-SC)

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 107^th Congress - 1^st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Motion to Table (Motion to Table Feingold Amdt. No. 1900 )

Vote Number: 300 Vote Date: October 11, 2001, 10:28 PM

Required For Majority: ½ Vote Result: Motion to Table Agreed to

Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1900 to S. 1510

Statement of Purpose: To limit the roving wiretap authority under FISA.

Vote Counts: YEAs 90

NAYs 7 Cantwell (D-WA) Corzine (D-NJ) Feingold (D-WI)

Levin (D-MI) Specter (R-PA) Thompson (R-TN) Wellstone (D-MN)

Not Voting – 3 Domenici (R-NM) Helms (R-NC) Thurmond (R-SC)