Maryland for Fred Thompson

50 Days until the Iowa Caucuses
66 Days until the South Carolina Primary
69 Days until the New Hampshire Primary (tentative)

• Investors Business Daily:
  

  Presidential candidates hate telling voters what they plan to do for fear of scaring them off. Kudos, then, to Fred Thompson for being the first to unveil a plan to solve our looming Social Security crisis.

  It’s a gutsy move. Especially when you consider that President Bush, who courageously brought the topic up, got exactly nowhere with it — even with a Republican Congress.

  There’s very little gain in this for Thompson politically. He will now take potshots from the AARP and other special interest groups, not to mention those on the left who will falsely accuse him of trying to “dismantle” Social Security.

  That said, hats off to Thompson for his plan. It would trade off future benefits of those now working — people over 57 wouldn’t have their benefits touched — in exchange for letting them create 401(k)-style accounts. He would have government match the private savings that workers put in. And it’s entirely voluntary.

• Myrtle Beach Sun News:
  

  Thompson spoke to a crowd of about 250 during his first visit to the Grand Strand since September, when he announced his bid for the Republican ticket via the Internet.

  If a Democrat is voted back into the White House, the country will be “headed down the path of a welfare state,” Thompson said.

  “I didn’t work all these years and put out all that effort to hand over our country to the most left-wing part of the most left-wing Democratic party we’ve ever seen,” he said to uproarious applause, hoots and hollers.

  Once the crowd simmered down, Thompson promoted his agenda: To cut taxes, affirm faith and values, support strong national defense initiatives and work to curb “big government and runaway spending,” among other things.

  He likened the values of the Founding Fathers of the U.S. to his own.

  “They showed us the importance of a strong national defense. They showed us that basic human rights come from God, not from any government. They reminded us of the dangers of too much power in too few hands,” Thompson said.

  Little River residents Sue and Tom Strigo said they like what they’ve been hearing from Thompson.

  “I like his style. I like what he talks about,” Sue Strigo said. “I’m just really rooting for him and I want him to outdo Hillary Clinton.”

  Tom Stirgo said, “We’re here because we think he’s the better candidate.

  “Fred has come out of the gates very controlled, in my opinion,” he said. “I feel like he’s going to sprint when it’s necessary, but I’d like to see him present himself with a little more zest, a little zing - get some excitement going.”

• Associated Press:
  

  Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson called for a million-member military ground force and more funding to equip and care for service members and veterans in a speech today at a military college in this early presidential primary state.

  The former Tennessee senator and actor also told a crowd The Citadel that he wants more modern battle equipment on the ground, in the air and on the water to help revitalize the nation’s security.

  “With 20th century equipment in a 21st century war, our material support for our troops has not matched the demands we have placed on them,” Thompson said to applause from hundreds of cadets, staff and visitors at the school’s basketball arena. “We’ve been asking too few troops to do too much for too long.”

  “Some would say this plan is too much and too big,” Thompson said. “I don’t believe that’s the case, not at all.”

  …

  Thompson said Tuesday he wants a military ground force that includes 775,000 in the Army and 225,000 Marines. That would be 23,000 more Marines than the Pentagon currently is seeking.

  “Half measures and small increases will no longer do. We need the best all-volunteer force that can meet the security needs of this country. And they must be organized, trained and equipped to deal with tomorrow’s threats as well as today,” Thompson said.

• Matt Hurley at Weapons of Mass Discussion:
  

  Fred Thompson gets the most important issue in this election…national security.

  Democrats and the 527 media (but I repeat myself) are going to continue downplaying Iraq because they think that is the whole ballgame but an American victory there means big things for the war on terror. We’ve got a real mess in Afghanistan and Pakistan right now, and Fred Thompson has just illustrated that he understands what it will take to win.

  This is policy I can get behind…

• Phil Ayres at Tennessee Talk:
  

  It is great to hear a Presidential candidate talk like this. When I was in the military, the mantra was “do more with less”. Frankly, I got tired of hearing that. That is disgraceful… I can’t imagine how many times I heard very senior officers say that. And, it became an acceptable policy throughout the military.

  And, what do we get from “do more with less?”… we get a military that is stretched beyond its limit. Soldiers and sailors should not have to operate in that type of environment. Our nation’s finest should have adequate supplies and equipment. And, frankly, they should have more pay and better benefits. For the sacrifices that they make, everyday, for this country, we owe that to them. And, I am very glad that Fred Thompson recognizes that.