Should he run, add Fred Thompson to the list of acceptable anti-Communists

I was rummaging through Congressional Record transcripts to find the debates on PNTR, in particular the closing statement of lead PNTR critic Jesse Helms. Helms not only spoke against PNTR, but also threw amendment after amendment at it, which if any had passed, would have forced a conference committee, election season votes, and possibly of a future "train wreck," i.e., the bill would not pass due to the House and Senate being unable to reconcile their different versions of the bill. After the amendments were rejected Helms ended his role in the debate with some praise for those who worked with him on the amendments (Congressional Record, CAPS in original, emphasis added):

I shall always be grateful to Senators who endeavored to ensure a serious debate, and for their courage and resolve. I express my admiration to, among others, Senator BYRD and Senator THOMPSON, Senators BOB SMITH, JOHN KYL, PAUL WELLSTONE. These Senators were Churchillian in their efforts.

That would be Fred Thompson, the fellow who may or may not throw his hat in the ring for President - and who would become an immediate major contender if he did. Moreover, as Robert Novak notes (Cybercast News), Thompson served a term on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, one of the very few government bodies to take the Communist Chinese threat seriously.

Now, I am NOT abandoning Duncan Hunter. He is still my choice for President. In fact, for all of his efforts to amend PNTR, Thompson did vote for it, which Hunter did not.

So the former Senator will not have my support so long as Hunter is in the race. However, even I have to admit he is head and shoulders above John McCain and Mitt Romney, and has a stronger overall record than Rudy Giuliani.