Thompson's Pick: Soldiers Over Lawmakers

Friday, November 16, 2007 3:41 PM

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said Friday that a 20-year-old soldier serving in Iraq often has a better understanding of national security than a veteran lawmaker in Congress.

Thompson spoke to about 100 supporters in Florida, where recent polls show the actor-politician in single digits, trailing his top rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney and in a close race with John McCain and Mike Huckabee. Thompson met privately with about 15-20 family members of deployed soldiers and sailors from the town populated by military retirees and home to Pensacola Naval Air Station.

"It always is amazing to me that the average 20-year-old today serving in Iraq has a better understanding often times of our national security and what it takes than a 20-year veteran of Capitol Hill who is playing politics," Thompson said.

Thompson, a Tennessee senator for eight years, served on the Intelligence committee. Among Thompson's rivals, McCain was elected to the Senate in 1986 and is the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees the military.

Thompson said the U.S. should not pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan with "our tail between our legs," and argued that the U.S. is making progress in Iraq since President Bush increased the number of troops earlier this year.

Thompson repeated his call for boosting the size of the military.

Eldon Levi, who served in the Army during the Korean War, was among those gathered on the downtown pier because he said he wanted to hear Thompson's message about national security.

"I'm worried about security, I'm not concerned about abortion or some of those other issues. So far he is the only one saying anything about national security," Levi said.

http://www.newsmax.com/politics/thompso ... 50138.html