Thompson scattergun hits Huckabee, Romney, McCain
Gannett News Service
Jan. 16, 2008 01:43 PM



ABBEVILLE, S.C. - Fred Thompson accused Mitt Romney of pandering. He called Mike Huckabee a flip-flopper. And just for good measure, he called his friend John McCain soft on immigration.

In the course of five minutes Wednesday, Thompson laid out his campaign strategy for the days leading up to the South Carolina Republican presidential primary. If he doesn't do well Saturday, he could quit the race.

Thompson said Romney, a Michigan native and former Massachusetts governor, tailors his message to whatever state he is in. Romney promised Michigan voters a massive federal bailout of the state's economy, something Thompson said would be wrong for a Republican. That's "a very conservative message, right?" he asked sarcastically.

Huckabee took even more fire.

"Governor Huckabee is very articulate and very witty, but he does not like to answer questions about his record," Thompson said to a crowd of about 100 at an Abbeville restaurant. He said Huckabee opposed legislation while governor that would have required a voter identification card in Arkansas and favored providing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Huckabee has responded by saying that while he has run a state, Thompson has never actually accomplished anything politically, only voting on issues while in the U.S. Senate.

The newly aggressive Thompson is drawing praise.

"I really like he's calling out Mike Huckabee," said Terri Brubaker, 50, a software engineer who watched Thompson from the back of the restaurant. "Fred Thompson is honest and forthright."

Thompson told the crowd that McCain, who the former Tennessee senator called a personal friend, is "wrong on immigration."

"When I saw him joining forces with Senator (Ted) Kennedy, I knew he was on the wrong track," Thompson said referring to the immigration reform legislation many conservatives opposed because it provided illegal immigrants a way to earn citizenship.

Hubert Lollar, 76, who attended an event earlier in the day at a restaurant in Laurens, said that as the son of a Navy pilot, he respected McCain and understood the former Vietnam prisoner of war's appeal in the state. But he's a Thompson supporter.

"The other candidates (other than McCain) are trying to get to your emotions on very small issues and I think Thompson focuses on the big issues."
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