FRED THOMPSON HAS NO PRINCIPLES. Note the plural. He does, judging by his website have one principle -- federalism. It's the only thing listed in his "principles" page and it's mainly a long, pedantic essay that answers the question "so what is this federalism thing anyway?" There's almost no discussion of the issues except for, bizarrely, immigration which is a federal issue if there ever was one:
The recent immigration bill was a case in point. That bill failed, and it failed for good reason. The federal government simply had no credibility on the issue.
The promises of the 1986 immigration bill have not been fulfilled. Current laws have not been enforced. The federal government has been failing in its fundamental responsibility to control the borders. Worse, when state officials have tried to act with reforms of their own, federal authorities have gotten in the way. In the end, many in both parties in Congress have learned a lesson: promises about immigration reform aren't worth much unless you have credibility. And in this case there's only one way that credibility can be regained. Federal leaders must do their job and secure the borders of the United States.
I don't even understand the logic here. The federal governement has not acted effectively -- fine I agree -- but what does this have to do with federalism? Are states supposed to enforce immigration laws? Thompson really has an issue with federal policy, not the involvement of the federal government with the issue. He's going to need to do a bit more if he wants to counteract his reputation as a lightweight.
--Sam Boyd
