Ironglow, you'll have to make up your mind on Fred Thompson, like you need to with every candidate. Unlike some politicians, Thompson has preferred to keep religious beliefs somewhat private, but that by no means should indicate that he is anti-Christian. Here's some info on his personal life and a response by a Focus on the Family spokeman in response to a media accusation that Dr. James Dobson was reported to say that Thompson was not a christian.
Best regards, Muskeg
Information on Sen. Fred Thompson's personal life
The son of an auto salesman respected in his community for his unwavering honesty, Fred Thompson was born in Sheffield, Alabama on August 19, 1942 to Fletcher and Ruth Bradley Thompson and grew up in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee in a household of modest means.
A star athlete in high school, Fred excelled in football, basketball and other sports. After graduation in the spring of 1960, Thompson took a semester away from school, working days in the local post office and nights as an assembly line worker at the Murray Ohio bicycle plant.
Fred began his post-secondary education at Florence State College in Florence, Alabama (now the University of North Alabama), which he attended for three semesters from 1961 to 1962. Thompson then transferred to Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis), earning his degree with a double major in Philosophy and Political Science in 1964. Fred worked his way through Memphis State by holding jobs as a shoe salesman and a truck driver. This work ethic, combined with his extensive study of classical philosophy and political science, led young Thompson to a firm belief in conservative ideals.
Fred Thompson was offered scholarships to both Tulane and Vanderbilt law schools. He accepted the latter, completing his J.D. at Vanderbilt and securing admittance to the Tennessee Bar Association in 1967. Thompson then returned to his home town of Lawrenceburg and began practicing law with the firm of Lindsey and Thompson. After two years he was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. In this position, he was primarily involved in prosecuting federal and criminal cases in Nashville. During this time, the young lawyer also became involved in local politics.
The marriage of Fred Thompson and Sara Lindsey began on September 12, 1959 when they were both very young (he was just 17), and the couple lived in public housing for a year. It ended amicably in divorce in 1985. They had three children, two of whom are grown sons Tony and Daniel. They lost the third, daughter Elizabeth Thompson Panici at age 38, in 2002 after she failed to come out of a drug-overdose-induced coma. Heartbroken, Fred did not run for re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Fred Thompson is married to Jeri Kehn, a political media consultant at the Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, and McPherson law firm in Washington, D.C. Kehn, a 1984 graduate of Naperville North High School in Illinois, also worked for the Senate Republican Conference and the Republican National Committee. The couple met at a Fourth of July picnic in 1996 and were married June 29, 2002. In October 2003, they had a daughter, Hayden Victoria Thompson, and a second child was born in November 2006. Fred also has five grandchildren by the children of his first marriage.
Unlike some other contenders for the GOP presidential nomination, Thompson didn't allow his second marriage to overlap with his first wife. Divorced in 1985, Fred didn't meet Jeri Kehn until 1996, and they married in 2002. The couple are members of the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination. When visiting Jeri's family and friends in Illinois, the Thompsons often return to the church in which they were wed, First Congregational United Church of Christ in Naperville, for Sunday worship services. These church visits by Fred and Jeri are not publicized ahead of time, according to a church staffer.
About his well-known reputation for courting and sparking several young and beautiful women as a bachelor senator in Washington during the years between his two marriages, "I plead guilty," he said in a recent interview with the WSJ's John Fund. "But everyone I knew is still a friend, and if somehow they aren't I guess we'd hear about it. I'm happy with my life partner and children now."
Re: Dobson's comments
We welcome the opportunity to reply to your comments regarding Dr. Dobson’s remarks that were first reported in Dan Gilgoff’s online article titled “Dobson Offers Insight on 2008 Republican Hopefuls: Focus on the Family Founder Snubs Thompson, Praises Gingrich” (_U.S. News & World Report_, March 28, 2007). At the outset, it’s important to note that this headline is an outright mischaracterization of the views Dr. Dobson expressed. His words weren’t intended as a disparagement of Senator Fred Thompson.
In fact, we can assure you that Dr. Dobson appreciates Senator Thompson’s solid, pro-family voting record and his position that _Roe v. Wade_ was wrongly decided. In his conversation with Mr. Gilgoff, Dr. Dobson, speaking as a private citizen, was attempting to highlight that to the best of his knowledge, Senator Thompson hadn’t clearly communicated his religious faith, and many evangelical Christians might find this a barrier to supporting him. Dr. Dobson told Mr. Gilgoff that he had never met Senator Thompson and wasn’t certain that his understanding of the former Senator’s religious convictions was accurate. Unfortunately, these qualifiers weren’t reported by Mr. Gilgoff. We were, however, pleased to learn from his spokesperson that Senator Thompson professes to be a believer.
Also, it may be of interest to know that Dr. Dobson received a cordial e-mail from Senator Thompson saying that he was surprised initially upon reading the article by Mr. Gilgoff, but then concluded that Dr. Dobson’s remarks had been grossly misrepresented. He urged Dr. Dobson to dismiss the matter and added that he intended to do the same.
In conclusion, let us caution you not to believe what you read about Dr. Dobson in the secular media today. Never in the 30-year history of Focus on the Family has there been more misreporting and outright distortion of his beliefs and teachings. It is apparent that those who represent a liberal worldview seek to marginalize him and confuse our friends. If you ever have a question concerning what you read about Dr. Dobson or our organization, please do contact us for clarification. The chances are you have been misinformed.
Again, thanks for writing. Please pray for Dr. Dobson and this ministry in the days ahead. Grace and peace to you!
Amy Campbell
Focus on the Family Action
