Fred Thompson And Virginia Tech
Update: Thompson's spokesman, Mark Corallo, says Thompson was not, in fact, referring to VA Tech.
Last night, aspiring presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said
"We're are now living in a nation that is beset by suicidal maniacs..."
He proceeded to criticize the Senate immigration bill.
Was he referring to Cho Seung-Hui's rampage?
Because if he was, Thompson is positioning himself well to the right of Tom Tancredo on immigration. Hui was a legal immigrant who acheived permanent resident status-- and, anyway, unless Thompson is a cultural essentialist, was, at the time of his shootings, more of an American than he was a Korean. Anyway, is Thompson saying that every legal immigrant is a potential Cho? What does VA Tech have to do with amnesty for illegal immigrants?
Or maybe Thompson's referring to hidden terror cells in the US.
Or maybe he meant to say "we are living in a WORLD"... which would make much more sense.[MARC AMBINDER]
I thought it was pretty clear it referred to terrorists.
You're reading way too much into this.
I love how you're giving Fred many different angles for his comment, rather than simply reporting he said a silly, stupid thing.
Oh, so fair and balanced.
The point the Senator was trying to make is that we are, in fact, living in a *Nation* beset by suicidal maniacs who wish us ill.
They are outside of the country now, but because of the porosity of our borders, they could be here tomorrow.
Saying that the "world" is beset misses his fundamental point.
Even an idiot listening to this could pick up right away that the context of this was the 9/11 hijackers and terror cells in the U.S.
So glad you're following this. I've seen the quote all over the place, but am curious about the context, what he meant, etc. Who's suicidal maniacs here? Immigrants? Democrats? I like this theory.
I do not see how anyone could view this quote as a reference to VA Tech since Thompson goes onto say that these maniacs want to kill thousands of people "around the world". Furthermore, to be "beset" by something does not require that thing to be actually in our country, just threatening it.
Thanks for your great coverage.
What Fred obviously was referring to is that our federal government hasn't secured our borders as was promised since 1986 on the passage of the last amnesty bill. The borders are still wide open and the vast majority of us are enraged they are not doing their job in protecting us from terrorists by enforcing the laws already a full two decades on the books. The terrorists who easily can and have entered our country is fact found by any citizens who care enough to know... surely then, you do not care or your actual intention has absolutely nothing to do with what he said.
Today, many of our 'representatives' are trying to give us more of this same wrongheaded, political advantage driven, amnesty idiocy again. This is what Fred was saying in your offered video clip.
Only the unbalanced and/or political opportunist would attempt to inject that Fred was in any way referring, with any word he used, to the madman on VA Tech campus...I don't care enough to guess which pretense you're erroneously employing.
However, Fred has indeed already discussed the slaughter of VA Tech though, Google "Signs of Intelligence". ( If you've seen it, your subconcious must have summarily rejected the title. )
I'm sorry I wasted my time reading Marc's comments. Obviously, Thompson was talking about Jihadist terrorist and not insane people of Korean origin. I suppose I should ask what agenda even makes Marc suggests otherwise.
Reasonable interpretations are the key to getting return readers.
Well, Cho Seung-Hui wasn't attacking the nation, just some people who offended him personally (or so I understand from his rants)... so he's out.
I wonder... are there maybe some other suicidal maniacs that have called for the destruction of the U.S.? Maybe recently, a group of people calling for the destruction of both the U.S. and Israel perhaps? Hmm, nope. Nobody I guess... whew I was worried there for a minute.
Thank goodness there isn't a group of people willing to die themselves to kill Americans. What'dya mean 9 11? Which is it, 9 or 11? Pick a number buddy, jeez.