reality-based educator

Earlier this week we learned that Law & Order star and potential GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson was a mole for the Nixon White House who worked "hammer and tong to defeat the investigation of finding out what happened to authorize Watergate and find out what the role of the president was" when he held the position of minority counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee. According to the Boston Globe this revelation, which Thompson does not deny, is "strikingly at odds with the former Tennessee senator's longtime image as an independent-minded prosecutor who helped bring down the president he admired" - an image which Thompson touts on his website.

Thompson also touts his image as a law and order guy - an image which is helped by his portrayal of a no-nonsense prosecutor on the show Law & Order. But we know from Thompson's position on the Scooter Libby commutation and his actions as the chairman for the Free Scooter Fund (which raised tens of millions of dollars for Libby's defense) that Thompson believes law and order should only pertain to people outside of his circle of friends and political allies. If you're politically connected and part of the Republican Party establishment, then perjury and obstruction of justice are not sufficiently serious enough to send you to jail (although interestingly, Thompson did think perjury was enough to get Bill Clinton impeached.) Again, this undercuts his image as a tough-talking, no-nonsense law and order guy.

And today we learn that Thompson, who has worked for over 20 years as a lobbyist, has also shilled for crooks outside the political spectrum. Ken Bazinet has the story in the NY Daily News:

WASHINGTON - All-but-declared GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson is shilling for a company whose co-founder was accused of secretly tapping into people's bank accounts.

The ex-"Law & Order" actor is airing a one-minute radio spot around the country for LifeLock, an identity-protection company co-founded by Robert Maynard.

"It's part of his contract at ABC Radio Networks. Like the other on-air talent, they are contractually obligated to do some commercials," said Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo.

As first reported in the Los Angeles Times, the Federal Trade Commission alleged in 1996 that Maynard got account numbers from consumers by peddling himself as a credit-repair expert who would clean up their credit reports.

Maynard settled the case without admitting to the charge, though he did agree to get out of the credit-fixing business.

ABC Radio Networks and Thompson's spokesman said LifeLock is a legitimate company and he will continue to promote it. Maynard resigned last month as LifeLock's marketing director when his past was revealed, but he remains a consultant and shareholder.

...

"He's lobbying for the powerful special interests ... serving as the pitchman for a company whose owner is accused of fraud," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Stacie Paxton. "It's pretty clear that Fred Thompson stands for what's best for him and his special interest friends, not the American people," she added.

So far, the LifeLock ad is the only spot Thompson has done for ABC Radio Networks. The former Tennessee senator does "The Fred Thompson Report" and is a stand-in for Paul Harvey.

Got to love the spin from Thompson's spokesman - "Hey, it's not Fred's fault he's shilling for a guy who stole money from people's bank accounts, he has to do this commercial as part of his radio contract."

Except that this is the only commercial he has made as part of that contract.

Nice, huh - Thompson is shilling for a company run by a guy who betrayed the trust of his customers by emptying their bank accounts and Thompson sees nothing wrong with it.

I detect a pattern here.

Elect Thompson and expect he and his friends to rob you blind and expect Thompson to pardon them to make sure they do no time.

Remember, law and order is ONLY for people outside of the Republican Party establishment and/or Thompson's circle of friends and business associates.