The right wing must immediately denounce Fred Thompson.

[madfloridian]

At once. Now. Without hesitation.

They totally comdemned Howard Dean when he said this in 2003, as did his fellow Democrats.

Howard Dean says it's too early to judge Bin Laden:

Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says it's premature to recommend what penalty Osama bin Laden should face before he's been legally determined to be guilty of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Asked whether bin Laden should be tried in the United States and put to death, Dean told the Concord Monitor: "I still have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials."

Too early to judge

Oliver Willis has compiled the things they said about Howard Dean when he spoke out honestly on this issue. I believe they should hold Fred Thompson in equal contempt.

By The Right's Own Standards, Fred Thompson Is Weak On Terrorism For Wanting "Due Process" For Osama Bin Laden

But back in 2003, the right went after Howard Dean for saying that Bin Laden shouldn't be "prejudged" and should be subjected to a trial to demonstrate our support for the rule of law.

Powerline:

Is Howard Dean only figuratively out of his mind? This AP story has me wondering: "Dean: It's premature to convict bin Laden." How many symptoms of utter blinking derangement can you count in the two lead sentences of the story?

Jonah Goldberg:

Can you imagine FDR declaring he didn't want to "pre-judge" Hitler? The comment was a parody of conservative complaints about the Democratic Party's approach to the war on terror; they see it as a pesky law-enforcement problem.

Little Green Footballs:

It’s an indicator of how loony the base of Howard Dean’s support is, that he thinks it’s a winning position to treat Osama bin Laden as a common criminal who deserves a fair trial (maybe even by Europeans who have no personal stake and won’t impose a death penalty), instead of as an enemy of the United States.

Brendan Miniter in The Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Bush wants bin Laden "dead or alive," leaving clear his preference. But apparently Mr. Dean sees the war on terror not as a military imperative to chase al Qaeda members to remote corners of the world, but as a police action in which infamous terrorists are given all presumptions of innocence even while they're still at large, presumably planning new attacks on American civilians.

And the RNC went even further in their talking points, twisting words to say Dean didn't think that Bin Laden was guilty of his crimes:

Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT) Said Osama Bin Laden Not Guilty. Dean: “I Still Have This Old-Fashioned Notion That Even With People Like Osama, Who Is Very Likely To Be Found Guilty, We Should Do Our Best Not To, In Positions Of Executive Power, Not To Prejudge Jury Trials.” (“Dean Not Ready To Pronounce Osama Bin Laden Guilty,” The Associated Press, 12/26/03)

But Fred Thompson is Reagan Reincarnated, so nevermind!

But of course we are looking at a double standard.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Bwahahahahahaha! Excellent! Great find.

[allalone]

2. classic statement

anybody remember the LAPD chief whose plan for plane hijackers was to give them a fair trial and hang them at the airport?

[madfloridian]

3. Thompson also call Bin Laden a "symbolic figure"

"Presidential candidates weighed in on the question of whether the man President Bush once vowed to take ``dead or alive'' remains a threat. Republican Fred Thompson called bin Laden a ``symbolic'' figure, while Rudolph Giuliani insisted the al-Qaida leader needed to be taken down"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6914638...

[Donkeykick]

7. What is more symbolic?

Him or his yearly video tape anniversary?

[ldf]

4. don't you know the gays are a MUCH bigger threat

than O B L?

mr. t has flipflopped. he was AGAINST banning gay marriage, but now is FOR it.

all is forgiven.

it's all about priorities, ya know?

[madfloridian]

5. He is a really odd guy.

If you are playing to the base on one issue, why disturb them over another? He is odd. He does not seem a likely candidate, but he is.

[ryanus]

6. well, I'll say it. Where's the proof it was Osama?

The FBI admits it doesn't have any. So I'd say even with the twisting of Deans words Dean is still right.

[tomp]

8. all we really know is that the official 9/11 story is a lie. nt

[4_TN_TITANS]

9. THEIR guy still can't find OBL....

my bet is that he's long dead and the body incinerated so no one ever WILL know.

[NewJeffCT]

10. excellent journal - great points

I'm sure Ann Coulter, Free Republic, Sean Hannity, etc, will all be lining up to denounce Thompson.

[madfloridian]

11. I read one blog at Hot Air.

It was saying that Thompson really did not mean what he said, that he was not like that nut Dean who did mean it...along those lines.

They are just making the words say what they want them to say.

[NewJeffCT]

13. of course

they can justify just about anything -

Sure, George Bush may have just killed an eaten a child on live TV, but that child could have grown up to be a terrorist! And, was he really a child - he may have been a murderous alien intent on world domination and Bush just saved the world...

[madfloridian]

12. Duplicate posting.

.

[PurpleChez]

14. What did Fred "Manly Stench" Thompson say?

Although, as the OP acknowledged, there is a double standard, so it doesn't really matter.

[madfloridian]

15. Here's part of what he said:

"On Friday, Thompson told reporters in Iowa that bin Laden is "more symbolism than anything else" and said his presence in the "mountains of Pakistan or Afghanistan is not as important as there are probably al-Qaida operatives inside the United States of America."

The remarks drew criticism from some Democratic rivals and later in the day, Thompson adopted a tougher line, saying bin Laden "ought to be caught and killed."

On Monday, Thompson said he wasn't suggesting that bin Laden's death would happen immediately after his capture.

"No, no, no, we've got due process to go through" depending on the circumstances, he said. "I'm not suggesting those things happen simultaneously."

That is from the 2nd link in the OP. Actually not that bad, but sure won't go over with his base.

[PurpleChez]

16. "sure won't go over with his base"

But his base are sheeple...if he -- or any Thug -- comes out and says that they prayed on it and based on prayer have changed their minds all will be forgiven.