Thompson on Wrong Side on Campaign Finance

While many conservatives are heralding the possibility that former U.S. Senator from Tennessee Fred Thompson will enter the race for the Republican nomination for President, one may mark Washington Post columnist George Will as unimpressed. Will is primarily concerned with Thompson's ill advised support of the suppression of political speech encompassed in the McCain Feingold campaign finance regulation.

Will is correct that such support shows a lack of wisdom in terms of public policy. However, demagoguery about the role of money in politics is publicly popular and, and past support probably will not hurt Thompson among average voters.