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The former Tennessee senator was challenging potential caucus-goers to choose the best man to help fend off what he described as an assault by a Democratic Party that is "just salivating" to lead the country into a welfare state.
"Who are we going to set on the road -- what man are we going to set on the road
-- to lead us and to stand against this assault?" he asked, emphasizing the word
'man.' He couched his comments by saying "I say the word man advisedly. Now I've got a daughter that's going to be president some day, I know it, and I am all for a woman president, just not this year, not next year."
Without saying Clinton's name, he added: "There is no woman on the horizon that ought to be president next year, let's all agree on that."
Thompson continued to refer to the next president as a man who should represent conservative principles and values, and should be examined "by what he believes and by where he's been and what he's done."
Thompson told the small crowd at a southwestern Iowa restaurant that his record shows he's ready to be that man. He said that if elected, he would implement a flat income tax, save Social Security from bankruptcy, rebuild the military and stop illegal immigration.
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 When asked to expound on his views on abortion rights, Thompson used a football analogy to explain why instead of a push for a federal ban there is a fight to put the decision in the hands of the states.
"We're on the 10-yard line, and it's like if we can't score a touchdown on our own 10-yard line ... we won't run a play that will take us to the other guy's 20-yard line," he said." I'm talking about doing something that can get done."
After that, Thompson said "we can collect our marbles and see where we are then."
"It wouldn't be a 100 percent solution to everything, but it would be on the right track," he added.
Fresh off of a Christmas break, Thompson joked about taking advantage of too much holiday bounty. Tugging on his black leather jacket, he said "I found that when I got my campaign clothes back on, that somebody shrunk my jacket ... I don't know who washed it behind my back, but somebody apparently did."
[Associated
Press; By AMY LORENTZEN]
Copyright 2007 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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