Fred Strikes Back At the Press

This time with a post at RedState (I assume in other places as well) rather than with a snowball.

In this case, it is in response to a post at USA Today (but others are picking it up) with the following quote:

Bill Theobald of Gannett News Service … quotes [Fred Thompson] saying he doesn't like modern campaigning, isn't that interested in running for president and "will not be devastated" if he doesn't win.

I saw a similar post over at CNN.

Fred has responded with a very good post on what is driving him to be president.

Today I had this story written about me regarding what I said at a Town Hall event in Burlington, Iowa by a reporter who wasn’t even at the event. Incidentally, I declined to be interviewed by this particular reporter yesterday for reasons which will soon be apparent.

In referring to me, she reported “he doesn’t like modern campaigning, isn’t interested in running for President, and will not be devastated” if he doesn’t win.
...
[Transcript]
Q: (Courtesy ABC News) My only problem with you and why I haven’t thrown all my support behind you is that I don’t know if you have the desire to be President. If I caucus for you next week, are you still going to be there two months from now?

That is a very good question, not because it’s difficult to answer, but I’m gonna answer it in a little different way than what you might expect.
...
The first place, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I wouldn’t be doing this. I grew up in very modest circumstances. I left government and I and my family have made sacrifices to be sitting here today. I haven’t had any income for a long time because I figured to be clean, you’ve got to cut everything off. I was doing speaking engagements and I had a contract to do a tv show. I had a contract with abc radio…and so forth. A man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family which is not a joyful thing if he didn’’t want to do it.

I am not consumed by personal ambition. I will not be devastated if I don’t do it. I want the people to have the best president they can have.
...
I approached it from the standpoint of a deal. A kind of a marriage. If one side of a marriage really has to be talked into the marriage, it probably ain’t going to be a good deal. But if you mutually decide it’s going to be a good thing. In this case, if you think this is a good thing for the country, then we have an opportunity to do some wonderful things together.

I’m offering myself up. I’m saying that I have the background, the capability and concern to do this and do it for the right reasons. I’m not particularly interested in running for president, but I think I’d make a good president.

I, for one, am attracted to Fred because he does not seem to have had a life-long overwhelming ambition to be the leader of the world.

UPDATE: David Hinz at RedState posted a blog entry about the Order of Cincinnatus--and saying that Fred deserves to be a member of the order.