While watching Fred Thompson deliver his speech to the GOP convention this evening, I now know why he did not stand a chance in the primary. What a pile of lies and double-talk.

Early in his speech, Thompson proclaims:

But we also know that we live in the freest, strongest, most generous and prosperous nation in the history of the world, and we are thankful.

Rah. Rah. But later he says:

We need a president who understands that you don't make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer, and you don't lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history.

Is America prosperous or in an economic downturn? I guess it depends on the point you are trying to make.

How about some lies?

I've experienced John's character firsthand. In 1993, when I was thinking of running for the Senate, I went to John for advice. He convinced me I could help make a difference for our country. I won that election, and with Republican control of Congress, we reformed welfare. We balanced the budget. And we began rebuilding our military.

In 1993, there was a budget deficit of $255 billion. The next time the budget was balanced was in 1998.

For years, members of Congress, Republican and Democrat alike, have gouged the taxpayer with secret earmark spending.

Well, he has never sought an earmark.

Not True.

In 2006, the senator teamed up with fellow Arizona senator Jon Kyl (R) to funnel $10 million toward the University of Arizona for an academic center named after the late Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist. Even Arizona lawmaker, Rep. Jeff Flake (R), said he was planning to "lean against the measure." The National Taxpayers Union, another traditional McCain ally, questioned why the senator was making federal taxpayers foot the bill for the center.

In 2003, McCain also slipped $14.3 million into a defense appropriations bill to
create a buffer zone around Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. As Roll Call reported in 2003, this project violated McCain's own anti-pork rhetoric.

Well, not completely false. I count two earmarks.

Now how's this for doublespeak:

Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they are not going to tax your family.

No, they're just going to tax "businesses"! So unless you buy something from a "business," like groceries or clothes or gasoline ... or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small "business," don't worry ... it's not going to affect you.

They say they are not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the "other" side of the bucket! That's their idea of tax reform.

Say what? We all suffer if either big business or American families are taxed? So what's the difference? If all things are equal, I vote taxing big business, please. Big business can take care of themselves.

Thompson gave up his Senate seat in 1993 ... voluntarily. He did not run again; He quit. He ran for President this year. He quit. In addressing an audience holding up signs that said "Service" and "Country First" while extolling the tale of the brave POW I wonder if he felt any embarrassment at all. Obviously despite the vapidness of his speech, he felt no shame.

But he might have felt at home on the Double-Talk Express.