Yeah, large corporations like the NRA. The way I heard the story, McCain didn't like some adverts that were being run in Arizona by pro-gunners, and called an NRA rep. into his office to order the ads pulled. And had the 1st amendment cited back to him.
He's been on a tear to prove that the 1st amendment doesn't stop him from shutting up people who are saying things he doesn't like, ever since.:barf:
This is really a pity, second to Paul, Thompson was the only one I actually liked. But I can't say I'm surprised, his campaign never took off, and seemingly because the guy in the driver's seat never felt the urge to stomp on the accelerator.
That's the fundamental flaw of democracy: People who really WANT power are the most dangerous to give it to, but how do you motivate the people who don't want it to put out a real effort to gain it? In Athens, where they invented "democracy", if I remember my history right, they chose people for office by lot, it was viewed kind of like jury duty.
Paul doesn't want to exercise power, he wants the position so that he can keep other people from exercising it, and he wants that passionately. I think you've actually got to be a bit nuts to embody that contradiction so well.
Anyway, judging by the terseness of his announcement, I'll be surprised if we hear much more from Thompson, let alone an endorsement during the primaries. Though he'll doubtless come out and endorse the eventual nominee, that's sort of required etiquette.