TOMMY GEORGE THOMPSON
Name: Tommy George Thompson
Born: 19 November 1941 Elroy, Wisconsin
Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941), a United States politician, was
the 7th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 42nd Governor of
Wisconsin. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but
dropped out early after a poor performance in polls such as the Iowa Straw Poll.
Thompson was born in Elroy, Wisconsin, where his father, Allen, ran and owned a
gas station and country grocery store, and his mother, Julia, was a teacher.
He is a former Captain in the United States Army and United States Army Reserve,
and holds a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Thompson was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1966, became assistant
Assembly minority leader in 1973, and Assembly minority leader in 1981. His
brother Ed has been mayor of Tomah and a candidate for governor.
From 1987 to 2001, Thompson served as the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, having
been elected to an unprecedented four terms.
Thompson's initiatives during his 13 years as governor of Wisconsin were his
Wisconsin Works welfare reform and school choice programs. In 1990 Thompson
pushed for the creation of the country's first parental school-choice program,
allowing low-income Milwaukee families to send children to the private or public
school of their choice at taxpayer expense. He also created the BadgerCare
program, designed to provide health coverage to those families whose employers
don't provide health insurance but make too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
Through the federal waiver program, Thompson helped replicate this program in
several states when he became Secretary of Health and Human Services.
From 1998 to 1999, he served as president of the Council of State Governments
and, with the organization's chairman, Senator Kenneth McClintock, the nonvoting
member from Puerto Rico, led a top-level delegation to the People's Republic of
China. Thompson left office when he was appointed by President George W. Bush as
HHS Secretary. He was also a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors and had an
Acela locomotive named for him.
His brother, Ed Thompson, was the mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin, and was the
Libertarian Party candidate in the 2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Thompson announced his resignation from HHS on December 3, 2004, and served
until January 26, 2005, when the Senate confirmed his successor, Michael O.
Leavitt.
After first announcing the formation of an exploratory committee in late 2006,
Thompson announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election on April 1,
2007.
During a May 3, 2007, presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential
Library Thompson said in response to a question from moderator Chris Matthews
that a private employer opposed to homosexuality should have the right to fire a
gay worker. He said, "I think that is left up to the individual business. I
really sincerely believe that that is an issue that business people have got to
make their own determination as to whether or not they should be." He called CNN
the following morning to say he didn't hear the question correctly. He
apologized, saying, "It's not my position. There should be no discrimination in
the workplace."
Thompson had stated he would drop out of the race if he did not finish either
first or second in the Ames straw poll on August 11, 2007. Thompson finished
sixth, with just 7% of the vote, despite the fact that some major contenders
were not competing in the poll. On August 12, Thompson officially announced he
would drop out of the race.
In October of 2007, Thompson endorsed Rudy Giuliani. Thompson told the
Associated Press in a statement that "Rudy Giuliani has shown that he is a true
leader. He can and will win the nomination and the presidency. He is America's
mayor, and during a period of time of great stress for this country he showed
tremendous leadership." He has since endorsed Senator John McCain after Giuliani's
withdrawal from the presidential race.
Name: Tommy George Thompson
Born: 19 November 1941 Elroy, Wisconsin
Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941), a United States politician, was
the 7th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 42nd Governor of
Wisconsin. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but
dropped out early after a poor performance in polls such as the Iowa Straw Poll.
Thompson was born in Elroy, Wisconsin, where his father, Allen, ran and owned a
gas station and country grocery store, and his mother, Julia, was a teacher.
He is a former Captain in the United States Army and United States Army Reserve,
and holds a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Thompson was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1966, became assistant
Assembly minority leader in 1973, and Assembly minority leader in 1981. His
brother Ed has been mayor of Tomah and a candidate for governor.
From 1987 to 2001, Thompson served as the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, having
been elected to an unprecedented four terms.
Thompson's initiatives during his 13 years as governor of Wisconsin were his
Wisconsin Works welfare reform and school choice programs. In 1990 Thompson
pushed for the creation of the country's first parental school-choice program,
allowing low-income Milwaukee families to send children to the private or public
school of their choice at taxpayer expense. He also created the BadgerCare
program, designed to provide health coverage to those families whose employers
don't provide health insurance but make too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
Through the federal waiver program, Thompson helped replicate this program in
several states when he became Secretary of Health and Human Services.
From 1998 to 1999, he served as president of the Council of State Governments
and, with the organization's chairman, Senator Kenneth McClintock, the nonvoting
member from Puerto Rico, led a top-level delegation to the People's Republic of
China. Thompson left office when he was appointed by President George W. Bush as
HHS Secretary. He was also a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors and had an
Acela locomotive named for him.
His brother, Ed Thompson, was the mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin, and was the
Libertarian Party candidate in the 2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Thompson announced his resignation from HHS on December 3, 2004, and served
until January 26, 2005, when the Senate confirmed his successor, Michael O.
Leavitt.
After first announcing the formation of an exploratory committee in late 2006,
Thompson announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election on April 1,
2007.
During a May 3, 2007, presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential
Library Thompson said in response to a question from moderator Chris Matthews
that a private employer opposed to homosexuality should have the right to fire a
gay worker. He said, "I think that is left up to the individual business. I
really sincerely believe that that is an issue that business people have got to
make their own determination as to whether or not they should be." He called CNN
the following morning to say he didn't hear the question correctly. He
apologized, saying, "It's not my position. There should be no discrimination in
the workplace."
Thompson had stated he would drop out of the race if he did not finish either
first or second in the Ames straw poll on August 11, 2007. Thompson finished
sixth, with just 7% of the vote, despite the fact that some major contenders
were not competing in the poll. On August 12, Thompson officially announced he
would drop out of the race.
In October of 2007, Thompson endorsed Rudy Giuliani. Thompson told the
Associated Press in a statement that "Rudy Giuliani has shown that he is a true
leader. He can and will win the nomination and the presidency. He is America's
mayor, and during a period of time of great stress for this country he showed
tremendous leadership." He has since endorsed Senator John McCain after Giuliani's
withdrawal from the presidential race.