1. Secure our borders
2. Enforce our immigration laws
3. No amnesty. Period

Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee today gave his endorsement for the Republican 3rd Congressional District nomination to Jeff Duncan, calling him a no-nonsense leader who will “shake up the Washington establishment the moment he is sworn into office.”

Thompson, a lawyer, actor and 2008 GOP presidential candidate, added his endorsement to that of the fiscally conservative grassroots Club for Growth, and former Congressional competitor State Senator Shane Massey.

“Jeff is a fiscal conservative champion, which is why he is one of only 11 candidates in the nation along with Sen. Jim DeMint to be endorsed by the Club for Growth,” Thompson said. “And let me tell you, Jeff wasn’t placed on a national short list of leading fiscally conservative candidates just for voting right.”

Duncan, a Laurens businessman, is a four-term state House of Representatives member and chairs the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Thompson said, “With Jeff, what you see is what you get.  Jeff Duncan is a consistent conservative whose beliefs don’t change with shifting political winds.  Jeff Duncan doesn’t need a poll to show him how to vote, and his beliefs don’t conveniently change when it’s an election year.  When Jeff votes, he simply follows the Constitution of the United States of America.”

‘Jeff Duncan is a proud Christian, husband, father, and small business owner,” Thompson said. “In South Carolina, Jeff has been named a ‘Guardian of Small Business’ and a ‘Tax Payer Hero.’  Jeff is also proud of his 100 percent pro-life voting record, his lifetime membership in the NRA, and being one of the loudest critics in South Carolina against Cap & Trade.”

Describing Duncan as a rising star in the conservative movement, Thompson cited Duncan’s sponsorship of an alternative state budget in 2009 that reduced South Carolina’s debt by eliminating wasteful spending and shifting state government’s priorities.

“I’m honored to be endorsed for Congress by such proven conservatives as Sen. Thompson and Sen. Shane Massey.  They are representative of the support we a building in every corner of the Third District.”

Fred Thompson’s full statement:

Dear South Carolina,

South Carolina’s Third Congressional District needs to send a no nonsense leader to Washington, and that leader is Jeff Duncan.  Jeff Duncan is a proud Christian, husband, father, and small business owner, who currently represents South Carolina in the State House where he serves as Chairman of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environmental Affairs Committee.

With Jeff, what you see is what you get.  Jeff Duncan is a consistent conservative whose beliefs don’t change with shifting political winds.  Jeff Duncan doesn’t need a poll to show him how to vote, and his beliefs don’t conveniently change when it’s an election year.  When Jeff votes, he simply follows the Constitution of the United States of America.

I know all about the broken beltway politics of Washington and I know about Jeff Duncan’s character.  That’s why I support Jeff’s candidacy for United States Congress and I hope you will too.

Jeff is a fiscal conservative champion, which is why he is one of only eleven candidates in the nation along with Senator Jim DeMint to be endorsed by the conservative grassroots organization the Club for Growth.  And let me tell you, Jeff wasn’t placed on a national short list of leading fiscal conservative candidates just for voting right.

Jeff distinguishes himself as a rising star in the conservative movement because he is a fighter who will shake up the Washingtonestablishment the moment he is sworn into office.

In South Carolina, Jeff has been named a “Guardian of Small Business” and a “Tax Payer Hero.”  Jeff is also proud of his 100% pro-life voting record, his lifetime membership in the NRA, and being one of the loudest critics in South Carolina against Cap & Trade.

In 2009, Jeff introduced an alternative budget in the South Carolina General Assembly that would have reduced South Carolina’s debt by eliminating wasteful spending and reprioritizing the role of government.

In short, you can’t elect a leader more conservative than Jeff Duncan, and that’s exactly why South Carolina needs to send him to Washington.

Please join me in supporting Jeff’s campaign for Congress with your vote, your voice, and your financial assistance.  I can assure you that even in these difficult economic times, your investment in Jeff’s campaign will leave a lasting impact on South Carolina and the nation for years to come.

I am proud and honored to have recently received the endorsement from my dear friend and fellow conservative, state Senator Shane Massey.

The following is a statement from Senator Shane Massey:

“When I decided last year to run for Congress, I did so, in large part, out of a frustration with what America has become. I am deeply concerned about irresponsible borrowing and spending, excessive government involvement in private affairs, and an elitist, out-of-touch Congress that seems to care very little about what the average American wants.”

“Although I am no longer a candidate for Congress, my concern about the direction of this country has not changed.  But correcting that course will not be easy.  It will require strong and consistent conservative leaders who will fight to shake up the Washington establishment with commons sense solutions.”

“We are fortunate in this congressional race to have several decent and well-qualified candidates.  I’ve gotten to know them all over the past year, and I consider them all friends.  But I get to vote for just one, and I intend to vote for Rep. Jeff Duncan.”

“With Jeff, what you see is what you get.  He talks frequently of his commitment to end the borrowing and spending binge in Washington and his determination to protect the values South Carolinians hold dear.  And that’s not just campaign rhetoric.  Jeff has been a consistent conservative during his service in the S.C. House of Representatives.  He’s been endorsed by the fiscally conservative National Club for Growth.  In fact, Jeff is one of just eleven candidates in the nation along with Sen. Jim DeMint to receive that endorsement.”

“We need Jeff’s brand of leadership and character in Washington.  I’m proud to support him for the 3rd Congressional District nomination, and I encourage others to do so, as well.”

Senator Massey represents Aiken, Edgefield, Saluda, and McCormick in the South Carolina State Senate.

To read more on Sen. Massey’s endorsement and local and national reaction please go to www.JeffDuncan.com.

JD

We sent out our first mailing today, which included a DVD explaining why I’m running for Congress. You can check it out at JeffDuncan.com and on YouTube.  Click here for the YouTube link.

Thanks,

Jeff