AP Disses Fred Thompson in Iowa -- Updated -- Nasty Attack in the Comments

Nice story from the Associated Press today about Fred Thompson's campaigning in Iowa:

On the verge of joining the presidential race, Republican Fred Thompson on Friday unapologetically defended his career as a Washington lobbyist paid to influence the government on behalf of an abortion-rights group, a leftist Haitian leader and other special interests...

The actor on NBC's "Law & Order" plunged hesitantly into retail politics Iowa-style. Unlike Democrat Barack Obama, who a day earlier sought out state fairgoers, fried food and rides, Thompson raced through the jam-packed fair, stopping only to shake hands and chat with people who approached him.

He was formal and stiff compared to the folksy Grassley.

I see no suggestion that he was 'formal and stiff' in any of the other articles covering the fair -- including from the Des Moines Register, which might be expected to be the most critical. The LATimes says says that he spent two hours strolling through the festival 'and encountered nary a discouraging word.' They report that even a man in a Romney shirt complimented him. The Chicago Tribune says 'with his rural persona and ambling gait, Thompson fit in well.'

The Associated Press continues:

The abortion-rights work complicates Thompson's efforts to court social conservatives, most of whom strongly oppose abortion.

Thompson, who called himself "unabashedly pro-life" despite a sometimes inconsistent abortion record, said there is nothing wrong or unusual about a lawyer representing a client with views different from his own.

I've covered Thompson's abortion voting record here before. The only 'blemishes' on that record were his votes in favor of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation. So far I'm unaware of any indication that Thompson is encountering problems among social conservatives -- despite the best attempts of news outlets like the LA Times and the Associated Press to fan the flames.

I probably shouldn't make too much of this; it's typical of the coverage of Republican candidates.

Update: The comment section has produced an amazingly tasteless and inappropriate allegation -- that Thompson is hiding the seriousness of his cancer:

AP reports were correct coming out of Iowa and actually gave him the benefit of the doubt. He could only walk for 20 minutes and had to rest, ignored people calling his name, driven around in a golf cart, didn't eat, and looks terrible.

He has not been seen for over a week at a campaign event and some of you think this man can go through a grueling campaign with his new way of campaigning which is having someone write his papers and put it on the net as his?

Talk to the aides that quit and you will get an entirely different story.

This man needs to stay home with his wife and kids. You do remember Tsongas and if you don't, then you should look him up.

If you want a 'real' conservative to go Brownback or Hunter.

Take the blinders off. Fred is a nice man but he is also a very sick man that anyone can see from the pictures of the Fair.

The attack is a reference to the fact that Thompson has announced that he is in remission from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The allegation is apparently that it is not in remission, or is worse than Thompson has let on.

Would the commenter care to let us know how he came across this information? Have you talked to 'the aides that quit'?