Words: Thompson mistrusts the UN’s effectiveness and feels that technology is the key to spreading freedom. “We’re not doing nearly enough to get communications in there and let those people communicate with one another. You know, if everybody in Iran had a computer, it’d be a free country today.”

Actions: Thompson voted FOR limiting the president’s power to impose economic sanctions (1998), FOR capping foreign aid at $12.7 billion (1999), AGAINST tabling an amendment that would impose sanctions if China sells WMD (2000), and FOR enlarging NATO to include Eastern Europe (2002).

More about: Foreign Policy, Fred Thompson.