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US presidential election

Conservatives pin their hopes on Thompson

By Andrew Ward in Washington

Published: April 24 2007 18:38 | Last updated: April 24 2007 18:38

Arthur Branch is the kind of prosecutor that Republicans dream about. The blunt-spoken New York district attorney supports the death penalty, opposes abortion and espouses a conservative legal philosophy that infuriates liberal colleagues.

Unfortunately for Republicans, Mr Branch is a fictional character in Law & Order, the popular US television drama. But Fred Thompson, the actor who plays the role, is a real-life conservative whom many Republicans are counting on to breathe fresh life into the party’s 2008 presidential race.

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