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  http://breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RBI5DO0&show_article=1&catnum=0 |
Thompson to Announce Bid Next Week |
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Aug 30 04:02 PM US/Eastern By LIZ SIDOTI |
| DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Republican Fred Thompson,
whose entry into the presidential race has been long anticipated, will
officially launch his candidacy next week, aides said Thursday. The former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor will disclose details about how he will formally enter the race after one of his top advisers briefs supporters in an afternoon conference call, said officials with knowledge of the plans. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly. Thompson brings to the eight-man GOP field a right-leaning Senate voting record with a few digressions from GOP orthodoxy and a healthy dose of Hollywood star power. He is hoping to attract conservatives who are lukewarm about the current crop of candidates. Earlier this year, Thompson watched his popularity soar in polls when he acknowledged he was considering a run. Since then, he's consistently ranked among the top Republicans in national polls and surveys in key states alike. He has spent months "testing the waters" of a presidential campaign, playing coy with the public about his intentions even as he opened campaign offices, started raising money, and hired a campaign staff. But his preliminary campaign stumbled this summer, fueling doubts that Thompson has what it takes to mount a challenge to contenders Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain. Organizationally, Thompson underwent a series of staffing changes—including the replacement of his manager-in-waiting—and other aide departures amid consternation inside the operation about the active role of Thompson's wife, Jeri. At the same time, little progress was made setting up organizations in key states. Thompson also failed on the fundraising front to reach the $5 million goal his backers had set for the first month he sought to bring in cash, and he dramatically lags his top rivals in money. At the same time, a delayed entrance into the race—which at one point was to occur in July—has prompted rumblings in Washington and early primary states that he may have missed his window. In April, Thompson, 65, disclosed that he was diagnosed in 2004 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a highly treatable form of cancer. |
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