This is big news by now across the wider political world, but we haven’t had the opportunity to comment on the Fred news until this minute. And that news is a firm date set by the Thompson “campaign” for Fred’s official announcement of his candidacy. It will come on September 6th via a web video  - similar to Hillary and Obama - posted on the web site ImWithFred.com, run by the “Friends of Fred”, the quasi-campaign backing Thompson. A press release went up on the site yesterday which gave specifics.

 On September 6, 2007, Fred Thompson will be announcing his intention to run for President of the United States with a webcast available to millions at www.imwithfred.com. The launch of the video will be followed by a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

“I believe that there are millions of Americans who know that our security and prosperity are at risk if we don’t address the challenges of our time; the global threat of terrorism; taxes and spending that will bankrupt future generations, and a government that can’t seem to get the most basic responsibilities right for its citizens,� stated Fred Thompson.

The committee will file our formal paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission within 15 days, the time allowed by law after Fred decided to run. Additionally, we will begin to consider candidate based events following Fred’s broadcast on September 6, 2007.

Now that he will soon officially be in the race, it begs the question: What took him so long? The general consensus seems to be that Fred has botched his first chance at becoming an overnight favorite to grab the Republican nomination by dragging out his decision for months. That’s a good point, as his staff turmoil and poor pre-campaign fundraising totals show that the gleam of a shiny Fred campaign has worn off. GOP voters, and donors, have come to grips with the idea of a Giuliani, Romney, or even Mike Huckabee getting the nod. Wait and see how Fred handles patching up his relationship with the impatient rank-and-file, etc., before calling him dead or a juggernaut.