June 4, 2007

It seems like everyone is talking about Fred Thompson – the actor turned politician turned actor and now possibly in one month, a presidential candidate.

Thompson, whose most recent role is as a district attorney on “Law and Order,” has been publicly coy about running, but the web site politico.com says there is a strong likelihood he will announce for the republican nomination July 4 weekend.

All of the appropriate committees behind such a move are in place. There is no question the GOP side could use a boost. Thompson’s common sense essays when he sits in for Paul Harvey on radio are about as middle America and easy to understand as you’ll find anywhere.

A member of Thompson’s inner circle is quoted in one story as saying that Thompson will offer himself as a “consistent conservative” who can unite all elements of the republican party. There is no question the public is increasingly cynical and disenchanted with government. We’ll see if Fred Thompson can do something about that… if he runs… and how the other GOP candidates react.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.