Thompson Responds to False Rumor - Others add Input

Fred Thompson addressed the Politico story himself in a radio interview this morning. He said it was likely a planted last-minute bomb by another campaign, adding “Can you imagine such a thing in politics?"

GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said in an in-studio interview with KCCI-TV in Des Moines that there is no truth to rumors that his campaign will fold before New Hampshire if he doesn't have a strong showing in Iowa."That is absolutely made up out of whole cloth," said the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee.

Thompson said a rival campaign was likely the source of that rumor."Can you imagine such a thing in politics?" he asked. Thompson said his campaign is seeing a "surge" in interest right now, and said he has visited 50 communities in the Hawkeye State in the last couple weeks. "I'm not going to play into any scenario that's not totally optimistic," he said.

Thompson touched on his plan for strengthening border security to prevent terrorist attacks, and his plan to simplify the tax code." Our tax code is a mess right now," he said.

Red State has some information about the status of the Thompson campaign:

According to people who actually know, I'm told $1,878,138 has been raised since the debate on December 12 from 24,949 people, including $719,534 from 10,237 people. For the week before, week of and week after Christmas, I think that’s pretty good. The Politico might not think so, but I think it gets Fred to South Carolina.

McQ asks a question: “What campaign worth its salt would put out information, even anonymously, on the day of the caucuses? The answer? None.”

Peter Robinson posts an email from his “old boss in the Reagan White House”, Ben Elliott:

Ben himself worked closely with the Gipper, in particular drafting some of Reagan’s most memorable economic addresses. Ben writes:

Only Thompson has a true conservative platform to defend life, liberty and American sovereignty. Only Thompson is advancing a compelling program for economic growth by controlling entitlement spending, unleashing innovation and making the American Dream real for every taxpayer. Only Thompson is committed to strengthening both our military and our intelligence and rallying the country for what must be a protracted struggle against jihadism.

Is Thompson a Reagan conservative? He is indeed.

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