Thompson Announces Presidential Bid

Tommy Thompson, that is.

Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson is joining the Republican presidential race.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Thompson called himself "the reliable conservative."

Thompson also served as health and human services secretary during President Bush's first term, and claims to be the only GOP candidate who has helped assemble both a state and federal budget.

And you thought I was talking about Fred? Well, more on him from Robert Novak.

In just three weeks, Fred Thompson has improbably transformed the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. It is not merely that he has come from nowhere to double digits in national polls. He is the talk of GOP political circles, because he is filling the conservative void in the Republican field.

Republican activists have complained for months that none of the big-three contenders -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney -- fits the model of a conservative leader for a conservative party. The party faithful have been waiting for another Ronald Reagan. But in the past year, nobody mentioned Thompson as the messiah until he appeared March 11 on ''Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.''

UPDATE: More on Fred Thompson at Hot Air. Check out the video.