Sen. Thompson Finds the Going Tough

Former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee is the great hope of many Oklahoma Republicans for the 2008 presidential election. Conventional wisdom has it that Thompson is tough, media-savvy, and a true Ronald Reagan conservative. He's also electable—with high name recognition thanks to his television and movie career.

But Thompson may not turn out to be all he's cracked up to be. The blogosphere has unearthed a number of skeletons in Thompson's political closet, including his work as a "mole" for the Nixon White House in the Congressional Watergate investigation, his extensive lobbying work on behalf of corporate clients, and his previous ties to pro-choice groups.

There's also the matter of his very young and fabulously attractive wife, who has raised eyebrows in some quarters.

Today, there are new reports of troubles in Thompson's political life. Like John McCain's troubled campaign, Thompson has been losing campaign staff. Curiously, some of the departing staffers are blaming the senator's wife.

Here's the way Thompson's campaign troubles were summed up in today's New York Times:

Thompson’s Race Hasn’t Quite Begun, but Turmoil Has