Fred:

“We are going to be getting in if we get in, and of course, we are in the testing the waters phase,” he said, adding, “we’re going to be making a statement shortly that will cure all of that. But yeah, we’ll be in traditionally when people get in this race,” he told CNN’s John King in an interview Friday.

Well that clears things up.

Look, he’s in. I mean, we can’t say this with absolute, 100 percent, bet-your-life certainty, but you don’t take all the steps Fred Thompson has taken in the past few months if you’re not running for president. Suddenly backing out now would turn him into the biggest joke since Ross Perot’s hokie-pokie in-and-out move in 1992. (And Sam Waterston already took his seat on Law & Order.)

Russert said September 5; some date around then seems like a safe bet.