Noted political genius Ana Marie Cox said that Fred Thompson is the 2008 version of Wes Clark. Well, yes, that comparison will come to mind, if he brings Michael Moore up on stage and smiles as his surrogate accuses the president of treason.

David Weigel dismantles that argument, and concludes:

Thompson isn’t really like [Wes] Clark. He has the right positions for the GOP base, he doesn’t irritate whole chunks of the party, and he’s better at expressing the party’s message than their frontrunning candidates. In other words, he’s Barack Obama.

I don’t think Team Fred will mind that comparison.

After ripping Thompson’s earlier speech, Bob Novak sounds as if he’s in love: “Thompson at the dinner confirmed the perception inside the party of his potential to be an extraordinary candidate.”

Finally, I wonder if this comment to USA Today means all of yesterday’s talk is moot: “In an interview with USA TODAY, however, the former Tennessee senator not only makes it clear that he plans to run, he describes how he aims to do it.”

If the rumors are true that Tim Griffen may be signing on with Team Thompson, it’s a sign that FDT is going to have a very solid campaign apparatus. Griffen was very, very good at his job at the RNC when he was Research Director and Deputy Communications Director during the 2004 presidential campaign.