Maryland for Fred Thompson

36 Days until the Iowa Caucuses
41 Days until the New Hampshire Primary
52 Days until the South Carolina Primary
62 Days until the Florida Primary

• Hot Air:
  

  Two new ads. I like the second half of the first clip — he really is the most stalwart conservative among the big four, a point he should be hammering at every turn.

• Wall Street Journal:
  

  For much of this year, Republicans have been pushing their ideas for tax reform as much as their proposals for tax cuts. Mr. Thompson, for instance, has just unveiled his full tax plan, which calls for extending President Bush’s 2001 cuts, reducing the corporate tax rate and permanently repealing the estate and alternative minimum taxes. All of that would cost the government revenue in the short run and add to deficit worries.

  But the new wrinkle Mr. Thompson has just added is a proposal for a voluntary flat tax. Taxpayers would have the option of paying a flat income tax, with two rates. For joint filers, that would be 10% for incomes up to $100,000 and 25% above that.

  As that suggests, the Republican tax message has, to some extent, been bifurcated. To the Republican base, candidates offer tax cuts. To the center of the electorate, the message has been as much about simplifying the tax code, on the grounds that it is inefficient and widely hated.

• Curt at Flopping Aces:
  

  As Allah noted, the man is putting out alot of ideas. Meanwhile the MSM and the political pundits in Washington have chosen to dismiss the man as lazy. I don’t see it.

  I have delayed putting my support behind one candidate up to now because I wanted to get a feel for each candidate, listen and read their proposals, watch them on the stump and so on. I’ve done a lot of that and thanks to Mike have even gotten firsthand accounts of their visits to his state (being in California doesn’t provide for a whole lot of handshaking time with the candidates).

  But a week ago I made my decision and decided to wait until the right time. I figure that time is now so, for those who care,

  I support Fred Thompson for President of the United States.

• Fred answers a global warming question in Ames, IA.