Just like Arnold Schwarzenegger did just over four years ago, Fred Thompson announced his candidacy on Jay Leno's show. He directed viewers to an online video that provides an overview of his personal history and political views. The video is available at his official campaign site, http://www.fred08.com/.

He delayed his announcement to avoid the Republican presidential debate being held the same night in New Hampshire. Thompson has a dim view of such debates in general, although he said he would attend some of them in the future.

Despite refusing to confirm rumors that he will be making a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, Fred Thompson has been putting together a campaign team made up of political veterans including former Reagan and Bush aides. Conservative activists are encouraging Thompson to throw his hat in the ring out of disappointment with other candidates like McCain, Romney and Giuliani. Thompson has the experience and name recognition to make a realistic push for the nomination. Even though he is not a formal candidate, he is competitive with the other GOP candidates in national polls. He has served as a U.S. Senator and he served as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in the mid 1970s.

Of course he is widely known through his movie and television appearances. One of his most well-known early roles was Rear Admiral Joshua Painter in the movie The Hunt for Red October. In recent years, he has played District Attorney Arthur Branch on the original Law & Order series. He has also appeared on all of the other Law & Order shows as DA Arthur Branch (Criminal Intent, SVU, and Trial by Jury).

A formal announcement of his presidential intentions is expected this summer. Stay tuned.