Thompson Announces Candidacy On Leno

Fred Thompson has officially entered a wide-open Republican presidential race, vowing to invigorate a dispirited GOP and promising to thwart another Clinton from capturing the U.S. presidency. The former Tennessee senator harkened to the GOP glory days of 1994 when he and other Republicans seized control of Congress and established an equal counterpoint to President Bill Clinton in the White House. Now an official candidate for the Republican nomination, the moerate-conservative Republican promised to return the party to better times.

"In 1992, we were down after a Clinton victory," Mr. Thompson said in a 15-minute Webcast that laid out the rationale for the candidacy that he also declared on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. "In 1994, our conservative principles led us to a comeback and majority control of the Congress. Now, you don't want to have to come back from another Clinton victory. Our country needs us to win next year, and I am ready to lead that effort," he said.

Mr. Thompson also swiped at his leading Republican rivals, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, without naming them, saying: "In 1994, when I first ran, I advocated the same commonsense conservative positions that I hold today." Thirteen years ago, Mr. Giuliani was a New York mayor who espoused liberal-to-moderate positions on social issues and endorsed Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo. Mr. Romney was a moderate challenging Sen. Edward Kennedy in liberal Massachusetts. Some conservatives question Mr. Giuliani's and Mr. Romney's credentials — and Mr. Thompson sees an opening.