Free Republic

Fred Thompson's new campaign manager, Bill Lacy, forces out communications director Linda Rozett and suddenly we have a date for Fred's announcement: Sources tell numerous outlets that Thompson will announce his campaign September 4th, and that he will participate in his first debate on September 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore. His first major appearance at a GOP event will be at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in Michigan around a week earlier. Read on...

Newspapers and the blog world were busy talking about possible presidential hopeful Fred Thompson’s selection of Bill Lacy to lead his yet-to-be-official campaign. Lacy, who led Thompson’s 1994 senatorial campaign in Tennessee, is taking a leave of abscense from the Dole Institute of Politics to take the post. After today's announcement that former Senator Fred Thompson has hired Bill Lacy to join his campaign team and run day to day operations, there is little doubt that Thompson really does intend to run for President. For all of the talk about the dangers of continuing delay in an official announcement (something...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Fred Thompson on Wednesday tapped the man he credits with saving his 1994 Senate campaign to take over his likely presidential bid. Bill Lacy, a former strategist for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and Republican National Committee, will run day-to-day operations of Thompson's committee to "test the waters" for a presidential run. "He turned around my campaign for Senate in 1994 and, as I move toward a decision on whether to run for president, I am confident he will take our operations to the next level," Thompson, the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor, said in...

Thompson picks prez committee manager By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer 28 minutes ago Fred Thompson has tapped the man who engineered his 1994 Senate win to take over his likely presidential campaign, aides said Wednesday. Bill Lacy, a former strategist for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and the Republican National Committee, confirmed in an interview that he is taking over day-to-day operations of the former Tennessee senator's committee to "test the waters" of a presidential bid. "I'm here for the long haul," Lacy said from the committee's headquarters in a Virginia suburb. He said he has taken a leave of...

Reagan Vet to Head Thompson Effort Fred Thompson tapped another veteran of the Reagan era to manage his soon-to-be-announced presidential campaign today, naming former Reagan aide Bill Lacy to replace the top adviser Thompson moved aside last month. Lacy was a low-level campaign operative for Reagan in 1980 and later served in the White House. He also helped in Thompson's 1994 Senate bid. He replaces Tom Collamore, a former executive for Altria, the parent company of tobacco giant Philip Morris. The announcement from Thompson Wednesday took pains to avoid calling Lacy a "campaign manager," instead using the term "committee manager."...