On Tort Reform, It's Thompson vs. Thompson

(NEWSER) - GOP frontrunners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are trading heated barbs over immigration, each accusing the other of a weak stance on illegals. Through radio ads and campaign speeches, both candidates are looking to rally the conservative GOP base, the Washington Post reports—though neither man has solid conservative credentials on the issue. More»

Former Wisconsin governor drops out after 6th-place showing

(NEWSER) - Longshot presidential candidate Tommy Thompson announced yesterday he's dropping out of the race after finishing sixth in Iowa's Republican straw poll. The former Wisconsin governor set a goal for himself of coming in first or second, but he couldn't even beat Libertarian loose cannon Ron Paul. "There's no sense in looking back," he said. More»

Backchannel back-stabbing on rise ahead of Iowa poll

(NEWSER) - With second-tier candidates sensing that Saturday's straw poll may be their last, best chance to stay in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Iowa is abuzz with whispering campaigns, Slate's John Dickerson says. The homegrown negative ads are a major tool for cash-poor politicians with names like Tancredo, Brownback and Huckabee. More»

Campaign sinking before it starts swimming

(NEWSER) - Fred Thompson's White House campaign is in trouble before it has even officially begun, according to the Washington Post's campaign diary. Short of money and minus a manager, the unannounced Thompson is tied for last in the polls with the floundering John McCain. More»

Access to dad kickstarts kids' careers

(NEWSER) - Fred Thompson's two sons won lucrative jobs as lobbyists after their father became a Senator, despite having next to no qualifications for the work, the New York Times reports. The information could prove embarrassing to the Thompson campaign as the GOP presidential candidate strives to present himself as a reformer challenging Washington politics-as-usual. More»