Back from the Dead?

"How he responds to the criticisms, in the form of media scrutiny as well as sniping from rival candidates, will be critical to his viability in coming months."

After 24 hours, we're pronouncing him dead?

"Fred Thompson joined the Republican field yesterday already vying for the lead in one early presidential primary state, but analysts say as a first-time national candidate, he may have entered too late," says the Washington Times.

What happened to the honeymoon?

Politico's Mike Allen lets Freddy's advisers make the case -- anonymously:

"Had Thompson missed his window? Has his niche been filled? Some activists complain that he's the cute girl who rebuffs you so long that you lose interest."

According to the Thompson sources, "against rivals who can seem alien, programmed or off-putting, Thompson looks down-home and approachable. He's bald and roly-poly (though slimmer than before), and anything but robotic. At a time when Washington's out, Southern charm looks appealing -- even though he's a former lobbyist who lives in McLean, Va. -- Star power has always made a difference through political history, and even more so in a culture saturated with mass media.

"Thompson advisers say that because of his roles in NBC's 'Law & Order,' the big-screen 'The Hunt for Red October' and other acting gigs ranging from 'Matlock' to 'Die Hard 2,' people recognize his face, even if they don't know the name. 'Once you recognize the face, you're more likely to listen to the voice,' said one of Thompson's longtime advisers. 'It's distinctive. It's Southern. It's homey.'

"Thompson -- from his calm manner to his teddy-bear-like physique -- cuts a soothing persona at a time when polls show that voters are extremely worried about security. 'He's the biggest daddy bear around,' chortled one longtime friend."

And no one would say that on the record?

Are we about to go through deja vu all over again on the Clinton scandals? From the highly conservative WorldNetDaily:

"Kathleen Willey, the woman who says Bill Clinton groped her in the Oval Office, claims she was the target of an unusual house burglary over the weekend that nabbed a manuscript for her upcoming book, which promises explosive revelations that could damage Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign."

She believes -- shocke r-- that the mean old Clinton machine was behind the break-in. And the book, it turns out, is being published by the Web site's corporate partner.