NY Times is reporting that Thompson will enter after Labor Day

Ugh! This is getting old real fast. I'm going to get to the point were I won't even bother commenting on when Thompson plans to enter the race:

But it is the impending entry of Mr. Thompson — the former Tennessee senator who, aides said Wednesday, plans to enter the race with a national announcement tour just after Labor Day — that has injected the most uncertainty into the contest. Across the board, Republicans said they were uncertain how strong a candidate Mr. Thompson might be in his first national campaign and how much money he could raise.

Didn't Wamp just say that Thompson would be announcing "in the coming days?" I wish they would make up their mind.

The article goes on to say that aides to the Romney and Thompson camps believe that they will split the conservative vote and Giuliani will emerge the victor. Well, no duh! Romney plans to make sure that doesn't happen by making Thompson look like an inside the beltway sleaze bag:

Anticipating Mr. Thompson’s entry into the race, Mr. Romney’s advisers said they had begun examining Mr. Thompson’s record and plan to highlight his work as a trial lawyer and Washington lobbyist. They also said they thought they could raise doubts about him among conservatives by noting his support, along with Mr. McCain, of campaign finance legislation that has been widely criticized by conservatives.

Romney's latest ad was an attempt to demonstrate his conservative credentials:

Mr. Romney’s television advertisement, focusing on family values, was intended as the first in what staff members said would be a full-fledged challenge to Mr. Thompson for conservative voters who have seemed unhappy with their choice of candidates.

The article ends with Thompson's people saying that he is building a campaign in number of states:

Supporters of Mr. Thompson in several states say he has already begun laying the groundwork for a campaign, particularly in the South and Midwest. Workers are being assembled, important elected officials are seeking endorsements, and supporters are raising money as if a real campaign were already under way.

Mr. Thompson’s aides said he intended to run in all the major states.

“There are great things happening in Florida for Fred Thompson,” said Representative Adam H. Putnam, Republican of Florida. “There are now over 30 State House members who have endorsed. The team he’s building in Florida is a solid one.”

(via)

If he's getting the campaign in place, why not just announce? Very annoying!