HEY! FRED! STILL TESTING THE WATERS?

How long does it take to test the waters?

According to The Politico, Fred Thompson has left the shores of America to test the water in Britain.

He's meeting with Margaret Thatcher. He aims to bolster his foreign policy credentials.

Why? Does Thompson really need to test the Thames?

Good grief.

Enough already.

Raymond J. Keating writes about the Fred Thompson bandwagon. He tells of endorsements for Thompson and analyzes his poll numbers.

[Al] D'Amato last week broke with many of his fellow New York Republicans who are backing Giuliani and endorsed Fred Thompson for president. D'Amato said, "Voters are tired of the rhetoric and are thirsting for leadership. Fred Thompson is the kind of candidate our party can unify behind and support wholeheartedly." Amazingly, D'Amato could be right.

Thompson, who served for eight years as a senator from Tennessee, possesses a far more principled record than any of the top Republicans vying for the party's nomination, including Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain. Even though he is not yet officially in the race, Thompson vaulted ahead of McCain and Romney in a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll of GOP primary voters. Thompson is within striking distance of Giuliani.

All of this and Thompson balks when it comes to officially tossing his hat in the ring.

I want a decisive leader, not a tease.

Can I support Fred Thompson?

NOT UNTIL HE QUITS PLAYING AROUND AND GETS IN THE RACE.

Thompson's dance doesn't seem to bother people, but it really bugs me.

There's something so insincere and manipulative about it.

I would think by now that Thompson would have been able to figure out that the water's fine and he should dive in.