One Smart Cookie

Never let it be said Fred D. Thompson isn't smart.

He's got his presidential candidacy's announcement planned to a gnat's eyelash:

The former Tennessee senator plans to announce his official entry into the Republican presidential contest on Thursday. But he'll pique interest first on Wednesday with an ad aired during a GOP presidential debate from New Hampshire that Thompson will otherwise skip. By then he will have taped an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," which will air about an hour after the debate ends in many U.S. households. Come midnight, he'll post a 15-minute video announcement on his official Web site.

The face time with Leno and the debate ad on the Fox network are the coquettish moves of a candidate who has already proven his aptitude using the media, from television to the Internet. While his main rivals - Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain - parry debate questions, Thompson will pretty much control his own message.

The slo-mo ol' country boy may just teach all the techie-candidates a thing or three.

BZ