There is, believe it or not, a path by which Newt Gingrich could conceivably arrive at the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. The path starts where we are now, with Gingrich not declaring any sort of candidacy and refusing to shed light on his plans. What he has done instead is create a nonpartisan political organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, that can spend unlimited sums of money under section 527 of the U.S. tax code. American Solutions, Gingrich says, will hold national workshops this September 27–the thirteenth anniversary of the Contract With America–and September 29. Then, on September 30–call it G-Day–Gingrich will “decide” whether to run for president. At which point there still will be about three and a half months before the first actual caucuses and primaries.

Gingrich has a lot going for him. He has taken no apparent steps to run for president–he has no presidential exploratory committee, for example–but still comes in third, behind former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Arizona senator John McCain, in every national Republican presidential poll. Gingrich also places third, behind McCain and Giuliani, in the RealClearPolitics average of Iowa polls; he comes in fourth, behind McCain, Giuliani, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, in the average of New Hampshire polls. Fortune magazine reported in November that an “internal GOP poll” had Gingrich running second nationwide. The right-wing group Citizens United recently conducted a straw poll among its donors; Gingrich won with 31 percent.

The Weekly Standard

In the words of Alison Kasic:

clicky

UPDATE: Zach Wamp is rounding up conservative house colleagues to endorse Thompson…

Another story:

NASHVILLE (AP) — Current and former members of Congress are working in Washington to drum up support for a presidential bid by former Republican Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee.

Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker has been talking with senators, while Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga said he has been talking to colleagues in the House.

Thompson, 64, declined to seek re-election to the Senate in 2002 and currently plays the role of the district attorney on NBC’s “Law and Order.”

He hasn’t made any public statements about running for office. A message left Friday with Thompson’s Nashville office was not immediately returned.

“It’s something I hope happens,” Wamp said Friday. “We need that kind of star quality, but most importantly we need his strength and resolve.”

Wamp said he asked Thompson to consider running immediately after former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, another Tennessee Republican, decided not to run for president.

“I think he has an open mind, and he sees the need,” Wamp said.

Via Fox News

Have staunch conservatives found their presidential candidate? We’ll have an exclusive interview with former Sen. Fred Thompson

9am EST here in Arlington on Sunday…

I am going to predict he jumps in, but he could also be making an endorsement announcement. The thing is I think that if he were doing that the info would’ve leaked by now. Going to be an exciting 36 hours.