Washington Bureau

Thompson Backers To Be Left Without A Candidate?

What are Rep. Adam Putnam of Florida and other early backers of Fred Thompson for president to do?
Politico, the Washington-based political newspaper, is reporting that if former Tennessee senator and actor Thompson finishes poorly in tonight’s Iowa GOP presidential caucuses he will drop out of the race and endorse Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Among Thompson’s earliest and most enthusiastic supporters for president was Putnam, chairman of the U.S. House Republican Conference, third in line in the House GOP leadership.
Putnam’s endorsement dates from early June, but Putnam was already talking glowingly about Thompson weeks before his formal commitment.
“We just saw that speculation,” responded Putnam’s spokesman Keith Rupp this morning, of the word that Thompson may drop out.
But Rupp said he also saw Thompson on TV this morning denying the report, which Politico said was based on several GOP sources close to Thompson's campaign.
Top Thompson campaign team officials this morning are also strongly denying the report.
Byron York at National Review, reports that he spoke with Rich Galen, a top adviser to Fred Thompson, and that it would be an understatement to say that Galen is strongly denying the Politico story."
"I'm a Republican official in the Thompson campaign, and I'm denying it," he is quoted as saying.
Galen also insisted that no one inside the campaign was a source for the story. "I can't put enough adjectives in front of the 'deny' to accurately describe how vehemently I'm denying the story," he said.
Galen said that "just to make sure," he checked with Thompson himself, who told him the story was not true. "We have the schedule for Saturday and Sunday in New Hampshire, and then we're going down to South Carolina," Galen told me.
Rupp said he had no idea who or if his boss would consider endorsing anyone else if Thompson does drop out.
If that does happen, he said Putnam might just “keep his powder dry” and prepare to work enthusiastically for the eventual Republican nominee.

-- Billy House
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