The Shot!

In case you missed South Carolina’s Lauren Upton on The Today Show this morning, here it is:

From Real Clear Politics:

Sources tell numerous outlets that Thompson will announce his campaign September 4th, and that he will participate in his first debate on September 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore. His first major appearance at a GOP event will be at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in Michigan around a week earlier.

And this comes after another round of staff layoffs:

Politico’s Jonathan Martin reports that Linda Rozett, communications director for former Senator Fred Thompson’s nascent campaign, has been pushed out by campaign manager Bill Lacy, who is searching for someone with more campaign experience.

Rozett follows several other departures, including press secretary Burson Snyder, research director J.T. Mastranadi and would-be campaign manager Tom Collamore. We argued recently that Thompson had or had not waited too long to get in the race, but regardless of those arguments, it’s never good when a campaign has to answer questions about process. It’s even worse when those questions come, repeatedly, before the campaign has even officially launched.

Will it hold?  At this point, does his announcement make as big a splash as it once might have?

THE STATE

• Graham received well in Richland
• Wilson pushes for effective way to verify workers’ citizenship
• Gonzales’ departure adds to long list of White House woes
• Your tax dollars at work — and at play
• McMaster doubts nuclear dump is safe
• S.C. PRISON SYSTEM Investigation takes sharp turn
• Teacher coach? to join committee
• Miss S.C. Teen makes her mark on YouTube

GREENVILLE NEWS

• Judge Wilkins proposed for U.S. attorney general
• Graham sees much cause for optimism in Iraq
• Brownback to visit Simpsonville
• Graham censure unfair and unwise
• For women: 86 years of voting ‘power’
• Now, get rid of local grocery taxes
• High court limits liability in school sex suit

SHJ

• S. Carolina ties for fifth on national obesity scale
• Graham recommends SC’s Wilkins to be new Attorney General
• Inglis to discuss hydrogen economy at town meeting in Boiling Springs

P&C

• Council split on role in fire dept.
• S.C.’s belly gets bigger
• The next attorney general
• Senators call for probes of prisons

SC AP

• Legislator wants law enforcement to look at SC prison complaints
• Attorney general wants tougher standards for nuclear waste site

MORE NEWS

• Senator Returns From Reserve Duty In Iraq
• Abuse victims give congressman an earful
• GOP hits Democrats for failure on earmarks
• Bush Motorcade Crash Kills N.M. Officer
• Republican Reaction to Gonzales Exit 
• Democrats insist probes will continue
• Iowa Leads in Presidential Campaign Ads
• Clinton, Huckabee woo labor activists
• Arrest Clouds Idaho Senator’s Future

2008 | REPUBLICAN

• Thompson Struggles as Launch Looms
• Looking at Thompson’s Investigative History
• Romney Heading To Greenville
• Mitt Romney, Businessman Hopes To Change Washington Operations
• Romney gets a little ‘Big Love’
• McCain Making SC Swing 
• Presidential hopeful Giuliani weighs in on Bonds’ record
• Giuliani: Attorney General Gonzales has “given service”

2008 | DEMOCRATS

• Edwards, Hillary spar on donations
• Clinton wants stronger product standards, competition with China
• Clinton, Edwards roll out plans to fight cancer
• John Edwards: Edwards Statement On Romney Health Care Plan
• Alberto Gonzales: Edwards Statement On Resignation
• Big Source of Clinton’s Cash Is an Unlikely Address
• Obama Getting Tough as Going Gets Rough
• Obama supported by Wilder
• Democrats Talk Health Care at Iowa Forum

NEW MEDIA | BLOGOSPHERE

• Red State|Fred Fixes A Date
• Capps| Simpsonizing Rick Beltram
• Fix| Craig Revelations Complicate Senate Picture
• Wire| Romney Seeks Distance From Craig
• Blogometer| Hoping For Better GOPers

Listen, we’ve been on vacation for the last few days, and honestly, we haven’t been all that diligent over the last few weeks about updating the Shot every single second for the last month. It’s summertime, and to be blunt, we’ve got better things to do – most of which involve either a track, a beach or a beverage. But you know what? We run a website - we’re not auditioning to be the leader of the free world. And that’s why we’ve grown just a little tired of Fred and his lollygaggin’. We went to see him when he was here back in June, and have to say it was a blast seeing the guy we see every day on TBS reruns in person – and he’s not a half-bad speaker either. But since then, we haven’t really seen or heard much of him – and it’s gettin’ a little old. Every day, it’s the same old line – “waters are feelin pretty warm.” It was cute the first time, but c’mon man, let’s step that one up a notch. (Of course, he might have fired his scriptwriters along with everyone else).

Since he started talking about running for President in March, we’ve been treated to an unending string of delightfully amusing platitudes and Hannity appearances (oh yeah, and an abortion scandal, but that’s not our point here). The point is that we’re beginning to think that the whole “Fred Thompson is one lazy SOB” thing just might have a little truth to it. Hell, the man couldn’t even be bothered to walk around a State Fair – he took a GOLF CART to get from the deep fried Twinkie stand to the deep-fried mystery-meat-on-a-stick stand! (seriously – check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD4Bo1pJfSw). At this point, Fred has put more effort in finding a way to run for President without scuffing his shoes than the effort it would have taken to actually run for President over the last five months.

Fred is taking his sweet time to get in the race, so we’ve come up with this handy-dandy clock that’s been running since he went on Chris Matthews’ show back in March. We hope you’re enjoying the wait, but we’re not gettin’ any younger (and by the looks of that photo, neither is Fred).

It seems our boy Lindsey Graham is pushing Billy Wilkins as the replacement for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. We give Senator Graham props for pushing a good South Carolinian for the position.

Check out the Greenville News article here.

Okay, you caught us. We really are searching hard for news to give you, but our minds are 100% on nothing but Gamecock football. Sorry ’bout that.

So does anyone else think this is funny as hell?

A request from The Gazette to tag along with Bates as he campaigned was rejected because he is running a “person-to-person campaign rather than a media campaign,” according to Shealy. And, Shealy said, the route is a secret.

We’ve always known Rod Shealy is good, but now he’s coming up with secret routes. WHAT!?!? Secret routes? It’s so genious!
Check out the Beaufort Gazette article here.

John Boyanoski of Campaigns & Elections reports that Andre Bauer will be holding his endorsement from presidential candidates for awhile.  How long?  Boyanoski doesn’t report it, but we are betting it comes about 5 minutes after Rod Shealy signs with a presidential candidate.

We here at The Shot want to dedicate this song to our good buddy Jeffrey Sewell. 

Hey Jeffrey - before you go freaking out on some domain registering temper-tantrum (see www.adailyturd.com), know that we are just messing around.  We really do think you’re cool…really we do.

CNN is reporting that Alberto Gonzales has resigned. Bush may nominate Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Just a quick note to let you know that we are back from our few days off.  And we ain’t happy…because Blake Mitchell is a friggin idiot.  I mean seriously…how hard is it to just go to class?