Do As I Say, Not As I Do; Fred Thompson Delays Filing For Presidential Run

The Politico reports that lobbyist and sometimes presidential candidate Fred Thompson will continue to "test the waters" and delay his official entrance into the Republican presidential race. But why?

Is it because GOP voters found out about his pro-choice lobbying record? Maybe.

More probably, however, it looks like Fred is trying to skirt the financial disclosure rules that he himself wrote. Yes, Fred Thompson loves campaign finance reform--but only when it won't have any effect on him. That's why he refuses to follow the spirit of the legislation that he, along with John McCain and Russ Feingold, drafted and put into law.

If he were to formalize his candidacy beyond its current "testing the waters" status, Friends of Fred Thompson Inc. would have to reveal its contributions and expenses this week.

Filing as a candidate also triggers other legal requirements, including personal financial disclosure.