The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 3 of 3)

in the past two months about filling the seat now held be retiring Sen. Fred Thompson . Alexander has been noncommittal, but Republicans in the Senate expect that if the party asks him to run, he will do so. /p>

No one is surprised by the news of Thompson's decision to retire. As reported by the Prowler last spring, the senior senator from Tennessee was doing next to no fundraising back home, and has kept an increasingly low profile. In the aftermath of 9/11 he turned down a number of requests for media appearances.

"This has been brewing for more than a year," says a Thompson aide. "He's been thinking about this for a long time. It has nothing to with Washington or anything in his private life. He just wants to move on to other things."

Almost a year ago, rumors were swirling through Washington that Thompson was in line to take over Jack Valenti's job as chief lobbyist of the Motion Picture Arts Association. Valenti has given no indication he plans to retire.

Should Alexander choose not to run for Thompson's seat, Rep. John J. "Jimmy" Duncan, a seven-term, conservative Republican out of the Knoxville area would be the most logical House member to consider a run.

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