The American Spectator

Fred Thompson has his relaunched website active today and it is very attractive. The biggest problem: so far there is very little there, there. The only item listed in "principles" is federalism which features a shortened version of Fred discussing what was previously the subject of a blog. It contains no new policy ideas nor substantive recommendations on how to implement federalist principles. (At some point someone will ask him how his voting for No Child Left Behind and McCain-Feingold furthered the goals of limiting the federal government.) The sole press release is the already released statement explaining how much money he raised in June. The "Commentaries" appear to be his previously released blogs. There are sections on volunteering, lots of social networking tools and a FredCast where you will be able to view him at appearances. His biography section is now on multiple pages but his "legislation" section highlighting his accomplishments in Congress is, to put it mildly, sparse. (It doesn't include his most significant accomplishment -- passage of McCain-Feingold.) Other than to satisfy anxious supporters I'm not sure what the purpose of the relaunch was. If you don't want the press to talk only about mechanics -- who is leaving, who is running the show, why you didn't meet money expectations -- then give them some substance, some indication about the rationale for your campaign and some bold ideas which the other contenders have missed.