Tommy for President? Again?

The Detroit Free Press reports:

Thompson considers run for U.S. presidency
August 20, 2005

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson acknowledged this week that he is considering a run for the White House in 2008 as an extension of his mission to improve the nation's health care.

"I can't think of anybody else as vocal on this issue as I have been," he said.

Elected four times as governor of Wisconsin, Thompson, a Republican, said that "anybody that's ever been in public office has thought about" being president.

He does not yet have a campaign staff, he said.

Excuse me, but I think this is where I came in. I've heard this tune before. As I recall, it sounded like a good idea to a lot of Republicans until they first time they saw him on television.

Hat tip: Political Wire.

Another assessment from MyDD.com:

Tommy Thompson. A new one on the list. Thompson's probably kidding himself if he thinks he's got a chance. To the extent that his experience as a Governor might help him, George Allen, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, George Pataki, and Haley Barbour can all claim the same thing. He told the Detroit Free Press that he wants to run to highlight healthcare issues. Again, as far as GOP candidates go, Frist, a surgeon, would seem to have the leg up there. Even Huckabee, who authored a best-selling weight loss book after dropping over 100 pounds himself can claim some advantage in that department. And there's also the matter of Thompson's now-infamous comments at the end of his tenure at HHS:

"I, for the life of me, cannot understand why the terrorists have not, you know, attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do," he said. "And we are importing a lot of food from the Middle East, and it would be easy to tamper with that."

That statement drew a huge amount of criticism for Thompson and seems to be the sort of thing that could sink him from a national security perspective in the primaries.