In a brief statement issued today, Fred Thompson has officially dropped out of the 2008 race for President of the United States:

Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people.

His country is sorely lacking the highest quality of leadership that he alone, amongst the available candidates, could have provided. Fred Thompson was a serious candidate that provided real solutions for the issues facing this nation, but in this age guided by pop culture and influenced by the media his audience was not able to fully grasp that greatness.

His party has certainly benefited from his run because it has deeply, and I believe fatally, wounded the candidacy of Mike Huckabee. The one consolation that I take from the loss of Fred! from the field is that he drew a clear, distinct line between what is conservative and what is not. By so doing, he has saved his party from suffering through the disastrous nomination of someone who is not fit to be President of the United States. A true and competent leader must guide us through this time in which our national security is even more serious and vitally important than ever before and Mike Huckabee is most definitely not that man.

Rumors of his withdrawal from the race were often accompanied by the idea that he would endorse one of his opponents. The man that was assumed to receive that endorsement was his friend John McCain. However, Fred! has once again gone the opposite direction of what was expected and he will not be endorsing anyone.

In the coming days I will be reading up on Mitt Romney so that I can make an informed decision when Texas holds its primary in March. My heart's desire is to still cast a vote for Fred Thompson. However in order to stop the nomination of John McCain, who is not a true conservative Republican, I will probably have to support the one man that I believe can put an end to the Maverick's bid.