As conservatives, we have certain issues that we consider vital components of a candidate profile. Moreover, fiscal and social conservatives have different sets of issues that pull the trigger (so to speak.)

Let's start at the fiscal level. Yes, he supports the Bush tax cuts, and wants to make them permanent. Yes, he is against raising taxes in any form. Yes, he already has a set of recommendations for cutting government waste, a report he wrote in 1991, now available as a book called Government at the Brink. And he believes that "government that is big enough to do everything for you is big enough to do anything to you."

And for the social conservatives. Yes, he is pro-life, one hundred percent. Yes, he believes that government comes to us from God. Yes, he thinks the public schools are failing our children and that we must demand more from them.

In addition, he advocates making health insurance portable, exactly the way the President tried to. He backs the American armed forces and believes we are in Iraq for the right reasons.

His issue positions are conservative to the core. As a lawyer, he has been a prosecutor and a US attorney. He was elected to two terms in the US Senate "by twenty points in a state that President Clinton carried twice."

He tells us in the video that his Senate experience was limited by choice. When he ran for the office, he determined to do what good he could do in two terms. That's what he did.

For those of you who only know Fred Thompson for his film work and his anchoring role as the grand old man in the prosecutor's office on NBC's four Law and Order franchises, watching the website video might be an eye-opening experience. Although he has made a living as an actor, he is not acting here. He is speaking from the heart--simply, honestly, and persuasively. He is modest about his accomplishments and his record, but not self-effacing.

Setting aside the issues for just a moment, there are other good reasons to go with Fred in 08. First and foremost, he can beat Hillary. Fred Thompson has taken on the Clinton administration before, and he didn't blink. In 1997, he looked into Democratic fundraising and called what he found "the most corrupt political campaign in modern history." While everyone believes that Rudy Giuliani can beat Hillary, it should be remembered that the last time he had the opportunity, he was forced to withdraw from the race for health and family reasons. While that was not his fault, it did deprive us of the opportunity to judge whether he can go toe-to-toe with Mrs. Clinton.

Secondly, while he is mentioned as "Reaganesque" in some circles, he himself reveres Reagan and refuses to take on that role. In an interview on FoxNews this morning, Thompson said that there is no Reagan on the horizon; he was one of a kind. Fred Dalton Thompson will be his own man, filling the shoes of no one, and following his own principles.

And those principles are clearly laid out in his video. The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, protection of our God-given freedoms, limited government, equality before the law, and the preservation of the sanctity of human life. He is not shy about his beliefs or coy about his positions. He is what he is, and anyone who gives him a fair hearing should feel that they know what he believes. You may not agree with him, but you at least know that his foundational principles won't suddenly "evolve" in the middle of a campaign.

For those of us who voted for President Bush in 2000 and 2004, the entry of Fred Thompson into the fray should be a welcome new opportunity to vote again for the principles of conservatism. Even for those conservatives who didn't then--or don't now--choose Bush as their standard bearer, you can never have too many well-articulated presentations of conservative principles. And, even for liberals, he offers a rational and unapologetic summation of conservatism that you can react to--instead of a confusing mish-mash of issue positions chosen on a day-to-day basis.

So, I welcome Fred Thompson as he enters the race for the Republican nomination. If I have the chance, I will vote for him (our primary, alas, is in May--likely far after the nominee has been decided.) And I welcome a discussion of your reaction to his position and my remarks.s