From The Politico:

Picture Courtesy of Carl Cox Photography

Fred Dalton Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing that week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told The Politico.

Thompson, the “Law and Order” star and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, has been publicly coy, even as people close to him have been furiously preparing for a late entry into the wide-open contest. But the advisers said Thompson dropped all pretenses on Tuesday afternoon during a conference call with more than 100 potential donors, each of whom was urged to raise about $50,000.

Thompson’s formal announcement is planned for Nashville. Organizers say the red pickup truck that was a hallmark of Thompson’s first Senate race will begin showing up in Iowa and New Hampshire as an emblem of what they consider his folksy, populist appeal.

A testing-the-waters committee is to be formed June 4 so Thompson can start raising money, and staffers will go on the payroll in early June, the organizers said. A policy team has been formed, but remains under wraps.

Fred Thompson has my vote. I was planning to vote for Romney, but now that Mr. Thompson has entered the race, I have changed my mind. I’ve been waiting for him to run for a while. I like the man, he’s got character. More than that, he speaks his mind. He won’t take up your time with pleasantries and B.S., if he doesn’t like something, he’ll say so.

I met him at Reagan National Airport once, he is the same person you see on TV.