I Wish I Could Eat Your Cancer When You… Open Your Exploratory Committee

Fred Thompson announced earlier today that he's got the big "C."

Thompson, 64, whom supporters are encouraging to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2008, also said that his lymphoma is in remission and should not threaten his life expectancy. It was unclear what impact the disease could have on his consideration about a run for the White House, but a longtime friend said today he believes it indicates that Thompson is running.

The story's already getting old, but it's worth pointing out that if Thompson runs for president (and Newt Gingrich doesn't), three-quarters of the GOP's front bench will have had cancer. John McCain has had skin cancer, and Rudy's beaten prostate cancer. Mitt Romney is the lone frontrunner whose cell division is going just great, thanks for asking.

I was going to say this this created a real opening for Sam Brownback, who has pledged, as president, to "end deaths by cancer" in a decade. But he's also had cancer.