Fred's Team Cries Over Blown Chance

Former superstar GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson took too long to warm to the campaign trail and wife Jeri erred in grabbing for control of the reins, according to Fred's associates. Left to wonder what went wrong, the insiders say that Jeri, a political pro in her own right, did a great job building the draft movement and getting Fred to respond but then it took too long for Thompson to warm up to his bid. "He didn't feel comfortable until after Iowa," said one ally. But, they say, Jeri interfered with the campaign staff too much and even considered hiring a whole new crew the week before the South Carolina primary, which Fred lost.