Human Events Backs Fred; No Pay for Rudy Staff

One of the oldest conservative publications, Human Events, normally doesn't endorse candidates in the primaries. But Editor Jed Babbin has changed all that. His paper today backed Fred Thompson. "The question now is whether Sen. Thompson will do what he has not yet done: Take the advantages he is given by his intelligence, his principles, his political skills and this endorsement and make the best use of them," says the paper after lauding Thompson for being Reaganesque. "Sen. Thompson, you suffer, like most conservatives, from the built-in problem of not being a professional politician."

Then there's Rudy. Insiders confirm that his campaign is running a bit tight on cash and that top aides are being asked to work free, retroactive to January 1. They caution, however, to say that he's not broke.