(washingtonpost) - Former senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee, whose candidacy fizzled after a summer of expectations, pulled out of the Republican presidential race yesterday after disappointing finishes in all of the primary contests held so far.

In a terse, three-sentence statement, the actor-politician abandoned a candidacy that once seemed to offer everything a Republican voter could want: solid conservative credentials, Washington experience, Hollywood panache, Southern charm and a commanding personality.

Read More