Opinion: It seems Fred’s S.C. campaign is a little short of cash

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Quietly, deep within an e-mail to supporters from Fred Thompson’s campaign manager touting the former senator’s South Carolina game plan, William Lacy describes the long days the candidate is putting in on the Palmetto State’s campaign trail. He said they needed more advertising to give Thompson the best chance to do well in the upcoming Republican primary there.

Then there’s one line we almost overlooked where Lacy makes a possibly revealing admission about the Tennessean’s campaign financial condition with ramifications for his political finish.

‘Right now,’ he says, ‘my budget is a little short of where it needs to be to get that done.’

He adds, ‘Even a donation of $10, $20 or $25 would help Fred get where he needs to be.’ Thompson is not alone in being cash-strapped. As we wrote Friday, Rudy Giuliani’s campaign is not paying top staffers this month, among other cutbacks to maximize funds for their firewall efforts in Florida.

Candidates do not need to report their 2007 fourth-quarter fundraising figures to the Federal Election Commission until the end of this month. But this short Lacy message looking for what is, in effect, small change would not seem to portend well for the Fred Thompson camp’s literal fortunes.

Today, Lacy sent another e-mail thanking supporters for their donations and saying they made a hardworking Fred ‘poised’ for success. He also reported a strong response to an appeal for volunteers to go to South Carolina to canvas for Fred.

-- Andrew Malcolm