Missing Man Formation.

There is no comeback for John McCain. He pealed off from the Republican formation and he is not coming back. It is likely that the Republicans will be picking from Guiliani, Romney or possibly Fred Thompson. I think Thompson a remote possibility. I would also bet money on Hillary as the ultimate Democratic candidate. There is plenty of time left and that can be a problem for either party. Who else is out there and who do you like?


Gingrich Assesses the Republican Field
By Michael Falcone
June 8, 2007, 5:03 pm
NY Times

During a speech in Washington this morning, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gently praised several fellow Republicans who have launched presidential bids, criticized one and offered few clues about the chances he would step into the race.

Mr. Gingrich touted Rudolph W. Giuliani’s “extraordinary achievements” as mayor of New York, and said that as a candidate he “has certainly done better so far than people would have guessed.” Former Gov. Mitt Romney, he added, is a “very serious person who is working very hard.” If former Senator Fred Thompson enters the race, he would be a “very formidable” candidate.

Left out of Mr. Gingrich’s top three was Senator John McCain, who he said is facing “the greatest challenge in the Republican primary,” because of his association with the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation and the immigration bill he co-sponsored, which stalled in the Senate yesterday. (Mr. Gingrich, like many conservatives, does not support either piece of legislation.)

As for the prospect of his own candidacy, Mr. Gingrich said that he would confer with his wife in late September and make a decision about whether he would enter the crowded field of Republicans vying for the party’s nomination.

“My position is unchanged,” Mr. Gingrich said. “If there is a real genuine vacuum, we may feel compelled to run.”

Earlier this week Mr. Gingrich told the Associated Press that he gave himself 4-to-1 odds against running for president despite previous statements in which he did not lay down odds on a presidential bid. A spokesman for the former House Speaker said that for now, Mr. Gingrich was far more focused on his “American Solutions” project, which was the topic of his speech this morning at the American Enterprise Institute. (Its website has posted video/audio from the event.)

But Mr. Gingrich did not pass up the opportunity to once again take aim at the Bush administration, particularly on the issue of border security. Mr. Gingrich, who is no fan of the immigration bill that was hotly debated this week, sharply criticized Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff for his recent remark that by supporting the compromise bill, the administration was “bowing to reality.”

“We Americans know that bowing to reality is the opposite of our tradition,” Mr. Gingrich said.