Thompson abandons White House bid

CNN, 1/23/8

Former Sen. Fred Thompson on Tuesday ended his run for the presidency, coming off the heels of a disappointing third-place finish in South Carolina’s GOP primary and heading into the showdown state of Florida next week.

“Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States,” Thompson said in a statement.

“I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people.”