The family of Fred Thompson has announced that the actor and Republican who represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2003 has died following a recurrence of lymphoma, the Associated Press reports. He was 73.

California authorities have launched an investigation into claims that Goldline International — the favorite investment arm of Glenn Beck and Mike Huckabee — is scamming people into buying coins and is sending them "something different from what they had ordered."

This sleazy ad has been on cable news all day. Former presidential candidate and country bear Fred Thompson wants old people to get "Absolutely FREE," government-backed reverse mortgages. What do we know about this shady company Thompson is endorsing?

William Jefferson Clinton—the man, the myth, the legend—celebrates his 63rd birthday today. The former First Lady of the United States, Tipper Gore, is turning 61. Actress Kyra Sedgwick is 44. New York City councilmember Melinda Katz is turning 44, too. Friends star Matthew Perry is 40. Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson is 67. GOP political operative Mary Matalin is 56. Literary agent Lynn Nesbit is turning 71. Actor Peter Gallagher turns 54. Entourage's Kevin Dillon turns 44. Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla is 57. Rapper Fat Joe is turning 39. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 43. And one of the greatest actors of his generation, John Stamos, will be blowing out 46 candles on his cake today.

• Conservative radio is expecting a big boost once Obama takes office. Also, Fred Thompson, not Rudy Giuliani, will take over Bill O'Reilly's slot. [NYT]
• Publishers don't seem to be very interested in Laura Bush's memoir. [NYer]
• After a three-day blackout, China has unblocked the Times' website. [NYT]
• Is Chris Matthews running for office or sticking with NBC? [THR]
• The AP's list of top 10 news stories of 2008. [AP]
• Politico's list of the top 10 media blunders of 2008. [Politico]
• A list of the biggest media losers of 2008. [Business Sheet]

Presidential Theater: Earlier this week, world's laziest presidential candidate Fred Thompson awoke from his midday nap (11am to 5pm) to start plotting out his next move. "Get me that job back as that mentor guy with five lines on Law & Order," he drawled to his agent. "What? Sam Waterston is doing that now? Too young! What about SVU? Maybe I could romance Mariska Harg..." He then fell back asleep, conserving his energy as the agent patiently pre-cut Thompson's dinner steak while booking him his first role since the presidential campaign: NYPD's chief of detectives on Life on Mars. Haha, remember when everyone was scared of this dude? [EW]

Bill Clinton is 62 years old today. We're sure he'll find a very special way to celebrate. Others who will be blowing out candles today: Kyra Sedgwick, who is turning 43, author Frank McCourt, who is 78, and the Bronx's very own Fat Joe, who is celebrating his 38th. Former Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is 66 today. City Council member Melinda Katz is turning 43. Literary agent Lynn Nesbit is 70. John Stamos is 45. And Matthew Perry—remember him?—is 39.

If there's one class of people that consistently draws the ire of the Republican party, it's celebrities. Perhaps mindful of the fact that all the cool kids in Hollywood vote Democrat, the GOP is forever on the attack against celebrities, their political views, and all they represent, and John McCain's attention-getting "Celebrity" ad is just the latest example. Yessir, there's nothing the Republican party hates more than celebrities.

Republican Senator Fred Thompson just quit the Presidential race. You're wondering: Who's Fred Thompson? He was, quite possibly, the tech industry's least cogent advocate. Popular Mechanics, which catalogued the tech policies of 12 candidates, found just one plank in Thompson's "digital/tech" platform:

Old Man Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the race for the Republican nomination for president. Maybe he heard the writers are settling? Or maybe he just misses those residual checks, who knows. Anyways, welcome back Arthur Branch-era Law & Order reruns! [Reuters]

With Law & Order star Fred Thompson's well-publicized announcement of his presidential candidacy still fresh in everyone's minds, the LAT's Cause Cèlebré column takes an opportunity to evaluate the former senator's prospects for raising some of the seemingly limitless industry cash that rains down from the Southern California sky each time Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama set foot within the Los Angeles city limits. Unsurprisingly, the Times finds that the Republican's Hollywood fundraising time would be better spent robbing some Famimas at gunpoint rather than waiting around for a gay billionaire to throw him a Malibu beach party:

• The Tonight Show: Fred Thompson running for President [YouTube]

That's some good thinking by Comptroller Thompson there. We're also of the opinion that the best way to woo middle-class votes is to turn yourself white. Plus, now he can pull the "Law & Order" vote!

"Will Fred Thompson's hot-ass wife prove a liability or an asset on the campaign trail? As someone whose nads had yet to drop until well into the Reagan administration but who still gets the occasional rise out of Rosalynn Carter fantasies, I can only issue my whole-shafted endorsement. Chick has got it going on." [NYT]