Created: 9/13/2007 2:48:28 PM 
By Shannon Ogden First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Fred Thompson and I meet at his downtown hotel just before his presidential campaign caravan launches from Jacksonville.
First question: why would Thompson hit the campaign trail and give up his comfortable life which includes a role on a hit TV show, two children under five years old at home and a young wife when he already has a successful political career behind him?
"Sometimes the more you're blessed, the more you ask what you ought to be doing. Are you at your highest and best use?" he answers.
This Tennessee lawyer turned politician, turned actor, turned politician again begins his presidential campaign near the top of most early polls.
But Thompson admits his fame from movies and NBC's Law and Order will carry him only so far. Now as an official Republican candidate he must tackle candidate issues - first among them, Iraq.
"We're doing now what we should've been doing a long time ago in terms of the surge and being more aggressive," says Thompson.
Changing gears, I ask Thompson if Florida should be punished for its new January 29th primary date, which is earlier than Republican party rules allow.
"That's inside party politics. When they have these primaries, where they have 'em...what they do, is above my pay grade. I'm going to show up wherever and let people decide."
But if Thompson gets the Republican party nomination will he use his weight to allow all of Florida's delegates to attend the national convention next summer? The national party voted to strip Florida of half its delegates.
"Uh, well, you know, it could be. But I don't know. I haven't thought about that. All I know is I'm not going to get into intramural party politics."
This White House campaign caps an eclectic and successful career as lawyer, lobbyist, politician and actor in movies including The Hunt for Red October and Die Hard 2.
Does this campaign effectively end his acting career?
"Yeah. Maybe some day, you know, after all this is over with... and they want some good old boy to play and old cowboy and they pay me well for a day's work I might consider it," Thompson says.
Thompson will spend the next few days campaigning in Florida.
He will also attend the Gators-Vols game in Gainesville Saturday.
As a Tennessee native that puts him in a difficult place. But he says he will do his best to act like he's rooting for both teams.
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