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I will give it three years, two years into the first term of President Thompson.

I've been asking about his position on reform - but no answers yet. Do you have any info WRT his position on reform and HR25?

No hard positions yet on tax reform of any kind, though he has said the right things philosophically about taxes, which would suggest openness to the FairTax.

Much has been made of the addition of Lawrence Lindsey to Fred's economic team, as he is not exactly a strong tax reformer, but I'll reserve judgment on the issue until I hear something out of Fred himself. I don't have any hard indicators, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get something definitive on tax reform out of his camp before too long.

The good news is it's hardly an issue that can be ignored now. The rally in Columbia, SC put a shot across the bow, and the fact that nearly a third of House Republicans have cosponsored the bill means it will be difficult for the major candidates to continue to put the issue off.

This could become especially true if Mitt Romney does what I expect and embraces either the flat tax or the FairTax by December. As of right now Romney seems to be testing the waters on tax reform.