FRED THOMPSON talks to Republicans:

“Folks, we’re a bit down politically right now, but I think we’re on the comeback trail, and it’s going to start right here,” he declared in the deep Southern rumble made famous by his roles in film and on television’s “Law and Order.” . . .

But he received his biggest applause for blasting the bipartisan plan for immigration reform, which he called unworkable. “We are a nation of compassion, a nation of immigrants,” he said. “But this is our home . . . and we get to decide who comes into our home.”

Thompson reminded guests that he now lives in McLean, but he offered himself as a Beltway outsider, saying there was a “disconnect” between Washington and the rest of the country “like I’ve never seen before.” He said the GOP had lost its congressional majorities because “some of us came to drain the swamp and made partnership with the alligators.”

A journalist who was there emails with uncharacteristic enthusiasm: “it’s what a stump speech should be…. a standing ovation in the middle of the speech even.” He calls the WaPo account “dry.” You can see the speech yourself on C-SPAN tonight if you’re interested — 6:30 or 9:30 pm Eastern.