Last Monday the Tennessee state Senate unanimously passed a resolution that would rename a portion of U.S. Highway 43 in Lawrenceburg (Fred’s hometown) so that it would be forever known as ”Fred Thompson Boulevard.”

Thompson has asked lawmakers to withdraw the proposal:

Thompson said in the letter that “it is entirely appropriate that it remains Highway 43, the way I remember it was when I was a boy.”

Now comes the inevitable psychological profiling for political analysis that follows every public figure that does something unusual. That is, the why.

Is it because he is a truly humble man that would feel uncomfortable seeing signs with his name plastered prominently every time he went back home for a visit?

I doubt it. The man is a celebrity, used to the flashing bulbs and attention that his status brings.

Is it because he thinks renaming things is a waste of taxpayer’s money? Taking signs down and putting up new ones cost thousands of dollars.

Hmmm, an actor/politician that knows the value of a working man’s dollar?

Is it because years of being near Senator Robert Byrd has made such grandstanding distasteful to him? Byrd is the undisputed King of Pork and has more roads, schools, bridges, libraries, airports and every other man-made thing named after him than any man alive.

Hmmm, an actor/politician with ethics?

Is it because the a deal was reached in the Senate that would trade this honor for Fred for another congratulating Al Strip-Mining Gore for his work on global lies warming, and that he thought the price was too high?

Hmmm, an actor/politician with integrity?

Is it because it will garner press coverage, pumping up his image before a run for president?

Run, Fred, Run!

Perhaps it is a little bit of all four of those things. Whatever, it gives us hope that we will have someone ethical and principled in the White House come 2008.

Update: The text of Fred’s letter can be found at RedState. The relevant portion:

I cannot blame anybody if there is hesitation to name another thing for another politician or former politician. But I must say that I am very appreciative of my friends in Lawrenceburg and Lawrence County who originally had this idea. The fact that they would want to do this is more important to me than the naming itself. My daddy’s car lot was on that stretch of road, so it’s special to me, but the fact is that I didn’t build it and I didn’t pay for it. The taxpayers did. So it is entirely appropriate that it remain U.S. Highway 43 the way I remember it when I was a boy.

Update 2: Bob Krumm picked up on the Byrd comparison as well, and Glenn calls Thompson the anti-Robert-Byrd.