The Hotline's Shira Toeplitz has the details on Thompson's online strategy team. The name that LEAPED out at me is Blaise Hazelwood, a tough-as-nails former RNC political director whose services were widely sought by other '08 contenders. Hazelwood hadn't planned to do a presidential race, and it's hard to believe that her political skills won't be an asset for Thompson.

Soren Dayton defends Thompson's net-based strategy:

First, Thompson could do what Mitt Romney is doing, which I have reviewed very positively. It is an axiom of politics that candidate-to-voter contact moves votes like nothing else. Romney is using technology to enhance that.

Second, Thompson will probably use technology to communicate regularly with his base. He is collecting a lot of information, as I noticed . Thompson has demonstrated that he can produce content on a pretty steady basis that some group of activists will consume. Imagine delivering issue content to his base once or twice a week, as he has been doing at ABC and NRO. That would be new. And, of course, they would hope people would forward it around.

Third, another axiom of politics is that voter-to-voter contact is very effective. It is clear from early results on the website that the Thompson online campaign team intends to emphasize voter-to-voter contact. Even the most obvious implementation collects that information. And it probably appends it to a voter list, so you have demographics and any other stuff you have about the volutneers, voters, etc.

Thompson's going to Israel. Update: no he's not.

** = not posted daily