St. Pete Times is reporting a stunning development just 15 days from the Florida Primary, a “high level defection” from Ol’ Fred’s campaign. John Stemberger will co-chair Huckabee’s “Faith and Family Values Coalition for Florida.

“Gov. Huckabee is without question the best candidate to breathe new life and fresh hope into a nation and its people who are fed up with scandal, corruption and big-money power politics,” Stemberger said.

Here is Huckabee’s press release.

This is a blow to Thompson’s hopes, but it shouldn’t be much of a distraction as his campaign is “all in” for Saturday’s must-win SC Primary.

A quick check of my favorite sites across the rightosphere showed the consensus response of OF supporters, “Fred D. Thompson is the kindest, warmest, bravest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life…. ”

h/t RF8