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Fred Thompson has a new ad out in South Carolina, "Always."

"Friends, we're in a fight for our conservative values," Thompson says in the spot, staring directly into the camera. "I'm a conservative. Always have been. Always will be."

"I'll fight against amnesty and benefits for illegals," Thompson continues. "I'll work to keep your taxes low and keep a prosperous economy. I'm 100% pro-life, that's why South Carolina Citizens for Life endorsed me. And you can trust me to protect our security against Islamic radicals."

You can watch the ad here.

Thompson is widely seen as needing to win in South Carolina, where GOP voters go to the polls on Saturday, to have any chance at winning the Republican presidential nomination. Recent polls show Thompson in fourth place in the state, behind Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Mitt Romney.

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Republicans Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney both unveiled new ads today as part of their last-minute push in Iowa, but that's about where the similarities end: While Thompson has taken the standard end-of-the-campaign route with a spot summing up his principles, Romney's ad is only the latest to claim that rival Mike Huckabee's record is inferior to his own.

Thompson's ad is basically a roundup of various endorsements and plaudits from conservative publications and organizations, and it includes praise for his tax plan, his immigration policy (oddly enough, from National Review, which has endorsed Romney), his plan to rebuild the military, and, finally, his support from the anti-abortion National Right to Life Committee.

It then repeats what has been the Thompson campaign's mantra of late – "the clear conservative choice."

On the other hand, the Romney campaign continues to cast Huckabee in a negative light in an ad that's visually similar to past efforts. Some of the contrasts are repeats, too, including mention of Huckabee's support for granting in-state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants. It also quotes Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said Huckabee's recent critique of President Bush's foreign policy was "ludicrous."

Conventional wisdom is that Iowans don't care for ads like Romney's especially this late in the game. Then again, some polls indicate Romney has been gaining on Huckabee ever since he started drawing comparisons on air. Only six days until we'll know if his plan actually works.

Here’s a quick rundown of what's shaking in the campaign world this afternoon:

Fred Thompson gets in on the endorsement game, nabbing the backing of Iowa Rep. Steve King (R), according to CBS News Chief Political Consultant Marc Ambinder, who notes that the decision was a surprise to Mitt Romney's campaign which had figured to get King's endorsement. Also, Iowa Rep. Dave Loebsack (D) has endorsed Barack Obama.

John McCain has launched his first radio ads in South Carolina, featuring Senator Lindsay Graham, whose message to GOP primary voters is: "John McCain is the only candidate for president prepared to be Commander-in-Chief on day one. No candidate can match his record of service. And as all the polls indicate, he's the only Republican who can beat Hillary Clinton in the general election. So our party and our nation need John McCain."

The scrutiny of Mike Huckabee continues with Newsweek reporting on allegations that the former governor's so, David Huckabee, was implicated in the hanging of a dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998. No charges were filed but a former director of the Arkansas state police tells the magazine that Huckabee and others pressured him not to investigate complaints from animal rights activists. Huckabee denies doing so and the campaign said David Huckabee regrets the incident.

From CBS News' John Bentley, on the campaign trail with Fred Thompson:

Fred Thompson had more harsh words for the National Intelligence Estimate report on Iran today.

“It's awfully convenient for a lot of people: the administration gets to say its policies worked; the Democrats get to claim we should have eased up on Iran a long time ago; and Russia and China can claim sanctions on Iran are not necessary,” said Thompson in Anderson, SC, today. “Who does it help out most of all? Iran.”

He went to say that sanctions against Iran are still necessary, and told the crowd to keep one thing in mind: “Remember what your mama told you – if something appears to be too good to be true, it probably is.”

Thompson also repeated his stance that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) area of Alaska should be opened for drilling “so we’re not so reliant on bad parts of the world,” but admitted that it is “a relatively small part of the solution.”

And since he was left out of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” discussion concerning gay servicemembers at the last debate, Thompson said he was in favor of the program. He explained that he supported it because it is a military issue, not a social issue.

“I depend on those who’ve spent a lot of time in the military and the people that I’ve talked to say it is a policy that is working,” he said.

From CBS News' John Bentley, on the trail with the Fred Thompson campaign:

Holding an antique tommy gun and a Civil War pistol, Thompson took aim at Rudy Giuliani's policies on gun control. "He simply supported just about every gun control legislation that came down the pike," Thompson said. "I just disagree with him on that. I saw he was at bill signing ceremonies with Chuck Schumer and President Clinton for gun control legislation over the years and he was very outspoken about it. Of course, he's not as outspoken about it anymore."

Thompson made the comments during a campaign stop at Skip's Gun and Sport Shop in Bristol, New Hampshire. Thompson said being the mayor of the largest city in the country meant he was out of touch with most Americans.

"He relates everything to New York City. Well, New York City is not emblematic of the rest of the country. I think the sentiments of those people in the rest of the country are in strong support of the Second Amendment. Which is what I've always been, and I don't think he's ever been."

While Thompson is a lifelong member of the NRA and has visited another arms manufacturer in New Hampshire, he trails Giuliani by nearly 10 points in the granite state, and front-running Mitt Romney by almost 30.

From CBS News' John Bentley, on the trail with the Fred Thompson campaign:

Recent poll numbers out of Iowa have not been kind to Fred Thompson. The most recent CBS News/New York Times poll put the former Tennessee senator in fourth place at 9 percent in the state, and other surveys have shown his numbers only falling since he officially entered the race.

So it might not be surprising that, at a campaign stop in Orange City, Iowa, today, Thompson didn't set the expectations bar too high when asked if he needed to finish in the top three or actually win the state's Jan. 3 caucuses to have a chance at the Republican nomination. "I probably don't have to win, but we've got to do better than that," he said, referring to his fourth-place position. "I'm planning on doing better than that."

If Thompson plans on cracking the top three, as his statement implies, he'll likely have to take away support from longtime-leader Mitt Romney or a surging Mike Huckabee, who has momentum on his side, as well as hope for Rudy Giuliani, now in third, to falter. That's no easy task, but a lot can happen between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

Update: At an event in La Mars, Iowa, Thompson backed away from his earlier statement and declined to say where he thinks he needs to finish in Iowa to stay competitive. "I’m not going to get into where I want to finish,” Thompson said. “I need to do well in Iowa because I consider this an area that is made for the way I Iike to campaign. That is, get out and talk to folks one-on-one or in small groups. So I need to do well here but I’m not going to rank it right now.”

He also made thinly-veiled references to the immigration policies of two of the men he hopes to overtake in Iowa, Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, and Giuliani, a former New York mayor. "I don’t believe at the end of the day Des Moines wants to follow the pattern of New York City or Little Rock, Arkansas,” he said. “I think they will reject becoming a sanctuary city or anything close to that.”

What was once the signature achievement of Mitt Romney's time as Massachusetts governor – a plan aimed at ensuring all of the state's residents have health insurance – is today the target of Romney's rivals for the Republican nomination.

Why today? November 15 happens to be the deadline for Massachusetts residents to sign up for an insurance plan or else face tax penalties. As the Associated Press notes, this follows earlier incentives to sign up for coverage, such as an expansion of subsidized health care by the state, and a requirement for private insurers to offer less expensive policies.

Fred Thompson has struck the harshest blow so far. In a release today, after noting that Massachusetts residents face an average fine of $219 this year and $2,000 over the next year, the campaign points out that Romney's plan has a $50 co-pay for abortions and says "Mitt Romney's plan covers ALL abortions – no restrictions."

Other critiques have been more subtle. Rudy Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella closed out a schedule update for reporters with a reminder: "Before I forget, for all of you in Massachusetts who aren't signed up for health insurance, you have until Thursday before you get stuck with a fine."

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Fred Thompson is set to receive the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, a high-profile and prominent anti-abortion group, CBS News has confirmed. The endorsement, expected to be announced Tuesday, is a boost for Thompson's campaign and further evidence of the division of social conservatives in the Republican presidential contest.

Once seen as a candidate able to attract support from conservatives unenthused with the rest of the GOP field, Thompson has struggled to gain a foothold with leaders like Focus on the Family's James Dobson who openly criticized the former Tennessee senator. In recent days, prominent conservative figures have endorsed candidates other than Thompson. Pat Robertson is backing Rudy Giuliani, Senator Sam Brownback, who abandoned his own presidential bid last month announced he was supporting John McCain. And Mitt Romney has rolled out endorsements from Bob Jones III and Moral Majority founder Paul Weyrich.

The following is a campaign dispatch from CBS News' John Bentley:

Fred Thompson stepped up his attacks against Mitt Romney today in South Carolina on two fronts: his immigration stance and his campaign financing.

“Governor Romney supported the immigration bill that I opposed back before it became a controversial issue,” Thompson said, referring to the failed immigration bill put forth earlier this year. “The governor once again has changed his position.”

Thompson told a packed lunchtime crowd at the Beef O’Brady’s restaurant in Ft. Mill that Romney was trying to buy his way to the nomination. "Governor, you can’t buy South Carolina. You can’t even rent it.”

Some polls show Thompson leading the Republican pack in South Carolina, despite not yet airing any ads there.

“The governor of Massachusetts has now apparently put in $20 million of his personal fortune, and spent a good chunk of it in South Carolina. I haven’t bought one TV ad yet, one radio ad yet, and yet I seem to be in the lead,” he said. “So from a management standpoint, I think I‘m getting a little bit more for my money right now.”

UPDATE: Romney campaign spokesman Kevin Madden responds:

“Support from voters is earned though hard work and new ideas. Unfortunately for Fred Thompson, he has never shown any passion for either."

Added Madden: "Governor Romney is working hard across South Carolina to build a great team of supporters that continues to grow. His support is the result of reaching out to voters and showing them that he has the vision the experience and the values to lead America. The governor is going to keep holding the town halls, continue his travels all over the state and he's going to keep talking about his plan to bring conservative change to Washington.”

Fred Thompson's campaign has released a pair of new ads that begin airing tomorrow in Iowa and on Fox News. The ads, both of which are named "Consistent Conservative," are set in a diner.

The former Senator hits some traditional conservative themes in the longer spot, saying that he "fought for tax cuts, and for conservative judges" while in Congress. He talks about his "100 percent pro-life voting record," the value of a government that "defends us and protects our borders" and "doesn't tax and regulate us to death," and how "our rights come from God and not from government."

A CNN poll over the weekend put Thompson at 19 percent support nationally, second to Rudy Giuliani at 28 percent. An ARG poll at the end of last month put him at just 8 percent in Iowa, in fifth place.