The drumbeat of news about the 2008 presidential race — which, after all, is only two years away! — continues. CNN reports that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is preparing to confirm what we’ve all suspected for some time: He’s forming a committee to explore a possible run. (They do these things in slow, painful steps.)

In its story, CNN says polls show that Giuliani is the presumptive front-runner in the Republican primary, but it’s worth noting that the poll the network cites includes “independents who lean Republican,” who are not necessarily eligible to vote in Republican primaries. Regardless, the campaign by some conservatives to take down the candidacy of the socially liberal Giuliani began months ago. The National Review, for instance, ran a cover story featuring an image of the former mayor in drag, something the conservative base might not exactly appreciate.