This is Ted Weil. Or, as they refer to him within the Reform Party of Mississippi: "The Next President of the United States."

Earlier this week, Late Final received a note from Jeff Rainforth, chairman of the Reform Party of California - an affiliate of the Reform Party USA. Rainforth let us know that Weil has declared his candidacy for the party's presidential nomination, and will seek the nod at this summer's RPUSA convention.

(The American Reform Party is a separate group that split the party over Pat Buchanan's nomination in 2000. They won't field a candidate this year.)

Weil is a multi-millionaire, and, according to this message board seemed to make a good impression on party faithful last year. Some Reformers seem to want former U.S. Sen. Dean Barkley of Minnesota (remember him? He was in the Senate for 18 seconds to finish the term of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone) to make a run.

But Weil comes across with a track record of fielding practically a full slate of Reform candidates in his home state, and he was among the original party backers of Reform Party founder Ross Perot.

He's a Southern candidate, so if Weil does run, spend some of his fortune on a campaign and come across as a less scary version of Pat Buchanan, could he help the Democratic nominee squeak out a few states south of the Mason-Dixon Line?