memeorandum: Obama Gives Away Money Tied to Donor (Jim Kuhnhenn/Associated Press)

7:05 AM ET, January 30, 2008

Top Items:

Krooney / The Page:

THE “STOP ROMNEY” COALITION — Giuliani to endorse McCain Wednesday in California. — Now that the Sunshine has set, two old friends come to an understanding. — McCain topper Rick Davis quietly negotiated the agreement. — Giuliani, in Florida concession speech …

The Corner:

It's All Over — Assuming there is no shocking revelation or health issue, the GOP nomination is over. Conservatives need to start practicing the phrase “Nominee presumptive John McCa....." — Sorry, I can't say it. Not yet. — But it's true. When the campaign comes here to Massachusetts …

Discussion: Commentary, michellemalkin.com, Jules Crittenden, NW Republican, The Daily Dish, Crooked Timber, No More Mister Nice Blog, PoliGazette, alicublog, Matthew Yglesias, Babalu Blog and Viking Pundit

New York Times:

For Giuliani, a Dizzying Free-Fall — Perhaps he was living an illusion all along. — Rudolph W. Giuliani's campaign for the Republican nomination for president took impressive wing last year, as the former mayor wove the pain experienced by his city on Sept. 11, 2001, and his leadership that followed into national celebrity.

Discussion: TalkLeft, Political Radar, Liberal Values, LiberalOasis, Attytood, The Anonymous Liberal, American Power and Roger Ailes

John Hood / The Corner:

The Huck Factor — Looking at the exits, it seems clear to me that if John McCain edges Mitt Romney tonight, it will be because of the effect of Mike Huckabee splitting the base conservative vote with Romney. You can see it on the abortion questions, the church-going questions, and others.

Discussion: HorseRaceBlog and The XX Factor

MSNBC:

NBC: Giuliani to endorse McCain — Former New York City mayor prepares exit after distant third in Florida — ORLANDO, Fla. - Rudy Giuliani, who bet his presidential hopes on Florida only to come in third, prepared to quit the race Tuesday and endorse his friendliest rival, John McCain.

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister

You Decide 08!:

MCCAIN TRIUMPHS IN HARD-FOUGHT FLORIDA PRIMARY — John McCain heads to California Wednesday with a fresh sense of purpose and a possible endorsement from Rudy Giuliani, after a win in Florida's Republican primary that bested archrival Mitt Romney and left Giuliani few options but to drop his own presidential bid.

Discussion: CNN, MSNBC, The Fix, Public Secrets, Reason Magazine, Stop The ACLU, GINA COBB and Jules Crittenden

John Podhoretz / Commentary:

Ridiculous Early Analysis — If the Florida results remain as close as the exit polls make it appear, nothing is going to be resolved tonight on the Republican side with the frontrunners. If John McCain wins it by a point or two, he gets all the delegates and the headlines that he is the winner …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Weekly Standard

Sara Just / Political Radar:

Giuliani to Drop Out, Endorse McCain — ABC News' Jake Tapper and Rick Klein Report: Rudy Giuliani will board a plane to California on Wednesday morning, as planned. But, sources tell ABC News, once there, instead of participating in the GOP debate, he will drop out of the presidential race and endorse Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Gristmill, Gateway Pundit and Outside The Beltway

Associated Press:

McCain beats Romney to win Fla. primary — MIAMI - Sen. John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida primary Tuesday night, seizing the upper hand in the Republican presidential race ahead of next week's coast-to-coast contests and lining up a quick endorsement from soon-to-be dropout Rudy Giuliani.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, theneweditor.com and The Moderate Voice

Associated Press:

Romney vows to carry on campaign — Wife: 'This is just a send-off point; this is not an end' — Mitt Romney gestures as his wife, Ann, looks on during his post- Florida primary speech on Tuesday in St. Petersburg. — Romney: ‘Washington has failed us’

Discussion: American Street and AMERICAblog

Washington Post:
After Romney's Barrage, McCain Stands Tall

Discussion: The Corner

Associated Press:
McCain Beats Romney in Florida GOP Race

Discussion: Redstate and Donklephant

Mark Finelli / Newsweek: Coming Home — A Marine and 9/11 survivor on his journey back to John McCain.

Rudy Giuliani / CNN:
Sources: Giuliani will endorse McCain

Discussion: Daimnation!

New York Times: McCain Defeats Romney in Florida Vote

Washington Post:
McCain Beats Romney in Florida

Discussion: About.com US Conservative … and Wall Street Journal

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Results: Floridamania! …

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, The Sundries Shack, The Other McCain, Cameron's Corner, michellemalkin.com, The Jawa Report, TIME, Think Progress and Right Voices

CNN:
Exit polls: Conservatives choose Romney over McCain

Discussion: You Decide 08!, The Politico, New York Times, The Swamp, Captain's Quarters, DownWithTyranny! and RADAMISTO

HillaryClinton.com:

MEMO: A Significant Victory in Florida — Hillary Clinton won a significant victory today in the Florida primary with the biggest turnout in Florida Democratic primary history. She will end up with more votes than John McCain, the winner of the Republican primary.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, New Hampshire Union Leader, The Fix, Ben Smith's Blogs, Donklephant, The Democratic Daily, Democratic Strategist and TalkLeft

The Campaign Spot:
First (?) Wave of Florida Exits, Revealed

Discussion: You Decide 08!, Orlando Sentinel, The Trail, The Page, Wonkette, Stop The ACLU, Hot Air, My Two Sense, TownHall Blog, The Strata-Sphere, Taylor Marsh, Gateway Pundit, Riehl World View, Hotline On Call, Commentary and Balloon Juice

Frank James / The Swamp:
Clinton ‘wins’ Florida Democratic primary

Discussion: New York Times, The Reaction and The Democratic Daily

Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:

Fox News is in for a very rough 2008 — My guess is that Fox News guru Roger Ailes has been reaching for the Tums more often than usual early in the New Year, and there are lots of reasons for the hovering angst. — Let's take an extended multiple choice quiz.

Philip Shenon / New York Times:

Mukasey Offers View on Waterboarding — WASHINGTON — Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said Tuesday that the harsh C.I.A. interrogation technique known as waterboarding was not clearly illegal, and suggested that it could be used against terrorism suspects once again if requested by the White House.

Discussion: At-Largely

John Bresnahan / The Politico: Mukasey: CIA doesn't use waterboarding

Faiz / Think Progress:

Scarborough: McCain's Platform Is ‘Less Jobs And More Wars’ — During the coverage of this evening's Florida primary results, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough discussed the impact of John McCain's victory with Pat Buchanan. The Republican establishment will rally around McCain and say “he's the guy …

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast, The Daily Dish, Firedoglake, Matthew Yglesias and democracyarsenal.org

Andrew Miga / Associated Press:

Lieberman Rules Out Running With McCain — WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who nearly won the vice presidency as a Democrat in 2000, says there's no way he'll be Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate should McCain become the party's presidential nominee.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Truthdig, Outside The Beltway and Say Anything

Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:

Obama Gives Away Money Tied to Donor — Barack Obama is giving to charity more than $70,000 in contributions linked to an indicted Chicago businessman whose past connections to the Democratic presidential candidate have created a distraction and raised questions about his judgment.

Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots