memeorandum: A MULTILATERAL CONVERSATION WITH IRAN (The Big Trunk/Power Line)

8:55 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, Right Wing News, michellemalkin.com, NW Republican, The Daily Dish, Crooked Timber, PoliGazette, The Moderate Voice, Jules Crittenden, alicublog, No More Mister Nice Blog, Althouse, Matthew Yglesias, Babalu Blog and Viking Pundit

New York Times:

For Giuliani, a Dizzying Free-Fall — As Rudolph W. Giuliani ponders his political mortality, many observers point to the hubris and strategic miscalculations that plagued his campaign.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Political Radar, Los Angeles Times, NY Daily News, LiberalOasis, Liberal Values, TalkLeft, Daniel W. Drezner, American Power, The Anonymous Liberal and Roger Ailes

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

Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:

How McCain Won — Rich, you may recall that we talked about McCain's chances in early December. I said that he could still win the nomination, but that if he did, we wouldn't be saying, Wow, what a brilliant strategy. We'd be wondering just how the heck that happened.

Discussion: Vox Popoli and INSTAPUTZ

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, Pantagraph, theneweditor.com and The Moderate Voice

John Hood / The Corner:
The Huck Factor — Looking at the exits, it seems clear …

Discussion: HorseRaceBlog

Sara Just / Political Radar:
Giuliani to Drop Out, Endorse McCain

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Attytood, Gristmill, Gateway Pundit, PoliBlog (TM) and Outside The Beltway

John Podhoretz / Commentary:
Ridiculous Early Analysis

Discussion: Weekly Standard

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

Discussion: The Corner

New York Times:
McCain Defeats Romney in Florida Vote

Discussion: The Swamp

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!

Associated Press:
Romney vows to carry on campaign

Discussion: American Street and AMERICAblog

CNN:
Exit polls: Conservatives choose Romney over McCain

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

Washington Post:
McCain Beats Romney in Florida

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

Michelle Malkin:

20% of GOP votes cast by non-Republicans? — Yesterday afternoon, I noted reports of independents voting in the closed Florida Republican primary and pointed out the state law requiring that voters establish party ID by registering 29 days before an election.

Discussion: RushLimbaugh.com, Right Voices and Gateway Pundit

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters: On Closed Primaries — A number of commenters in my threads …

Flip / Suitably Flip:
Was Florida a Closed Primary Or Not?

Discussion: The Campaign Spot, The XX Factor and michellemalkin.com

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, Outside The Beltway, The Fix, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Democratic Daily, Donklephant, Democratic Strategist, TalkLeft and New Hampshire Union Leader

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.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Why Is Obama Popular With 527s? — He says he doesn't like them, and he says he doesn't need them. In fact, Barack Obama regularly criticizes the operations and the influence of 527s, scolding John Edwards and Hillary Clinton for their attraction to the outside political groups.

Discussion: New York Times

Charles Babington / Associated Press:
Edwards nixes campaign stops for speech

Discussion: TIME and American Street

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

ALL THE SPOUSES DO IT — Her apology was hedged and conditioned, but Hillary seemed to go out of her way tonight in an interview on CNN to try to address the damage done by her South Carolina campaign:

Discussion: Althouse, The New Republic and Ben Smith's Blogs

The Big Trunk / Power Line:

A MULTILATERAL CONVERSATION WITH IRAN — This past Saturday United States Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad spoke on a panel with two Iranian officials at Davos (video below). Khalilzad's participation was apparently unauthorized. Today's New York Sun and the Los Angeles Times have interesting articles on the event.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters

Danny / Beltway Blogroll:

All Good Blogs Must Come To An End — OK, ya'll get to decide whether Beltway Blogroll has been a good blog, but it is coming to an end. — My tenure at National Journal ends tomorrow with the final issue of Technology Daily, where I served as the managing editor for six years …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and Tapscott's Copy Desk

Donald Lambro / Washington Times:

Talk radio impugns McCain's liberal record — Conservative talk radio is ganging up on presidential candidate John McCain, attacking him for joining Democrats to push liberal legislation and opposing bedrock Republican positions from tax cuts to immigration.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Strata-Sphere, Time, Talking Points Memo and RADAMISTO

Byron York / The Corner:

Re: Two-Americas Analysis — Kathryn - On this “two Americas” analysis of the Romney campaign versus the other candidates, the simple fact is that Romney's personal fortune has allowed him to avoid making some of the hard decisions that other campaigns had to make. Big TV buy here or stepped-up voter contact effort there?

Discussion: Cadillac Tight

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: The Politico, CNN, The Crone Speaks and At-Largely