memeorandum: McCain Is Florida Victor; Giuliani Set to Exit the Race (New York Times)

12:45 PM ET, January 30, 2008

Top Items:

John Edwards to Quit Presidential Race — John Edwards will end his presidential bid today, a source close to the Edwards campaign confirmed. — The former North Carolina senator is scheduled to speak in New Orleans this afternoon — an appearance billed as an anti-poverty speech …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Washington Monthly, The 7-10, Liberal Values, Rox Populi, No More Mister Nice Blog, Scobleizer, Middle Earth Journal, Comments from Left Field, Taylor Marsh, The Reaction and Blue Crab Boulevard

CNN:

Edwards quitting presidential race — (CNN) — Former Sen. John Edwards is dropping out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, CNN has learned. — Edwards has told top advisers about his decision. It is expected he will announce it at a speech in New Orleans, Louisiana, at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Discussion: MoJoBlog, TalkLeft, The Corner, The Democratic Daily, Booman Tribune, Wake up America, The Sideshow, Open Left, Outside The Beltway, Cadillac Tight, QandO and PoliBlog (TM)

Associated Press:

Edwards dropping out of presidential race — Candidate steered his rivals toward progressive ideals — DENVER - Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling …

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, The Hill, Crooks and Liars, The Democratic Daily, The Glittering Eye, New York Times, BuzzFlash.org, Minnesota Monitor and Oliver Willis

Dick Morris / The Hill:

McCain may win, Romney can't — Some may agree with Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) positions on his myriad of causes and enthusiasms. Others may embrace Mitt Romney's record as governor and his experience in business. But one fact remains pre-eminent — McCain has a much better chance …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Open Left

Associated Press:

John Edwards to Drop Out of Presidential Race — Former Senator's Campaign Adviser: 'It Just Became Clear It Wasn't Going to Happen' — Former Senator John Edwards, D-N.C., will drop out of the Democratic presidential race on Wednesday. — “It just became clear it wasn't going to happen …

Discussion: The Swamp, Scholars and Rogues and PoliGazette

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: TownHall Blog, Political Radar, Reason Magazine, NY Daily News, TPM Election Central, New York Post, Connecting.the.Dots, Norwegianity, Blog entry, AMERICAblog, LiberalOasis, Liberal Values, TalkLeft, Daniel W. Drezner, Brendan Nyhan, American Power and PunditGuy

New York Times:

McCain Is Florida Victor; Giuliani Set to Exit the Race — MIAMI — Senator John McCain defeated Mitt Romney on Tuesday to win the delegate-rich Florida primary, solidifying his transformation to the Republican front-runner and dealing a devastating blow to the presidential hopes of Rudolph W. Giuliani.

Discussion: The Hill, techPresident and SIVACRACY.NET

Devlin Barrett / Associated Press:

Giuliani to exit presidential race — ORLANDO, Fla. - Rudy Giuliani told supporters Wednesday he's abandoning his bid for president and backing Republican rival and longtime friend John McCain. — Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican and adviser to Giuliani, said the former mayor called him this morning to tell him of his plan.

Discussion: D-Day, Sweetness & Light, JammieWearingFool and First Draft

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Edwards' Departure & A New Democratic Race — Former senator John Edwards (N.C.) will end his bid for the presidency today in New Orleans, bringing to a close a five-year quest for the nation's highest office. — Edwards will be joined by his wife, Elizabeth, as well as his three children on stage.

Discussion: The Campaign Spot, Power Line and Sister Toldjah

Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
Why John Edwards Won

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

New York Times:
Edwards to Drop Out of Democratic Race

Discussion: The New Republic, Matthew Yglesias and The Page

The Caucus:
Edwards Is Dropping Out — Updated: NEW ORLEANS …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Why Is Obama Popular With 527s?

Discussion: New York Times

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 …

Nannette Miranda / KABC-TV:
Schwarzenegger hints at endorsing McCain

Discussion: PoliGazette

Ross Douthat:
Fortune's Favorite

Discussion: Weekly Standard and The New Republic

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 …

Michelle Malkin:
20% of GOP votes cast by non-Republicans? Updated

Discussion: HorseRaceBlog, Riehl World View, HillaryClinton.com, Washington Monthly, Don Surber, Hot Air, RushLimbaugh.com and Gateway Pundit

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

Discussion: Suitably Flip, Sister Toldjah and Outside The Beltway

Michael Gerson / Washington Post:

Compassionate to the End — When President Bush took his final walk to the rostrum of the House chamber, his speech and manner conveyed little nostalgia. He views both meditation on the past and speculation about his legacy with equal suspicion, preferring to live in the urgency of the now.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Shakespeare's Sister, Suburban Guerrilla and If I Ran the Zoo

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

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 Newshoggers, JustOneMinute, CNN, Comments from Left Field, The Heretik, The Crone Speaks and The Politico

The Politico:

Rudy defeat marks end of 9/11 politics — Rudy Giuliani's distant third-place finish in Florida may put an end to his bid for president, and it seems also to mark the beginning of the end of a period in Republican politics that began on Sept. 11, 2001. — Giuliani's national celebrity …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Comments from Left Field, TIME and Right Voices

David Brooks / NYT:

What Florida Taught Me — Here are a few things I learned Tuesday night. — First, good candidates are never completely out of it. Several months ago I was covering a John McCain event in Keene, New Hampshire. It was at the low point of the McCain candidacy, after his staff explosion and when the campaign bank account was dry.

Discussion: Hot Air