memeorandum: Hey Kids, Shoot Your Favorite Candidate! (The Smoking Gun)

6:10 PM ET, January 22, 2008

Top Items:

Thompson Decides To Drop Out — Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson has told several Republicans that he has decided to drop out of the presidential race and will make public his intentions by close of business. — Thompson does not plan to endorse any rivals for now, even though one of his best friends is Sen. John McCain.

Discussion: protein wisdom, QandO, Balloon Juice and GreenMountainPolitics1

Associated Press:

Fred Thompson Quits Presidential Race — NAPLES, Fla. (AP) - Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race on Tuesday, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states. — “Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Fred File, Middle Earth Journal, BobKrumm.com, Pandagon, Connecting.the.Dots, Riehl World View and Slog

The Campaign Spot:

Fred Out of Thursday's Debate; Doesn't Plan on Endorsing — I spoke to one of my Thompson sources. — He's still with his ailing mother. “He's just being a good son." — He has not spoken to any other campaign or any other candidates, nor does he intend to at this time.

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, Captain's Quarters, TownHall Blog, race42008.com and Say Anything

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Report: Fred dropping out; Update: Confirmed; Update: What went wrong? Update: The man who stopped Huckmentum — Ambinder says so and Carl Cameron is reporting it on Fox now. Stand by for updates. — Update: Cameron says it could come tonight or tomorrow. He's already informed his campaign headquarters, in person.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, The Corner, The Campaign Spot, Right Wing Nut House and National Review

Fred Thompson / You Decide 08!:

THOMPSON DROPS OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL RACE — Fred Thompson dropped his presidential bid Tuesday, after the former Tennessee senator and actor finished third in the South Carolina primary and was unable to score a victory in any of the early primaries or caucuses.

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, Wake up America, Don Surber, small dead animals and Gateway Pundit

Satyam / Think Progress:

Thompson drops out. — Fox News reports that former Tennesee senator Fred Thompson is dropping out of the Republican race for President. Via Fox reporter Carl Cameron:

Discussion: Firedoglake, Booman Tribune and The Seminal

Fred Barnes / Wall Street Journal:
Now McCain Must Convince The Right

Discussion: American Power, Washington Post, Riehl World View, The Radio Equalizer, The Corner, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, MSNBC and New York Times

Bill Sammon / Examiner:
Fred Thompson quits; may position himself for VP bid

Discussion: Wizbang

New York Times:
Fred Thompson Drops Out of the Presidential Race

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, DownWithTyranny!, BuzzFlash.org and The Palmetto Scoop

Chris Cillizza / The Fix: With Thompson Out, Who Benefits Most?

Fredric U. Dicker / New York Post:
D'AMATO DUMPS FRED FOR MCCAIN

Discussion: Hot Air and New York Daily News Blogs

Deacon / Power Line:
FRED THOMPSON WITHDRAWS

Discussion: TownHall Blog

The State:

Obama most likely Democrat to unify America — THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY in South Carolina this year offers voters an unusual choice. Earlier votes have winnowed out the most experienced candidates, leaving a field with fewer accomplishments and differences on policy, but including two candidates …

Discussion: The Democratic Daily, MyDD, PoliGazette and Boston Globe

John Edwards / CNN:

Clinton, Edwards hold private post-debate meeting — MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN) — What were they talking about? — Hillary Clinton and John Edwards met privately backstage following a very contentious Democratic presidential debate in this coastal city, sources with both campaigns confirm to CNN.

Discussion: FRAMESHOP, The Swamp, The Opinionator, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Carpetbagger Report, Firedoglake, TPM Election Central, The Democratic Daily, QandO, Outside The Beltway, Guardian, Shakespeare's Sister and Open Left

CNN:
Bill Schneider's take on last night's Democratic debate:

Discussion: The Swamp, The Trail and MyDD

Sewell Chan / City Room:

Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28 — The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide or an accidental overdose, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.

Discussion: Megan McArdle, The Palmetto Scoop, Lawyers, Guns and Money, New York Post and TMZ.com

Matthew Yglesias:

Someone Didn't Get The Word — Fareed Zakaria: … Ah, those sad, sad, Democrats. So unaware that the war's over. The dude who killed at least fourteen and wounded seventeen in Tikrit must, like the Democrats, have been wearing partisan blinders when he failed to acknowledge the surge's success in bringing the war to an end.

Discussion: Badgers Forward, New York Times, INTEL DUMP, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake and Bob Cesca's Goddamn …

Fareed Zakaria / Newsweek:
We're Fighting the Wrong War

Discussion: Weekly Standard and The Daily Dish

Michelle Malkin:

Mystery in Brooklyn: Bomb factory at Columbia University professor's home — The NY Daily News reports today on a disturbing discovery at a Columbia University instructor's home: … Clatts cannot be located. Who is he? … The NYTimes reports on a bizarre twist in the case …

Discussion: NY Daily News, New York Times and Pat Dollard

Rich Lowry / The Corner:

Fred Exits — He's a good and talented man, but I'm still mystified at why he got into the race in the first place. For the most part, he was a very unhappy warrior out on the campaign trail and seemed to have little appetite for the normal give and take and indignities of campaigning.

Discussion: The Opinionator and Ankle Biting Pundits

The Smoking Gun:

Hey Kids, Shoot Your Favorite Candidate! — Clinton, Obama pace gunners in “Presidential Paintball” online game — For the aspiring young assassin, a popular online games site offers kids the opportunity to assume the identity of a leading presidential contender and then shoot …

Discussion: Pat Dollard and Hot Air

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:

OBAMA vs. CLINTON....AGAIN....It's possible — likely, even — that everyone is tired of conversations about whether Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would be more effective if they win the presidency. That's doubly true since it's essentially unknowable at this point.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, D-Day and The Carpetbagger Report