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Andrew Malcolm / Los Angeles Times:
Breaking News: Rudy Giuliani hints at dropping out — Rudy Giuliani appears to be pondering an end to his long pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination. — In a meeting in the back of his chartered plane en route to St. Petersburg, Fla., a short while ago, the onetime …
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Zogby:
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: McCain Lead Widens As Primary Election Day Dawns in Florida — Giuliani, Huckabee tied in battle for distant third place — UTICA, New York - Arizona Sen. John McCain's lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is growing wider as the Republican campaign ends …
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Taegan Goddard's …
Think Progress:
Embargoed: State of the Union Text — We'll start respecting White House embargoes when they start telling the truth. Here is President Bush's FINAL State of the Union address: — EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY January 28, 2008 — STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS — As Prepared for Delivery
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New York Sun, Daily Kos, The Crone Speaks, The Democratic Daily, Taylor Marsh, D-Day and Left in the West
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Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:
OKAY, I HAVE TO GLOAT JUST A BIT: Bush led off with earmarks. His actions aren't as bold as I'd like, but still — back in 2005 when PorkBusters started, nobody in Washington cared and members of Congress were bragging about pork. Now the State of the Union leads of with an attack on earmarks, to thundering applause.
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Clinton, Obama steal Bush's final show — All eyes were on Democratic presidential frontrunners Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) Monday night as spectators and pundits followed their every move during President Bush's final State of the Union address.
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Peter Baker / Washington Post:
Final Year's Realities Push Big Ideas Into Background — Gone were the grand dreams of remaking Social Security, immigration law or the tax code. In their place were modest initiatives, such as hiring preferences for military spouses. The economic package targeted tax breaks to low- and middle-class workers.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
NY NOW: “Betrayal!” — Whoa. The New York State chapter of the National Organization for Women attacked Ted Kennedy for his endorsement today with some real heat.. The Times Union reported it first (writing, “'Scathing' feels inadequate here."), and I confirmed its authenticity with the president of the organization, Marcia Pappas.
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Chicago Tribune:
Cash to fugitive's family — Some of the $3.5 million went to pay off certain Rezko debts, while $20,000 went to the family of Alber Najjar, who also had extensive connections with Rezko's food companies but became a federal fugitive in 2004 when he fled to Lebanon following his indictment on bookmaking charges, prosecutors said.
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ABCNEWS, Norwegianity, The Huffington Post, The Trail, TPM Election Central, Associated Press, Wonkette, The Politico and NO QUARTER
CNN:
CNN RELIABLE SOURCES — Obama Wins Big in South Carolina; Bill Clinton Scolds Journalists — THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. — HOWARD KURTZ, HOST (voice over): Race talk. Barack Obama stuns the media establishment …
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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Video: Olby names Mary Katharine Ham “worst person in the world” — What deadly sin could she have committed to earn such a distinction? Quote: … Mind you, she's referring to a man whom certain members of the press literally offered to fellate. But never mind that.
Walter Alarkon / The Hill:
Senate votes to keep debate open over foreign surveillance bill — Senate Democrats on Monday defeated a GOP motion to end debate on a bill overhauling U.S. foreign-intelligence surveillance law, setting up a showdown with the White House over whether to protect the phone companies …
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CNN:
Clinton campaign advisers: Bill Clinton ‘needs to stop’ — (CNN) - Democratic sources supportive of and regularly in touch with the Clinton campaign describe what one calls “a huge wave” of sentiment that Bill Clinton “needs to stop." — The sources — who requested anonymity …
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Frank James / The Swamp:
At SOTU, Obama's Clinton snub was the news — So President Bush has delivered his last State of the Union. And what everyone in the House press gallery is talking about isn't the speech. Rather, it's the snub. — Sen. Barack Obama refused to make himself available to greet Sen. Hillary Clinton before the speech.
Discussion:
New York Times
Dan Froomkin / Washington Post:
Is Anyone Listening? — President Bush has a lot to accomplish in tonight's State of the Union address. He needs to lay out a plausible agenda for his final year in office, justify a war that the American people overwhelmingly oppose, stave off a recession and persuade the nation and the world that he's not been a colossal failure.
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Discourse.net
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The Huffington Post:
Speech Text: Democratic Response By Gov. Kathleen Sebelius — Remarks as prepared for delivery by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius: — An American Call to Action — I'm Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of the State of Kansas. — And I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with you tonight.
Discussion:
Gristmill
Shaun Mullen / The Moderate Voice:
The Story of the George Bush Presidency: Unstable, Unfinished & Uncomprehending — Hard to believe, but I still can muster a modicum of sympathy for George Walker Bush. This is because it is apparent after the last seven long years that this son of the Texas oil patch really didn't know what hit him …
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Illegal Globally, Bail for Profit Remains in U.S. — FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Wayne Spath is a bail bondsman, which means he is an insurance salesman, a social worker, a lightly regulated law enforcement agent, a real estate appraiser — and a for-profit wing of the American justice system.