Quick Sum Up  —  Some very quick thoughts.  The debate was a surprisingly substantive discussion of a number of issues that actually resonate in people's lives.  Which means it wasn't really anything like a political debate.  I thought both candidates had a good debate.

A Rebellion and an Awkward Embrace  —  In the most exciting and confounding election cycle of my lifetime, Rudy Giuliani, the Prince of the City, is out because he was about to lose New York, John Edwards is out, the Clintons are fighting for their historical reputations …

WH funds race: Clinton, Obama crush GOP-ers  —  Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama out-raised the four Republican presidential candidates - John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul - $49.6 million to $42.2 million in the last three months of 2007, according to finance reports made public Thursday night.

Buried WMD Scoop  —  Journalists are taught never to “bury the lead.”  Yet it looks as if that's precisely what CBS's “60 Minutes” did in reporter Scott Pelley's fascinating interview Sunday with George Piro, the FBI agent who debriefed Saddam Hussein following his capture in December 2003.

Coulter: If McCain's the nominee, I'll campaign for Hillary  —  The ne plus ultra of conservatives crapping away Iraq in a fit of spite at Maverick: “I think she would be stronger on the war on terrorism.”  Madness.  —  Blowback

Employment Situation Summary  —  Technical information:  —  Household data: (202) 691-6378 USDL 08-0130  —  Establishment data: (202) 691-6555 Transmission of material in this release  —  http://www.bls.gov/ces/ is embargoed until 8:30 A.M. (EST), Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Friday, February 1, 2008.

He's a hawk on the war, yet independent-minded voters who are sick of Iraq are voting for him anyway.  —  John McCain will likely go down in history as the first GOP presidential nominee who vaulted to the front of the pack despite failing to win a plurality among self-identified Republicans in any of the early state primaries.

Times Reporter Subpoenaed Over Source for Book  —  WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury has issued a subpoena to a reporter of The New York Times, apparently to try to force him to reveal his confidential sources for a 2006 book on the Central Intelligence Agency, one of the reporter's lawyers said Thursday.

U.S. Payrolls Decline for First Time in Four Years  —  Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. unexpectedly lost jobs for the first time in more than four years, increasing the odds the economy will fall into a recession and making it likely the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates another half point next month.

Why's This Debate in Hollywood Debate Blogging  —  Obama kicks it off.  —  8:08 PM ... What GOP operative masterminded holding this debate at the Kodak theatre with a bunch of movie stars in the audience?  —  8:12 PM ... The forces of niceness begin in the ascendent.  —  8:13 PM ... Excellent.

Here's the problem with McCain (Remember Alcibiades?)  —  If there is any justice in the world, Sen. John McCain's hopes of winning the 2008 Republican presidential nomination will suffer a body blow when people are reminded of a well-sourced story published last year by The Hill describing …

Self-Funding In An Age Of BCRA  —  Late last night, Mitt Romney's campaign released its fourth-quarter funding figures, and as everyone expected, Romney significantly self-funded.  He raised $9 million, which stacks up well against the other Republicans, but added twice as much into the kitty from his own pocket.

Clawing for a Legacy  —  Legacy?  What legacy?  —  There was general amazement when (the now-muzzled) Bill Clinton did his red-faced, attack-dog, race-baiting performance in South Carolina.  Friends, Democrats and longtime media sycophants were variously perplexed, repulsed, enraged …

The McCain Transition  —  John McCain is exhausted.  He hasn't had a full-night's sleep in forever.  It took him 10 hours to get to California because of flight trouble.  He underperformed in the debate Wednesday night, as his staff understands.  He took some shots at Mitt Romney …

Countdown Special Comment: On FISA and Telecom Immunity  —  Keith Olbermann's Special Comment tonight on Countdown was yet another scathing rebuke of President Bush and his lies about the pending FISA legislation and fear tactics during his final State of the Union address earlier this week.

Obama Won  —  It was, I think, his best debate in the campaign so far.  The one-on-one format elevated him instantly and he commanded the stage and the occasion.  Hillary Clinton did not do poorly.  All her strengths were on show: the policy mastery, the gaffe-free talking points, the Clinton record in the 1990s.

The Edwards Effect  —  So John Edwards has dropped out of the race for the presidency.  By normal political standards, his campaign fell short.  —  But Mr. Edwards, far more than is usual in modern politics, ran a campaign based on ideas.  And even as his personal quest for the White House faltered …