memeorandum: The Vanishing Point — CREDIT Hedi Slimane or blame him. (Guy Trebay/New York Times)

10:15 PM ET, February 7, 2008

Top Items:

Mark Halperin / The Page:

Transcript of Romney's Speech Withdrawing From the Race — Governor Romney's Address to the Conservative Political Action Committee - February 7, 2008 — I want to begin by saying thank you. It's great to be with you again. And I look forward to joining with you many more times in the future.

Discussion: The New Republic, TBogg, Shakespeare's Sister, The Heretik, Matthew Yglesias, Wake up America, The RBC, Done With Mirrors, No More Mister Nice Blog, Democratic Strategist, SFGate, Political Machine, GINA COBB and FP Passport

Krooney / The Page:

Romney Quits Race — Says time of war is not the right time to continue GOP fight: “I feel I have to stand aside.” — Read full remarks from CPAC conference here. … AP: Decision effectively cedes nomination to McCain. — Obama, kicking Romney as he heads out the door, criticizes him for saying Democrats are soft on terror.

Discussion: The Caucus, PoliBlog (TM), The Opinionator, Inside Charm City, The Moderate Voice, Moue Magazine, Democratic Strategist, Bookworm Room, Hot Air, bastard.logic, Wizbang, Redstate, Hotline On Call, Wake up America, Outside The Beltway, FP Passport, TownHall Blog and TVNewser

Brian Maloney / The Radio Equalizer:

Randi Rhodes Airs Unhinged Anti-Romney Skit — ‘KILLING RAMPAGE’ — Rhodes Skit Says Romney Supporters Will Kill Innocent People — *** EXCLUSIVE To The Radio Equalizer *** — Apparently unable to learn from past mistakes, or just too unhinged to know better, Air America Radio host Randi Rhodes …

Discussion: You Decide 08!, Hot Air and NewsBusters.org

John King / CNN:

GOP sources: Romney to suspend campaign — (CNN) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will suspend his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, GOP sources tell CNN. — Romney had won 270 delegates in through the Super Tuesday contests, compared with front-runner John McCain's 680.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, New York Times, The Carpetbagger Report, American Street, Buck Naked Politics, Burnt Orange Report, Citizen Orange, Washington Wire, Middle Earth Journal and The Strata-Sphere

New York Times:
Romney Drops Out of Presidential Race

Discussion: The Crypt's Blogs, The Politico, The Swamp, Commentary and Jonathan Martin's Blogs

PERRspectives Blog:
Mitt Romney's Greatest Hits

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

Byron York / The Corner:
Romney Pulling Out? …

Discussion: You Decide 08!, Boston Globe, michellemalkin.com, Pajamas Media, The Truth Laid Bear, TIME, Classical Values, Redstate and Weekly Standard

Hugh Hewitt / Townhall.com:
Governor Romney — Governor Romney is an incredibly gifted man …

Discussion: QandO, neo-neocon and Wonkette

Eric Pianin / The Fix:
Romney Drops Out of GOP Race

Discussion: Ground Game, Washington Wire and Threat Level

The Politico:
Romney ends bid, eyeing 2012

Discussion: Think Progress, The Swamp, Hot Air, The Carpetbagger Report, City Room, Marc Ambinder, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL and Hold Fast

Terry Frieden / CNN:

Mukasey won't investigate ‘waterboarding’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Attorney General Michael Mukasey told lawmakers Thursday he will not open a criminal investigation into the CIA's acknowledged use of “waterboarding” on terror suspects. — House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers …

Discussion: Muckraker, Comments from Left Field, The Heretik, Bad Attitudes and Truthdig

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

MARK THIS DAY — Attorney General Michael Mukasey is back on the Hill today, testifying to the House Judiciary Committee. Paul Kiel is covering it at TPMmuckraker. — So far, he's dropped two big bombshells. DOJ will not be investigating: — (1) whether the waterboarding, now admitted to by the White House, was a crime; or

Discussion: Emptywheel, The Newshoggers, Hold Fast and The Carpetbagger Report

Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Mukasey Rejects Criminal Probe Into Waterboarding

Discussion: Newsweek and PERRspectives Blog

Emptywheel:
Mukasey Oversight: HJC Edition, Part Two

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Amanda / Think Progress:

McCain booed at CPAC. — Speaking to a right-wing crowd at CPAC today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was loudly booed when he mentioned his push for comprehensive immigration reform last year. (A position he has since given up.) … Watch it: — This morning, Politico reported that CPAC organizers …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Comments from Left Field, Shakespeare's Sister, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, The Politico and Brains and Eggs

Anne Schroeder Mullins / Anne Schroeder's Blogs:
CPAC to all CPAC-ers: Don't boo McCain

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, The Sundries Shack, Salon, Classical Values, The Carpetbagger Report, michellemalkin.com, BobKrumm.com and The Impolitic

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Impending Obama Backlash? — There will be a press backlash against media darling Barack Obama eventually, although it may not occur until six months after his inauguration. But here is a straw in the wind from Jake Tapper of ABC: … A cult - oooh, scary!

Jennifer Parker / Political Punch:
And Obama Wept — Inspiration is nice. But some folks seem to be getting out of hand.

Discussion: protein wisdom, Attytood, Sister Toldjah, Crooks and Liars, Liberal Values, Comments from Left Field, The Democratic Daily, The Corner, Right Wing News, Taylor Marsh, The Osterley Times, Hot Air and The Moderate Voice

Joe Klein / Time:
Inspiration vs. Substance

Discussion: bustardblog

Real Clear Politics:

John McCain's CPAC Speech — ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following remarks by John McCain as prepared for delivery: Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. It's been a little while since I've had the honor of addressing you, and I appreciate very much your courtesy to me today.

Discussion: Power Line, Dick Polman's American Debate and FP Passport

Redstate:
Liveblogging John McCain

Discussion: TownHall Blog, JOSHUAPUNDIT and Middle Earth Journal

This Is London:

BROWN SLAPS DOWN ARCHBISHOP'S CALL FOR ISLAMIC SHARIA LAW TO OPERATE IN BRITAIN — The Archbishop of Canterbury caused consternation yesterday by calling for Islamic law to be recognised in Britain. — He declared that sharia and Parliamentary law should be given equal legal status …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Wake up America, JOSHUAPUNDIT and Blue Crab Boulevard

Johnathan Pearce / Samizdata.net:
The Archbishop of Canterbury is an ass

Discussion: BBC, Dean's World and Telegraph

The Huffington Post:

Whoopi Switches From Obama To Hillary — Yesterday on “The View,” Whoopi Goldberg switched her endorsement from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton. Whoopi cited Clinton's statement that she would end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. Whoopi previously believed that Obama …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Hot Air, Tennessee Guerilla Women and Liberal Values

Kate Snow / ABCNEWS:

Clinton Campaign Staffers Not Going Without Pay — Staff Had Offered to Go Without Pay to Save Campaign Money But Never Did — So it turns out the Clinton campaign may not be so cash-strapped after all — at least not at this very moment. — After offering on Wednesday to go without paychecks …

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Political Punch, The New Republic and Taylor Marsh

Mark Naymik / OPENERS:

Obama agrees to debate Clinton in Ohio — It's on! — Barack Obama said he will debate Hillary Clinton in Ohio before the March 4 primary. — “I think we said we will do two more debates, and at least one of them will be in Ohio,” he told Plain Dealer editors and reporters Thursday afternoon during a phone interview.

Discussion: CBS News, The Moderate Voice and Liberal Values

Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:

Congress Sends Economic Aid Plan to Bush — Congress gave overwhelming final approval last night to legislation that would send government payments to most American households and grant tax incentives for business investment, sending President Bush a $152 billion stimulus plan for the faltering U.S. economy.

Discussion: The Agonist, TIME and The Crone Speaks

CNN: Congress sends stimulus bill to Bush

Guy Trebay / New York Times:

The Vanishing Point — CREDIT Hedi Slimane or blame him. The type of men Mr. Slimane promoted when he first came aboard at Dior Homme some years back (he has since left) were thin to the point of resembling stick figures; the clothes he designed were correspondingly lean.

Discussion: Althouse and New York Magazine

Eric Gorski / Associated Press:

Huckabee to Get Evangelical Leader's Nod — James Dobson, one of the nation's most prominent evangelical Christian leaders, is about to endorse former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, The Associated Press has learned. — Dobson, founder of Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Focus on the Family …

Discussion: Hot Air and Reasoned Audacity