memeorandum: Obama On Romney: An “Ineffective Candidate” (Hotline On Call)

11:05 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, The RBC, Matthew Yglesias, Done With Mirrors, No More Mister Nice Blog, Wake up America, Democratic Strategist, GINA COBB, Political Machine, SFGate 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, The Moderate Voice, Inside Charm City, Moue Magazine, Bookworm Room, Democratic Strategist, Hot Air, bastard.logic, Wizbang, Redstate, Wake up America, Hotline On Call, Outside The Beltway 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: The Moderate Voice, You Decide 08!, Power Line, 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, Hot Air, New York Times, The Carpetbagger Report, American Street, Buck Naked Politics, Citizen Orange, Burnt Orange Report, Washington Wire and Middle Earth Journal

PERRspectives Blog:
Mitt Romney's Greatest Hits

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

Byron York / The Corner:
Romney Pulling Out? …

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

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

Discussion: Ground Game, The Carpetbagger Report, Washington Wire, Threat Level and Hold Fast

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 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, The Impolitic and BobKrumm.com

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, The Heretik, Comments from Left Field, Bad Attitudes and Truthdig

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
MARK THIS DAY — Attorney General Michael Mukasey …

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

Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Justice Dept. ‘Cannot’ Probe Waterboarding, Mukasey Says

Discussion: PERRspectives Blog

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

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, Crooks and Liars, Liberal Values, Sister Toldjah, 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

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

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

Discussion: BBC, Dean's World and Telegraph

Hotline On Call:

Obama On Romney: An “Ineffective Candidate” — OMAHA, NE — Barack Obama called Mitt Romney's candidacy “ineffective” on the day that the former MA governor exited the presidential race. — Romney, who dropped out of the race for president today in Washington, said in his exit speech …

Discussion: Jihad Watch

Shailagh Murray / The Trail:
Obama Agrees to Debates with Clinton

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Taylor Marsh

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

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 and Tennessee Guerilla Women

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: The Moderate Voice, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, Reasoned Audacity and Hot Air

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, Buckeye State Blog and Liberal Values

Craig Offman / NPL Sports:

Jail politicians who ignore climate science: Suzuki — Didn't mean it literally says scientist's spokesperson — David Suzuki has called for political leaders to be thrown in jail for ignoring the science behind climate change. — At a Montreal conference last Thursday, the prominent scientist …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, The Belmont Club, GINA COBB, Flopping Aces and Blue Crab Boulevard