memeorandum: Live from CPAC: The curtains open; Update: Cheney … (Michelle Malkin)

1:45 PM ET, February 7, 2008

Top Items:

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 at the CPAC conference here. — Did not endorse McCain. — AP: Decision effectively cedes nomination to McCain. — HALPERIN'S TAKE: TEN THINGS MITT ROMNEY COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY

Discussion: Wizbang, TownHall Blog, Taylor Marsh, Political Machine, BizzyBlog, Donklephant, LiberalLand, A Blog For All, Gateway Pundit, rubber hose, All Spin Zone, New York Magazine, Liberal Values and GINA COBB

Byron York / The Corner:

Romney Pulling Out? Campaign Doesn't Want “To Look Destructive At What Might Be The End.” — We are beginning to see signs that Mitt Romney might be preparing to pull out of the Republican race. — Everyone is looking for tea leaves from the campaign, and we'll know more about the governor's state …

Discussion: Redstate, Boston Globe, TIME, Power Line, Comments from Left Field, PoliBlog (TM), BobKrumm.com, Sister Toldjah and Roger Ailes

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: New York Times, Washington Wire, Hotline On Call, Burnt Orange Report, The Carpetbagger Report, The Strata-Sphere, Think Progress, PoliGazette and Buckeye State Blog

Eric Pianin / The Fix:

Romney Announces He Is Dropping Out of GOP Race — Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney announced today he will suspend his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. — He revealed his decision during a a speech to the Conservative Political Action Committee conference a few minutes ago in Washington, D.C.

Discussion: Politics Plus

Rick Moran / Right Wing Nut House:

“EXCLUSIVE!” JOHN McCAIN CPAC SPEECH — A secret operative working for this website has gotten a hold of the speech John McCain will deliver to attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference. She says I shouldn't ask how she got it although she mentioned that she had a real …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, The Newshoggers, Cheat Seeking Missiles and Gateway Pundit

Michelle Malkin:

Live from CPAC: Romney speaks — 12:43pm Eastern. I'm starting a new thread for Romney's speech...awaiting his official announcement of the suspension of his campaign. And possible endorsement today of John McCain. — Laura Ingraham continues to warm up the crowd.

Discussion: The Newshoggers and You Decide 08!

Jeff Quinton / Inside Charm City:

Romney drops out, to endorse McCain in Baltimore tonight? — Amid reports that Mitt Romney is dropping out of the Presidential race, The Sun reports that Sen. John McCain has been added to tonight's Baltimore County Lincoln Day Dinner. The event previously featured Romney, who is apparently still going to be there.

Discussion: TownHall Blog and Balloon Juice

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
CPAC: Romney To Withdraw?

Discussion: Weekly Standard

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Team Romney source hints that Mitt will drop out? …

Discussion: The Corner, The Sundries Shack, The Campaign Spot, Commentary and Hotline On Call

You Decide 08!:
Romney Drops Presidential Bid

Discussion: A Second Hand Conjecture

The Caucus:
Romney Quits Presidential Race

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and All Spin Zone

Michelle Malkin:
Live from CPAC: The curtains open; Update: Cheney …

Discussion: Weekly Standard and DownWithTyranny!

Sam Graham-Felsen / my.barackobama.com:

Message from David Plouffe: Matching the Five Million — David Plouffe just sent out this email...

Discussion: New York Post, TPM Election Central, Threat Level, Personal Democracy Forum, MSNBC, Hold Fast, culturekitchen, The RBC, MyDD, The Daily Whim, Burnt Orange Report, The Democratic Daily, D-Day, Born at the Crest …, Comments from Left Field and Marc Ambinder

Marc Ambinder:
Money Pours In For Clinton, Obama

Discussion: The New Republic

Jennifer Parker / Political Punch:

And Obama Wept — Inspiration is nice. But some folks seem to be getting out of hand. — It's as if Tom Daschle descended from on high saying, “Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Washington Monthly, Attytood, Taylor Marsh, Redstate, Wonkette, New York Observer, Hullabaloo and NewsBusters.org

Joe Klein / Time:
Inspiration vs. Substance

Discussion: Firedoglake

Bloomberg:

Obama Advisers Foresee a Delegate Draw With Clinton — Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) — Barack Obama's advisers are anticipating the possibility of a Democratic presidential race deadlocked past the last primary, and the outcome may hinge on a fight over whether delegations from Florida and Michigan …

Discussion: MSNBC, Spin Cycle and Reason Magazine

Bloomberg:
Obama Campaign Projects Deadlocked Race After Primaries Finish

Discussion: CAPITOL WATCH, The Carpetbagger Report, Don Surber, Associated Press, Political Machine, Jules Crittenden and The New Republic

BBC:

Sharia law in UK is ‘unavoidable’ — The Archbishop of Canterbury says the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK “seems unavoidable”. — Dr Rowan Williams told Radio 4's World at One that the UK has to “face up to the fact” that some of its citizens do not relate to the British legal system.

Discussion: JammieWearingFool, The Jawa Report, Hot Air, Biased BBC, Tim Blair and Blue Crab Boulevard

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

CPAC: Dick Cheney Speech Live-Blog — Dick Cheney is giving one of the first speeches here at CPAC. He got a very warm welcome from the crowd, which is SRO. The Cheney we're seeing now is the relaxed and funny speaker that we've known from many speeches here and other places.

Discussion: The Newshoggers and Atlas Shrugs

Mister Leonard Pierce / Sadly, No!:
The Beast is Red, Chapter 4: In a Mad Frenzy, Stinging Themselves to Eternal Death

Discussion: Hold Fast

Anne Schroeder Mullins / Anne Schroeder's Blogs:

CPAC to all CPAC-ers: Don't boo McCain — John McCain may have it easier than he expected today when he commandeers the podium at CPAC this afternoon. Conservatives from all over will predictably fill the room to the brim to listen to what the now GOP front-runner has to say, despite a hate/love relationship with the guy.

Discussion: Hot Air, Macsmind and Riehl World View

The Politico:

McCain seeks truce with right-wing critics — John McCain, whose Super Tuesday performance has given him an aura of inevitability in the eyes of many Republican leaders, has begun an aggressive campaign to quell conservative dissent and prevent an outbreak of GOP buyer's remorse.

Discussion: Confederate Yankee, Washington Wire, Liberty Pundit, Connecting.the.Dots, You Decide 08!, The Heretik and AMERICAblog

New York Post:

TIMES VS. TIMES IN LIVING COLOR — A CLAWING cat fight over mistaken identity has broken out between New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd and a writer for the Times of London. — At the core of the mystery: Did Dowd mistake journalist Michelle Henery, who is black, for Michelle Obama?

Discussion: Anne Schroeder's Blogs and New York Magazine

Sonia Verma / Times of London:

Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man — A 37-year-old American businesswoman and married mother of three is seeking justice after she was thrown in jail by Saudi Arabia's religious police for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks coffee shop in Riyadh.

Discussion: Hot Air