The debate — sponsored by CNN, the Los Angeles Times and Politico — starts at 7 p.m. CST Thursday on CNN and CNN.com. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer is the moderator.

“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will endorse John McCain on Thursday, giving a boost to the Republican presidential front-runner six days before California’s high-prize primary,” according to AP.

I read the story in today’s Arkansas Democrat Gazette about the press conference and petition presentation regarding a homeless center in Little Rock. The issue, spawned from an event last year hosted by the American Insitute of Architects, hasn’t come to fruition yet, presumably because of budget constraints at City Hall.

It’s still a worthy discussion, and one that I’ve focused on in this space several times. I’ve always advocated that Little Rock needs to completely re-visit it’s policies related to lending, assistance and care for the homeless or those living in extreme poverty. The policies don’t make a lot of sense. As I advocated, I’d overhaul the entire system and re-work it with progessive mechanisms like a housing trust fund, on-going care and assistance and a center for the homeless.

“The volunteers noted that Mayor Mark Stodola fell short on a pledge in his May 1 state of the city address to have a center open by the end of 2007. Little Rock requested proposals earlier this month from organizations interested in providing the area’s homeless with laundry facilities,lockers and a place to receive mail and meet with service providers,” notes the Dem-Gaz story.

“Responses to the city’s request for proposals will be opened Feb. 13, but it will take several weeks to hammer out a contract and possibly months to open the center.”

Here’s Mayor Mark Stodola’s State of the City address.

I’m hearing reports that Tom DeLay, who was scheduled to speak at the Clinton School of Public Service today, has cancelled.  The flu is the cause, so I’m told.

“The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut a key interest rate for the second time in just over a week, reducing the federal funds rate by a half point. It signaled that further rate cuts were possible,” reports AP.

I wasn’t able to make the event over at North Little Rock High School, but Max Brantley and the folks at the Arkansas Times have some details.  Looks like it was a big crowd with some prominent Arkansas politicos, including Governor Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, playing a role in the program.

Over at the Clinton School of Public Service blog, students from the Masters program offered some thoughts and reflections on President George W. Bush’s seventh and final State of the Union speech.

I didn’t watch it, so I can’t tell you what I thought about it.  Meaningless is what I’d probably say.   Here’s a copy of the speech.

Sewell Chan of the New York Times has a fun read about the 1992 New York Democratic Presidential Primary.

2000 spoiler and one of America’s biggest political jokes, Ralph Nader launched a presidential exploratory committee today. Here’s the website.

John McCain beat Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee to win the Florida primary.  McCain picked up 36% of the vote compared to Romney’s 31%.   Rudy Giuliani, who staked his entire campaign on a win in Florida was a distant third with 14%.  Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, whose campaign all but ended when he didn’t win South Carolina, was fourth.

In a stunning turn of events, John Edwards announced this morning that he would be quitting the race.  He’ll do it with a speech from New Orleans where his campaign began at noon CST.  According to the New York Times, Edwards won’t endorse anyone today.

I’ve been speculating for weeks on this blog that Edwards would quit before Super Tuesday and would throw his support to Barack Obama.  It needs to happen this week for it have the most impact.

Giuliani’s pitiful presidential campaign also came to an end today.  He’ll endorse McCain.

Slate.com has launched a spin-off online magazine called “The Root.”  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the editor.

“Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison — who famously declared Bill Clinton to be the nation’s “first black president” — is endorsing Barack Obama for president today, an Obama campaign source tells ABC News,” reports Rick Klein.

Morrison, in a 1998 essay for The New Yorker, wrote, “Years ago, in the middle of the Whitewater investigation, one heard the first murmurs: white skin notwithstanding, this is our first black President. Blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children’s lifetime. After all, Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald’s-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas.”

The Politico has some thoughts about what President Bush will highlight tonight.

John McCain - 32%
Mitt Romney - 31%
Rudy Giuliani - 14%
Mike Huckabee - 13%

Source:  Quinnipiac, Jan. 24-27, +/- 4.1%

John McCain - 27%
Mitt Romney - 26%
Rudy Giuliani - 17%
Mike Huckabee - 15%

Source:  Stratetgic Vision

John McCain - 33%
Mitt Romney - 30%
Rudy Giuliani - 14%
Mike Huckabee - 11%

Source:  Reuters/Zogby/C-SPAN, Jan. 25-27, +/- 3.4%