JIM LEHRER: This was primary day in Florida, a crucial test in the Republican presidential race. John McCain and Mitt Romney battled for 57 delegates in a tight and sometimes bitter race.
On the Democratic side, there were no delegates, because the early voting date violated party rules. As a result, the major candidates stayed away. But the Republicans campaigned into the last hours. Both McCain and Romney made final appeals today.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-Ariz.), Presidential Candidate: The real key, I think, here in Florida is, who can keep America safe? Who is it that has got the experience and background and knowledge to take on the challenge of radical Islamic extremism?
Governor Romney has no experience there. In fact, he wanted to have a timetable for withdrawal at a very difficult time. I think that's why the people of Florida will make the judgment on my behalf.
MITT ROMNEY (R), Presidential Candidate: I'm going to Washington to make sure that we finally deal with the challenges we have, and take advantage of the extraordinary opportunities to keep America the greatest nation on Earth.
You know, it was, I don't know, 20 years ago, people said they were going to solve the problem of Social Security in Washington. They haven't. But we will.
JIM LEHRER: We will have more on the Florida primary later in the program tonight.
The House easily passed an economic stimulus package today. It would cost $146 billion, and affect some 111 million taxpayers. The plan featured tax rebates ranging from $600 to $1200, plus payments to families with children. There were also new tax breaks for business. House leaders left out other measures to ensure speedy action. Today, they urged the Senate to do the same.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-Calif.), Speaker of the House: This is what we think can be handled that will be stimulus, that will inject demand, will create jobs. And some of these other issues are excellent ideas. And I advocated for them myself. And they can be done in other legislative vehicles. And so I hope that the Senate will take heed.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-Ohio), House Minority Leader: I hope that the Senate will take this bill up and just pass it. The key to this -- this whole exercise in providing this economic growth incentive is to do it now, before the economy slows any further. And the quicker the Senate acts, the better.
JIM LEHRER: Top Senate Democrats said they want to expand the tax rebates and add benefits for the unemployed.
We'll talk to Senators Lincoln and Isakson about this right after this news summary.
There were mixed signals in the latest reports on the economy today. On the down side, the Conference Board, a business research group, reported, consumer confidence fell sharply in January. But the Commerce Department announced orders for big-ticket factory goods rose more than 5 percent in December, well above expectations.
On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 96 points, to close at 12480. The Nasdaq rose eight points, to close at 2358.
The killing in Kenya flared again today, after gunmen shot dead an opposition lawmaker. Amid the violence, negotiations between Kenya's president and the opposition leader got under way.
We have a report narrated by Nick Paton Walsh of Independent Television News.
MAN: We want peace, but we want justice.
NICK PATON WALSH: The struggle to define peace in Kenya today before mobs and machetes become the norm.
Police, blunt now in their approach, haven't stemmed the violence, haven't broken the cycle of tribal brutality. Fury that flared here in the district of this opposition M.P., Mugabe Were, who was shot dead last night, opposition leader Raila Odinga visiting a corpse that he noted had been shot twice in the eyes, savagery unleashed when he said he was robbed of an election victory over a month ago.
And here, in one of his strongholds, Kisumu, gruesome scenes as a crowd hack and burn a pro-government militant. Amid this upheaval in East Africa's economic powerhouse, Kenya's political leader were warned today by the United Nations of possible genocide charges unless they act to stem the violence.
Finally today, civil in front of Kofi Annan, an image that might calm Kenya's dire plight.
KOFI ANNAN, FORMER U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: We are confident that the issues can be resolved within a year and the immediate political issues be resolved, the short-term -- what we are describing as short-term issues be resolved within four weeks.
NICK PATON WALSH: Yet, it's still just words, fears growing the army may be left to intervene. Today, its helicopters fired rubber bullets over crowds trying to attack people who were fleeing on buses from Naivasha, discipline in the army that will need to hold.
But security sources have told this program there's a real risk the army will fracture into local armed groups with local sympathies.
JIM LEHRER: In a related development, Barack Obama, whose father was Kenyan, appealed for calm again today. He told a Nairobi radio station, "Now is the time for Kenyan leaders to rise above party affiliations and past ambitions for the sake of peace."
A bill extending a terror surveillance law passed the U.S. House today. The existing law is due to expire February 1. The House agreed to keep it alive for another 15 days, allowing further work on a long-term measure.
A similar bill has stalled in the Senate. The bill -- the battle is over barring civil lawsuits against telecommunication companies that aided in eavesdropping after 9/11.
A plan to expand California's health insurance system fell apart last night. Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed the bill, and it was closely watched by other states. But a California Senate committee rejected it as too costly. The estimated price tag was $14.7 billion to cover 70 percent of the state's uninsured.
Margaret Truman Daniel, the only child of former President Harry Truman, died today in Chicago. She had been ill for several weeks. In early years, she was a concert singer, and President Truman famously threatened a critic who panned her performance. Later, she became a radio and TV personality and an author of murder mysteries.
Margaret Truman Daniel was 83 years old.
