TRAIL MIX: Your Daily Roundup of Election Coverage from Newspaper Blogs

By: Emily Vaughan In the wake of Barack Obama's sweeping South Carolina victory, the Illinois senator is making sure this Tony Rezko thing is settled. On ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopolous" Obama announced he will return all Rezko-related funds. Matthew Mosk at washingtonpost.com's The Trail had this to say:

"Obama's campaign aides said the candidate has already returned $85,000 in Rezko-related campaign contributions, dating back to his U.S. Senate bid. Recent reviews by ABC News and by the Los Angeles Times found additional contributions from Rezko's relatives and from consultants and lawyers who did work for him. The L.A. Times estimated Rezko affiliates provided Obama more than $200,000 in donations since 1995."

The Washington Post

A new University of Iowa study proves that politics really can be fun. The study shows that 86 percent of Iowans who caucused back on Jan. 3 "had fun." Andrew Malcolm at the L.A. Times Top of the Ticket had this to say:

"It's just so heartwarming to know that what the rest of us thought for so many months had something to do with choosing party nominees for president of the United States was, for a very large majority of the quarter-million Iowans who caucused, actually a whole lot of fun. Kind of like those summer fairs with the hog contests and that cow butter-carving that we heard so much about when politicians were working the sticky-handed crowds eating everything conceivable fried."

The L.A. Times
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Reports leaked that fabled democratic senator Ted Kennedy will endorse Obama today, potentially a big boost for the senator. The Clinton camp suspected it was an important endorsement. Mark Memmott at USA Today's On Politics reports on The Clintons' attempts to woo the influential Massachusetts senator:

"The big news from Sunday -- that Sen. Edward Kennedy will today endorse Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid -- is being followed this morning with multiple reports saying that former president Bill Clinton tried hard to convince Kennedy not to choose Obama over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"The Politico, The Washington Post and The New York Times all have versions of the Clinton-Kennedy story. The conventional wisdom is that Kennedy's blessing is something of a stamp-of-approval that liberals will pay attention to, and that Kennedy's strong support from unions will give Obama a boost.

"A question for the group: Does Kennedy's endorsement matter?"

USA Today
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John McCain got some company on the trail this weekend when senators Joseph Lieberman and Mel Martinez took to the stump to support him, something McCain undoubtedly hopes will push him ahead in the important, and essentially tied, Florida Contest. Kate Phillips at The New York Times' The Caucus had this to say:

"Senator Mel Martinez -- who endorsed Mr. McCain late last week -- took to the stump today and called Mr. McCain the 'standard-bearer.' He insisted Mr. McCain was the only Republican in the field -- a 'dwindling' field, he said, but all good candidates -- who could beat the Democrats come November. (In introducing Senator Lieberman, Mr. Martinez had reminded everyone that he had been a longtime fan of his Senate colleague. And then he jokingly said, 'Well I'm real proud to support this Democrat because he's a real friend, and right now he's an independent, he's not even a real Democrat.")

The New York Times
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McCain isn't the only one trying to boost support in the Sunshine state. This crucial GOP primary, the momentum of which could make a significant difference on Super Tuesday, has got the Republicans behaving like, well, Democrats, as the candidates turn the attacks personal. Mark Silva and Tim Jones on The Chicago Tribune's The Swamp had this to say:

"With polls portraying a close contest between Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the race between them has turned personal and bitter.

"And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, fighting to claim his first primary victory in a season that has brought nothing but losses for him, is attempting to rise above their bickering."

The Chicago Tribune