So Limbaugh MEANT to Fail?

Next he'll claim credit for the sun coming up tomorrow. Time to stop giving cred to this drug abuser and his unsuccessful radio bits. We're talking to you, too, John Kerry.

Bloch Investigation: Did He Stonewall for Condi?

This is getting better and better...

FBI seeking records of 2004 Condoleeza Rice ethics probe

FBI agents investigating government watchdog Scott Bloch have subpoenaed any records that would reveal whether concerns about the 2004 elections prompted him to clear Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of ethics violations.

Bloch, the U.S. special counsel who investigates federal employee whistleblower complaints, found no merit to allegations that Rice, then President Bush's national security adviser, timed some of her trips to boost Bush's 2004 reelection campaign.

The FBI is investigating whether Bloch obstructed justice by destroying computer files to hinder an outside inquiry into allegations that he retaliated against employees who opposed his policies. He's also suspected of making false statements to investigators.

FBI agents, who searched Bloch's office and home Tuesday, subpoenaed 17 of his current and former employees to appear before a federal grand jury and asked them to bring any documents related to possible tampering of records in the office's electronic investigative tracking system, McClatchy has learned.

Officials with knowledge of the investigation also told McClatchy that the FBI has subpoenaed records about the decision to assign Rice's case to an investigator. The officials asked to remain anonymous because they weren't authorized to discuss the investigation.

It's unclear whether the FBI is looking into Bloch's decision to clear Rice or whether agents are seeking evidence in separate obstruction and false-statements investigation.

Election Ratings: CNN Wins, MSNBC Beats Fox

TV Newser:

25-54 demographic: (L +SD)

Total day: FNC: 306 | CNN: 402 | MSNBC: 256 | HLN: 102

Prime: FNC: 583 | CNN: 1037 | MSNBC: 678 | HLN: 133

	5p:	6p:	7p:	8p:	9p:	10p:	11p:
FNC	ElectionHQ:	Hume:	Primaries:	Primaries:	Primaries:	Primaries:	Primaries:
	269	470	603	553	592	605	420
CNN	Blitzer:	Blitzer:	Elec.Cent.:	Elec.Cent.:	Elec.Cent.:	Elec.Cent.:	Elec.Cent.:
	326	395	647	776	1146	1188	1065
MSNBC	Hardball:	Spec.Cov.:	Spec.Cov.:	Spec.Cov.:	Spec.Cov.:	Spec.Cov.:	Spec.Cov.:
	216	297	481	531	717	785	691

For my eyes, CNN still has the best "lower third" graphics of any of the three on election coverage. It's concise, complete and a snap to read. MSNBC needs to stop scrolling between the percentages and the vote counts - it's really annoying. Fox News needs to go off the air before I even bother to tune to that channel, so I have no idea what their lower third looks like.

Also, once you see CNN in hi-def, you can't go back. I watched on my normal TV at work, and it really looked claustrophobic, especially with their team of 6,199 reporters, pundits, analysts and big magic screens. That's where MSNBC's minimalist on-screen content came in - a lot easier on the eyes (except when Buchanan came on). CNN also makes good use of the side pillarboxes on the hi-def version. Fox News' hi-def may have been on last night, but since I never tune to that crap, I can only watch them at gunpoint...and no one came in with a gun last night.

One of the folks in the chat room last night mentioned how she wished she could be John King's touch screen for the night - and that's just wrong. (See what you miss by not joining these things?)

Did You Leave Your Integrity In The Shower, Too, Karl?

WaPo had a little Q&A with Porky today.

One of the questions asked during the Q&A was from "Dallas" and pertained to Rove's role with the campaign of Sen. John McCain. "Why does Fox network fail to mention your relationship as an adviser to the McCain campaign?" the questioner asks.

Rove's answer: "I'm not certain that I qualify as an adviser to McCain. I have friends at the campaign who occasionally ask me for reactions, and the Fox network is well aware of that, and similar contacts by some of their Democratic analysts."

The same questioner observantly picked up something else from last night's coverage; when asked why he wasn't wearing his wedding ring last night, Rove said, "When I left my house I accidentally left my ring in the shower."

I never got the taking your wedding ring off thing. And taking it off in the shower is probably one of the stupidest things you can do (not to mention its conjuring up a horrifying mental image), but that aside...

What Fox Democratic analysts are offering their expert opinions to any politician with half a brain? But that aside...

Let's get back to the adviser denial, and offer:

Ken Mehlman, who ran Bush’s 2004 campaign, is now serving as an unpaid, outside adviser to the Arizona Republican. Karl Rove, the president’s top political hand since his Texas days, recently gave money to McCain and soon after had a private conversation with the senator. A top McCain adviser said both Mehlman and Rove are now informally advising the campaign. Rove refused to detail his conversation with McCain.

Thank you. Good night.

At What Point Do His Readers Finally Say "He's Officially Fucking Nuts"?

Max Boot:

It’s true that there are walls around Dora and other Baghdad neighborhoods. … But then there are walls around many gated communities in the U.S. too. The walls per se are not evidence of reconciliation, I’ll grant you that. But nor are they evidence that reconciliation is impossible.

This, after his now-famous "the surge is working/necessary because less/more troops/citizens are dying/not dying" idiocy.

Damn!

The Robbins of Baskin-Robbins passed away at 90.

Irony Escapes Wolfson

Someone forgot to puch the reset button on Hillary's communications director's hyperbole feature. Howard Wolfson says they'll roll on, stating:

"This is a country of 50 states. All of them should be represented. We won significant victories in both Florida and Michigan. We believe that delegates from those states ought to be seated."

It's a country of 50 states - but the smaller states and the caucus states don't count because they lost those.

Obama's Speech

If you missed it, watch at your leisure. He delivered essentially a powerful acceptance speech, focusing not on the candidates, but on the people who vote for them. It was a great plea for unity while acknowledging the bruising all sides have taken.

From the Pen of: Rex Babin

From the Pen of: Kirk Walters

From the Pen of: Ben Sargent

"Split Decision" Talk Dies Quickly

What a difference a sleep makes. Last night when Indiana was awarded to Hillary by a razor-thin margin, it was declared "a tie" - a "split decision." This morning it's a completely different animal. A quick trot through the web will bring you a bellyful of "it's over"s, along with the fact that she kicked in another 6+ million of her own bucks because her campaign's broke.

Hillary has long been expected to win Kentucky and West Virginia by enormous margins, and this will once again take the media by total surprise. "Reports of her death were greatly exaggerated!" will be the headline by no less than a third of them.

Don't be shocked if the media pulls this stunt to get more ears and eyeballs as this thing finally fades into the sunset.