9:32: Huckabee drops out. “I’d rather lose an election, than lose the principles that got me in to politics in the first place.” “It’s time for us to hit the reset button.”
9:18: Mike Huckabee speaks to supporters. The cable nets are on it.
9:12: From an emailer: “MSNBC takes a shot from Huckabee HQ — and there’s Wolf Blitzer on the big screen. ‘Pay no attention to that man on the screen,’ says KO.”
9:03: As FNC’s Molly Henneberg did a live shot from Huckabee HQ in Irving, TX, CNN’s Dana Bash was seen on the big monitor behind her.
9:00: The networks call Texas and Rhode Island for McCain pushing him over the top for the GOP nomination for President. 1,191 needed, 1,195 earned.
8:55: One eye on the cable nets, another on the web. Newsweek.com is streaming coverage with ME John Meacham leading coverage; Bob Woodward is on now as a guest. FNC and CNN streaming their coverage too.
8:54: Olbermann implements a small bell he rings when the Scarborough, Maddow, Robinson, Buchanan panel starts to get a little wild. Buchanan ignores the bell. Scarborough: “Keith has a little bell and he enjoys playing with it.”
8:48: CNN’s Ali Velshi (probably the only Ali in the bar) live in Bandera with a lot of 10 gallon hat-wearing Texans.
8:46: FBN’s Alexis Glick pulls up a chair with Brit Hume, talking about the economy and the next President.
8:38: CNN’s Paul Begala almost getting the slogan right. Talking about the Dana Bash report on McCain/Bush: “If Dana’s report is right…and she couldn’t be wrong, because we’re one of the best political teams around, I guess.”
8:34: FNC reporting McCain will visit the White House tomorrow. CNN reports “plans in place for Bush to endorse McCain.”
8:22: Chris Matthews grills Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe about delegates and super-delegates, then asks him to bring his candidate on stage for the Hardball college tour in PA. “Hillary Clinton would love to be on stage with you in Pennsylvania,” McAuliffe says to Matthews.
8:20: Blitzer checks in with CNN en Espanol’s Juan Carlos Lopez about the Latino vote in Texas.
8:13: On FNC: Chairman of board of elections in Cuyahoga Cty says Judge’s order to keep polls open affects 15 precincts, or 1% in his county. Weather and shortage of ballots to blame.
8:07: O’Reilly continues his rant against NBC News and its coverage of Barack Obama. “NBC News cannot continue to openly root for one candidate. If they’re going to be the Obama network, NBC News should say that.” Brit Hume: “Are you talking about both the news network and the cable outlet?” O’Reilly: “Absolutely!”
8:03: Bill O’Reilly joins Brit Hume for “Voices of the Voter” segment.
8:00: The networks report the Obama campaign request that polls in Ohio’s largest county (Cuyahoga) remain open late.
7:56: Joe Scarborough joking with Eugene Robinson, “Good Lord, you sound like Tom Brokaw. ‘Let’s let the voters speak’ and all of that stuff.”
7:50: TVNewser’s Steve Krakauer has arrived at the CNN Election Center to cover primary night. Look for behind the scenes stories later tonight and tomorrow.
7:47: Mom-to-be Norah O’Donnell breaks down the TX and OH exit polls on MSNBC.
7:44: Bill Bennett calls Dobbs “professor,” jokes that, because of all of the pundits present (three tables’ worth!), “We may be in violation of New York State Teacher-Student ratios here.”
7:43: Rove takes a bit of a shot at his old boss: “Can we call this the strategery room.”
7:40: Hume tosses to “Texas boys,” Karl Rove and Brian Wilson. Wilson jokes the FNC election studio is “a cross between a disco and the starship enterprise.”
7:39: Tom Brokaw, “anchor emeritus” on with Olbermann and Matthews.
7:31: CNN’s Dana Bash has tape of the 1,191 sign at McCain HQ in Dallas. His win in Ohio puts him at 1,095 GOP delegates.
7:30: Ohio closes. The nets call the GOP race for McCain, but too close to call on the Democratic side.
7:27: Dobbs jokes as he works the Election Center: “I’m going to move away from this table, you’re just too tough on the press.”
7:25: Keith Olbermann tosses to Chuck Todd in “the peanut gallery.” Sorry Chuck, that screenwriter pales in comparison to the Billboard and Magic Wall. Just sayin’…
7:22: From a reader: “There should be a poll: Master of the magic wall! John King vs. Bill Hemmer.” I think we can make that happen.
7:21: The nets all take a breather (and pay the bills) with nine minutes to Ohio poll closing.
7:16: King’s working those Ohio counties on the Magic Wall. From Akron to Youngstown to the “working class, white vote” along the Ohio River.
7:14: And thanks to whoever moved Major Garrett‘s live shot location from the adobe hut village he was using during the day.
7:12: Thanks to whoever fixed Rachel Maddow‘s IFB.
6:59 (a pre-live blog flashback) FNC’s Bill Hemmer working the Billboard with aerobic precision, giving John King a run for this Magic Wall money. Sell it King!
7:07: 23 minutes to Ohio. Andrea Mitchell at Clinton HQ: “If she loses Texas and Ohio, there’s no way she can proceed.”
7:04: Lou Dobbs with “pithy glimpses of the truth” from the crew: Borger, Toobin and Brazile…and then like seven other members of the BPTOT.
7:00: The people of VT have spoken. Counting down with three seconds to 7pmET Brit Hume says “This is kind of fun…” All the networks call Vermont for John McCain and for Barack Obama.