12:59: Brit Hume signs off on FNC, and throws it to Shepard Smith. Shep at 1amET? After his Youtube-worthy tirade today? Would love to keep the live blog going, but six hours is going to have to do it for this evening.
12:54: Larry King throws to Bob Greene, who’s aboard the CNN Election Express. Is it getting to be a late night? In the background, a CNN pillow.
12:50: Earlier tonight we reported what MSNBC political director Chuck Todd gave as the magic number — 840. Now he predicts the night will end with Clinton having 841 and Obama with 837 837 and Obama with 841. Toeing around that magic number…
12:47: Olbermann’s explanation of the term “apparent winner” on MSNBC: “This is not so much political projections, not so much exit polls, but simple mathematics and logic.”
12:44: Major Garrett on FNC reports that Terry McAuliffe announced at the Clinton HQ about an hour ago that Clinton won Missouri. Good thing for the networks that they didn’t listen to the Clinton campaign.
12:42: During Carl Cameron‘s stand-up on FNC at McCain HQ, a large contingent of apparent McCain supporters are enjoying waving at the camera from the background.
12:41: MSNBC declares Obama the “apparent winner” in Missouri. That designation is different than “projected winner.” FNC has projected Obama the MO winner, CNN has not made the call.
12:33: Keith Olbermann gives Norah O’Donnell a choice as to what she wants to talk about: frank discussions or California Hispanics. She chooses “frank discussions.”
12:31: Ann Curry has moved from the exit polling VR room on NBC News to take over that role in the MSNBC coverage.
12:26: More than 20 10 minutes after FNC and MSNBC, CNN calls California for both Clinton and McCain.
12:25: Brit Hume interviews Karl Rove from across the FNC studio, as Chris Wallace leans back in his chair so it can happen.
12:23: As if on cue, Wolf Blitzer welcomes in Larry King. “It’s been an incredible evening,” says King, out in Los Angeles but apparently without his hour-long program this evening.
12:20: An anonymous tipster notes that CNN seems to have preempted their Larry King Live that was supposed to air at MidnightET.
12:18: Chris Wallace on FNC: “I’ve got to tell you, sitting with Karl Rove tonight has worn me out.” He also shows the scribbled notes that Rove has been working on writing down all night.
12:16: A note from a West Coast TVNewser reader: ABC News and CBS News have continued their coverage while NBC News is showing “The Biggest Loser” and airing five minute cut-ins with Brian Williams and Tim Russert.
12:14: MSNBC now calls it for McCain. CNN has not made any projections.
12:13: FNC now calls California for Clinton and Sen. John McCain.
12:12: MSNBC calls California for Sen. Hillary Clinton, while the other two networks have not called it.
12:11: A new guest joins the CNN panel: former WH Press Secretary Ari Fleischer joins the show. “It’s good to be the Republican here,” he says.
12:10: “This is going to be a war,” says Carl Bernstein on CNN. Paul Begala disagrees.
12:05: Wolf Blitzer on CNN calls California a “Super Duper State.” With the last big state to go out West, this Super Duper Tuesday has come down to California.
12:04: Well Sen. Barack Obama grabs 20 minutes of TV time for a speech, taken by the three cablers. FNC calls Missouri for Sen. John McCain following the speech. CNN and MSNBC have not yet called it for McCain.