And now for South Carolina

As of 9:00 p.m. eastern, the race is too close to call.

With 61% reporting, it's McCain 33% and Huckabee with 30%

Someone is going to break ahead in the next 20 minutes, or we are going to be up until 2:30.

UPDATE I - 9:20 p.m., eastern - Blue Girl

With 82% of precincts reporting, the percentages are still exactly the same - but McCain has opened up a 14,000 vote lead. I'm not going to call it - but the odds are increasingly in McCain's favor tonight. If it's McCain, it's going to get really bloody over there in Republicanville. There is a significant faction of Republicans that absolutely hates him.

9:35 p.m., eastern - Blue Girl

91% reporting and McCain still leads, 33% to 30%, and he still has that 14,000 vote cushion. And now, I'm gonna give it to Pale Rider. He can tell you how this is going to play in certain circles. I hear long knives being sharpened...

UPDATE II - PALE RIDER

Huckabee claims he took the high road in South Carolina. Please! He's the evangelical candidate and they haven't travelled the high road since the days of St. Paul himself.

Huckabee's second is very strong. He is not going away. Thompson might go away, and Guiliani should pack it in, for certain, but Huckabee is not dead yet. Not by a long shot.

UPDATE III - PALE RIDER

McCain is about to give his victory speech--Lindsay Graham has now put a bag over McCains' Mothers' head to keep her from saying anything else about Mitt Romney being an evil Mormon.

The podium is too low. "What's eight years among friends?"

Ha! You see, South Carolina--when McCain is President, he's going to Get You People for what you Did To Him.

UPDATE IV - PALE RIDER

Tom DeLay is one of those people who will have to leave the country when John McCain is President (as if!)

McCain hit by Hammer on the Hill
By Jackie Kucinich
Posted: 01/18/08 12:01 AM [ET]
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) lambasted Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) Thursday for "betraying" the conservative movement.

During a private luncheon with Republican chiefs of staff on Capitol Hill, DeLay — who has criticized McCain for years — stepped up his attacks in the wake of the senator's reemergence as a top presidential contender. DeLay said McCain has no principles and indicated he would not endorse the senator if he won the GOP primary.

"If McCain gets the nomination, I don't know what I'll do," DeLay said at the Capitol Hill Club, according to a source in the room. "I might have to sit this one out."

He added that a McCain triumph for the GOP nomination would destroy the Republican Party. DeLay delivered his luncheon address to Republicans Assuring Mutual Support (RAMS), a group of current and former chiefs of staff and staff directors.

McCain's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

DeLay's barbs come as the reeling Republican Party attempts to define itself following the Democratic takeover of Congress in 2006.

DeLay is not a fan of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, either. On CNN last year, he said, "I can't vote for somebody that's for abortion. I never have, and I never will."

So McCain is not afraid of al Qaeda, but he seems to be afraid of Tom DeLay? What gives?


UPDATE V - Blue Girl

I just went over to Red State. And the Corner. And Powerline. I even went to Little Green Footballs. Yes, I know - hot shower and lots of vitamin C, and get booster shots on Monday. I usually let Pale Rider do that sort of dirty work, but tonight I just couldn't resist.

And bless their little hearts, I just want to send 'em all a Tom Waits box set, along with a case of Jim Beam and a box of razor blades. The poor dears are just utterly bereft. And it couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of psychopaths.

Red State is encouraging Mittens to drop out - speculating that the Mrs. doesn't want any more of her sons' inheritance to disappear while he chases this second generation pipedream. And heavens to mergatroid, and pardon me for saying so, but the hagiography virtually drips from the "Fred, you broke my heart" post. There is speculation that Fred, after a good nights sleep, and a morning nap, will really apply himself and work up the energy to drop out. In his concession speech, he didn't say one. word. about "going on to Florida!"

The uber-mensches over at The Corner are twisting themselves up like drunken pretzels on muscle relaxers trying to explain how McCain didn't win a damned thing. And the bitterness with which Mark Steyn writes of Rudy! 911! Guilliani has the flavor of a lover scorned. (Boo fuckin' Hoo.)

Powerline isn't excited at all - instead of a congratulations for McCain, they take a shot at Huckabee.

LGF mustered all of eleven words in the body of the post announcing McCain's win - but drew over 200 comments - most of the ones I read were along the lines of "Rudy hasn't begun to fight!"

But some of the comments gave such a feeling of schaddenfreude.

"I am fast running out of anyone to support...I have never felt so depressed about an election in my life."

"What is a conservative supposed to do this election?"

"If McCain's the nominee, I'm going fishing on election day."

I am truly enjoying the misery of the miserable pricks over there on the far right lunatic fringe. They are reaping the bitter harvest they sowed, and I am enjoying watching them twist in the wind. They haven't suffered nearly enough. Not until they spend at least a decade in the penalty box.