So. As we noted this morning, blog mistress Arianna Huffington didn't weigh in on the unexpected death of departed Meet the Press host Tim Russert until well after everyone else, and once she did, she didn't have much to say. Because of the old axiom about how much one should say when one doesn't have anything nice to say. (HuffPo's regular feature "Russert Watch" has gone blank—technical glitch or archive-scrubbing?) As anyone who's read Arianna's media writing over the last couple years knows, she never liked Tim. And we only just recently wandered into the fray, when we learned that Russert's unappreciated lapdog Chris Matthews hated Huffington for her years spent bashing his idol. And why did she hate Tim? This book excerpt might explain it all!

• Observers note that Arianna Huffington waited several days to personally blog anything about the death of Tim Russert of Meet The Press, who she often criticized. Then when she did say something, she didn't really praise the man. Not even faint praise! Dammit, Arianna, the public DEMANDS DISINGENUOUS EULOGIES! [R&M]

1) The New York City Ballet's 24th annual "Dance With the Dancers" party was sponsored by Elle and Ferragamo. Fabiola Beracasa, Zani Gugelman, Allison Sarofim, Robbie Myers, Joe Zee, and Olivia Chantecaille wore Roman-inspired outfits, while Tatum O'Neal had everyone wondering what was in her glass. [Elle]

So yesterday we told you the story of a photo shoot with MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson. Chris allegedly stormed out because Arianna Huffington was involved, and he hates her. He reportedly hates her because she once hired a private eye to follow Tim Russert (a claim she denies). It's complicated. ANYWAY! We've updated the post with emailed clarification from Tucker! AND SO MUCH MORE. Go read it again!

MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews apparently takes blog mogul Arianna Huffington's criticisms a little too seriously! "I will not be in the same fucking picture as Arianna Huffington!! Not a chance of that!" he allegedly screamed during a photoshoot for Portfolio at MSNBC's DC studio Tuesday. Then he stormed out. Oh, and Tucker Carlson was there. More odd and totally unsubstantiated stories from the shoot (Chris is angry because Arianna hired to PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR to spy on... someone!), below. [Updated! We found the target of her mysterious investigation!]

"The online vs. print debate is totally obsolete. It's as musty as the old barroom argument about Ginger vs. Mary Ann. It's 2008, why not have a three-way?" — Blog mogul Arianna Huffington, putting the sin in "synergy" for BusinessWeek, 22 May 2008

"If all those geniuses working in Silicon Valley could come up with a way to screen for those vile comments," as Arianna Huffingon mused on KQED's Forum, would her Huffington Post blog empire be empowered to delete meanness from the blogosphere? Sounds like a challenge. Maybe Google can inspire its engineers by changing its slogan to "Don't be vile."

Really, I wasn't trying to be posh for the book party Arianna Huffington threw Saturday for Oxford scholar Jonathan Zittrain and his new book, The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It." I pulled up to Larry Ellison's Pacific Heights manse in a black Town Car because that's the only vehicle I was able to flag down in North Beach. Huffington, the pundit turned blog mogul, greeted me at the door and extracted a promise of my best behavior before allowing me in. (One wonders what these people think my worst behavior might be, and if they realize how tempting living down to their expectations is.)

Stanlee Gatti, the former San Francisco arts commissioner, produced the event, which drew a crowd mixed with the Valley elite, San Francisco politicos, a gaggle of YouTubers, and oddball geek pals of Zittrain. Oh, and some grubby hacks like yours truly. Melanie Ellison, the romance novelist and wife of Oracle CEO Larry, went to high school with Zittrain, it turns out. That's the kind of it's-a-small-world connection the local press corps loves to make a big deal about. But even if Zittrain didn't have this chance connection to the Valley's movers and shakers, I'd think he'd be drawing attention from its inner circle anyway.

Arianna Huffington's new book - Right Is Wrong - is as partisan a piece of political writing as any during this political season. The subtitle says it all: "How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe." At Friday night's book party at the Chambers hotel in Midtown however, the divide between the guests was anything but political. The Greek-born polemicist has herself made a mockery of political convictions by switching so effortlessly from conservative wife-of-convenience to liberal power woman. To be sure, the tycoons she had assembled — Mort Zuckerman of Boston Properties and the New York Daily News; Les Moonves of CBS; former Viacom boss Tom Freston; and Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone and US Weekly — were quintessential rich liberals. But any Marxist observer at the party would note that the guests true loyalty was less to a political ideology than to their class.

Yesterday, Arianna Huffington revealed that John McCain told her in 2000 that he didn't vote for George W. Bush. Which we believe. We believe that he told her this, anyway. Who knows if it was true then, or now. But McCain denied it, right away. Which leads Arianna to list all the documented times he's blatantly lied about saying something so far this campaign season. A fun little list! Of course it shows why McCain felt comfortable telling Arianna Huffington that he didn't vote for Bush in 2000. And also why he's the most popular guest in Daily Show history!

Arianna Huffington used to be a Republican. She was BFF with Newt Gingrich and everything! Then she switched sides and now she runs a super-liberal website where she occasionally breaks news like this: John McCain didn't vote for George Bush in 2000. But now he's a total Republican sell-out! This disappoints Arianna greatly, because she used to respect him, back when he was a maverick. We're pretty sure he's always been a mean, corrupt old bastard, but whatevs. He's probably disappointed in her, too! [HuffPo]

The May W features an Arianna Huffington interview in which she reveals how influential and important she is. She lunched with David Geffen and Ari Emanuel calls her every day! Also she's all over the TV pimping her new book, which is about how much she dislikes Tim Russert. And she's single! This might be a good time to hook up with her, if you can make it stick: she's got about a six-month window to unload HuffPo for a very large amount of money. Traffic is huge at the moment, but will the new lifestyle content make up for the post-election downturn? Probably not! And as our good friend Nick Denton once blaaaahhgged, advertisers are terrified of political content. Even when it's by Alec Baldwin and Nora Ephron! [W via LAObserved]

Arianna Huffington has reportedly been BANISHED by NBC news—including MSNBC!—because her new book savagely criticizes NBC political honcho Tim Russert. Keith Kelly reports: "Sources said that Huffington was at a dinner in the home of Barbara Walters on Tuesday night when she heard that word had come down from on high that she no longer appear on NBC or MSNBC, where talk show hosts Keith Olbermann, Joe Scarborough and Dan Abrams were all interested in booking her." NBC's Phil Griffin claims to not know anything about it. We'd argue Arianna was just playing up a rumor she heard to publicize her book, but Griffin adds: "I know some people have issues with her as a guest, but it has nothing to do with the book." Say what you will about Arianna, but she's generally a great guest. So we'll take that as a confirmation. Arianna used to appear on Olbermann's and Dan Abrhams' shows fairly regularly, but her media schedule shows no forthcoming appearances. [NYP]

Google cofounder Sergey Brin is, two days away from his company's first-quarter earnings call, sunning himself in Tahiti. As is Greco-American blog tycoon Arianna Huffington and Wendi Deng, wife of News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch. Huffington is reportedly there on vacation, but it's a stretch to think Brin and Deng are also there by sheer coincidence. Anyone have a bead on what prompted the South Pacific power summit? Do let us know your theories.

Arianna Huffington doesn't quite deny the possibility she'll sell the Huffington Post in a story for tomorrow's Times, saying only that she hasn't discussed a sale. One source told the Times that HuffPo executives investigated possible sale prices and figured the site is worth around $200 million, or $50 for each visitor. In the meantime, HuffPo is going to help put your local newspaper out of business - and probably undermine in its own value - by metroblogging:

Tracey Ullman, that talented comedienne who is also kind of annoying, has a new Showtime sketch show. On it, she imitates Arianna Huffington, that brilliant blog-promoter who is also kind of ridiculous. A brief clip is attached—the impression is impeccable (and looks quite friendly, jokes about celebrity hairstylists "blogging brilliantly" aside). It's no "Breakaway," but it's nice to see Ullman's keeping busy.

Unlike many bloggers, Huffington Post editors Rachel Sklar and Katherine Thompson don't work from home, in their pajamas, while drinking, at least not in the following office video, which shows the bloggers collapsed on a conference room desk and apparently snoozing on the job. So site co-founder Arianna Huffington and the rest of management must be working them to exhaustion. At Christmastime, no less! Those who still think writing for the internet is somehow glamorous should watch the brief clip, in which bloggers resemble nothing so much as cable repair dudes:

It was cringeworthy enough when pundit-turned-blogger Arianna Huffington began talking about her cronies submitting a "blog" as if the word referred to an individual post, rather than an entire site. Now another web newbie, Steven Brill's socialite daughter, is mangling the lingo. Emily Brill ran into absurd socialgay Kristian Laliberte at Bloomingdale's menswear department last night. She summoned the fashion publicist over for a photo. "Okay Kristian, get over here. Let's blog." (Laliberte's desire to promote his label, Unruly Heir, must have trumped the embarrassment of such a hanger-on.)

Bill O'Reilly finally asks the question we've all been thinking: "What's the difference between the KKK and Arianna Huffington? What's the difference?" He's right! Arianna has her name attached to a website that allows anonymous commenters to write mean things about Nancy Reagan—how, exactly, is that any different from killing Medgar Evers? Exactly. [Crooks & Liars]

Mediabistro founder Laurel Touby and all her Laurel Touby-loving friends have put together a very special Christmas video to wish you happy holidays! From Touby's "media family" (which includes husband Jon Fine, Bonnie Fuller, and Arianna Huffington) to yours (which probably doesn't), please have a "warm and fuzzy New Year!" It's just like that I Am African campaign but without any social good and slightly less funny!