The Howard team need a miracle and guess what? Mr Miracle himself jetted into town on Sunday night un-announced and got straight down to work.

 But can the coalition be saved at this stage? They still enjoy some terrific margins on many seats and may slink back with four or five seats?

What can Rupert Murdoch do after flying for twenty-five hours un-expectedly? If in fact he is interested in doing anything? But then why on earth would he suddenly be here, from the other side of the world, on election eve?

 Even Crikey, the original Murdoch-watchers, have been caught asleep at the wheel.

 A number of people including Jeff Kennett changed their social calendars in order to be with the ‘Sun-King’ and his mother at the National Gallery farewell to Julian Clarke last night in Melbourne.

And surprise surprise Murdoch is talking away happily again about free to air TV licenses in the Sun this morning. But then he doesn’t want one of those does he? Or does he?

He says ‘I am not paying twenty times earnings”

All interesting, particularly for ‘flies-on-the-wall’ at the presidential suites at the Park Hyatt and the Sofitell where Media Magnates and Prime Ministers are known to hang out at times????????

 This strange visit of the ‘Sun- King’ will give good material to intrigue junkies if nothing else, but is there anything else??????

Ed: This interview with Terry McCrann will also be of interest, if of no particular guide to any matters political.

"EXTRAORDINARY. Exhilarating. Challenging. Three words I offer to Rupert Murdoch to describe his journey over the past year that is about to culminate in the acquisition of the Wall Street Journal.

The paper that sits at the very epicentre of the intersection of journalism and business in America; and so fittingly captures the combination of media and business that Murdoch has built in News Corp.

'He accepts exhilarating. And then over the next 80 minutes or so proceeds to demonstrate a few more. Energy. Ambition. Determination. To keep building. To keep innovating. To find and overcome new challenges".