I'm watching ABC News' coverage here in the newsroom -- calm before the storm here until California's polls close -- and ABC hasn't called Montana for Bush. Montana is a solid Bush state and I understand news executives being cautious, but as soon as the polls closed at 7 p.m. PST, the AP sent out a news alert calling Montana and Utah for Bush.

Of course, with zero precincts reporting, these calls are based only upon exit polling. However, as the timeline for this evening is looked back upon, I wonder if there is more reticence on the part of the major networks to call states for Bush. We should find out at 8 p.m. PST as the polls close along the West Coast. Networks should quickly call California for Kerry, but should hold off on Oregon and possibly Washington if they are being uniform in their treatment.

*UPDATE* ABC has called Montana for Bush.