Out goes Tucker Carlson, in comes NBC News veteran David Gregory. From Washington, the White House correspondent will begin filling the 6pm slot while continuing to carry on his regular duties, which includes playing fill-in for Matt Lauer on Today. Gregory's show will be called Race for the White House, which, by definition, has a sell-by date of November. Meanwhile, the adept Andrea Mitchell will begin anchoring the 1pm dayside news broadcast, a similar role she had leading up to the 2000 election. [TVN, AP]

Former reporter and sometime male escort Jeff Gannon is back. He has a new self-published book, The Great Media War: A Battlefield Report.

One reason Gannon had the opportunity to "maintain control over the product" is that the book doesn't dish much dirt on his escorting days or his relationship with the Bush White House. Mostly, he talks a lot of smack:

• On Helen Thomas: “She’s little more than a heckler.”
• On David Gregory: “He’s a show-boater.”
• On Dana Milbank: “Why does anyone take him seriously?"

Apparently Gannon began working on the book five years ago, demonstrating an incredible foresight that two years after naked pictures were found of him online, he would be irrelevant.

Okay, before I get to that, I want to address something else, because you and I had a conversation last week that got a whole lot of play in a lot of places where I used the term "partisan" in describing one of your questions. And I've thought a lot about that, and I was wrong. So I want to apologize and tell you I'm sorry for it. And the reason I do that is not only because it's the right thing to do, because I want people in this room and also people who watch these to understand that the relations in this room are professional and collegial. And if I expect you to do right by us, you have every right to expect that I'll do right by you.

So, in any event, I just want to say I'm sorry for that.

That's White House press secretary Tony Snow apologizing to NBC's David Gregory upon realizing that, ya know, a lot of Americans watch NBC's news broadcasts. More than any other network, in fact.

• Legendary reporter Gay Talese has a surefire combination for success: never make deadlines, say "fuck you" to your editors, and publish a book containing your canned stories. [NYO]

• Former Marie Claire editor-in-chief Lesley Jane Seymour gets compared to Moses. We immediately think "Paltrow-Martin" not "Promised Land." [WWD]

• Drunk dialing is for David Gregory and Jessica Simpson. But the real cool kids with numbers in their names always opt to drunk-berry. [Media Mob]

• The Denver Post is now joining the long list of papers beginning to lay off their employees. But hey, if their employees leave voluntarily, they get a fun cash prize for it. [Denver Post]

• And this practically begs the question, "can journalists make money?" [WaPo]

• Nothing says "crack baby" like a Whitney Houston pregnancy rumor. [Scoop]

• Graydon Carter might put Paris Hilton the cover of Vanity Fair, but that doesn't mean her parents are welcome at his Oscar party. [Page Six]

• When Lindsay Lohan, the Olsens, and Paris Hilton get together for Amy Sacco, you'd expect such tension to be accompanied by a Nicole Richie arrival. [R&M]

• Rapper Shyne is changing his name to something Jewish and will take out a New York Post ad to announce it. Page Six, naturally, must cover it. [Page Six]

• Kid Rock blames Scott Stapp for losing their sex tape. And then thanks him for the PR, given his upcoming album. [AP]

• Dennis Rodman parties with the gays at Splash. Gays, everywhere, yawn. [Page Six]

• NBC White House correspondente David Gregory wasn't drunk yesterday when he phoned in to Don Imus' show. He had the giggles. [R&M]

• What's a Spin magazine celebration if there isn't a simultaneous Spin snub? [Page Six]

It's 6 am EST. Do you know where your White House correspondent is? Just getting home from happy hour in India, and calling Don Imus? You betcha'. Today on "Imus in the Morning," White House correspondent David Gregory, called to talk to Don. And, he was just a little wasted.

Usually we make fun of Matt Drudge and his fear of bird flu, secret cowboy love for Dick Cheney, and eye for Japanese fashion trends. But, today, he surprised us by snagging the audio of drunk-ass Gregory calling into to Imus's show.

No clue as to why this didn't make it onto MSNBC's website, but we've reprinted a portion of the transcript here. And that Drudgie, he's a smart one — you'll have to check out his site for the audio. (It's definitely worth it.)

IMUS: Let's go to the White House correspondent David Gregory.

DAVID GREGORY: I'm OK.

IMUS: You can calls us later if you want.

GREGORY: [Laughter] [Laughter] [Laughter] [Laughter]

IMUS: Are you drunk?

GREGORY: [Laughter] [Laughter]

IMUS: Are you all right David?

GREGORY: India is a wonderful language and i've been learning, where's my little sheet here. I've been learning some new phrases to come home. But any way, that being one of them and i just think it's nice.

IMUS: It is.

GREGORY: Thank you.

IMUS: Having a lot of fun there. What's wrong with you?

GREGORY: I just think it's funny. [Laughter] [Laughter] [Laughter]

CHARLES: He's drunk.

IMUS: He is drunk!

This makes us laugh … but also adds to the confusion as to why every time we call Larry King drunk, we never end up on the air. Who knows, though? Today David Gregory on Imus, tomorrow, it could just Jessica Simpson calling Jerry Springer to look for Nick Lachey.

GREGORY'S GIGGLES: NBCNEWS WHITE HOUSE REPORTER CALLS SHOW WHILE 'DRUNK' [Drudge Report]
The Daily Imus [Imus in the Morning]