By balk, 11:00 AM on Mon Jul 9 2007, 460 views (Edit, to draft, Top, Slurp)

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There's an orgy of Murdochracy in today's Times. Richard Pérez-Peña and Louise Story report that, should Rupert Murdoch's bid for Dow Jones fail, layoffs at the Wall Street Journal are a near certainty. (Guess what? Same deal if he succeeds.) Perhaps aware of the impending cuts, editor Ellen Pollock has jumped to BusinessWeek, where she will become the Executive Editor and presumably keep an eye out for other talent ready to desert the rapidly sinking WSJ ship. Seeking to avoid Murdoch ownership, certain Dow Jones board members (including the Bancroft clan's Leslie Hill) are meeting with Ron Burkle to see if the grocery magnate can put together a rival bid. ("It is unclear what kind of offer, if any, Mr. Burkle would propose," reports the Journal, "but he has been exploring a structure for Dow Jones that would incorporate an employee stock-ownership plan, according to people close to him.") Finally, the Times talks to Andrew Neil, who swore up and down on Friday that the deal was done, and continues to swear up and down despite denials from both parties.