Is Rupert Murdoch Making a Move on NY Times?

He had a down year overall but Rupert Murdoch is flush with money from other sources and may be ogling the NY Times again:

NEW YORK -- Rupert Murdoch's counterintuitive quest to invest in print media helped drive away longtime lieutenant Peter Chernin.

And now that Chernin can't intercede, does Murdoch want to follow News Corp.'s $5 billion buyout of Dow Jones by gobbling up the struggling New York Times Co.?

The answer appears to be yes, as impossible as present economic conditions make it for most deals of any kind to get done.

What's more, incredulous News Corp. insiders say Murdoch's love of print media is so fervent that he's also been talking about a play for the Los Angeles Times, which could make easier prey for several reasons.

The NY Times and LA Times? Sweet. Perhaps each of them will once again be the papers they were--excellent examples of what a daily can be.

Chances are slim as outlined in the story as the Sulzberger's have ultimate control but the times has been bleeding money over the last several years and it doesn't appear as though they can stop it save applying a tourniquet and allowing other portions of the corporation to develop gangrene and die.

Murdoch's acquisition of the Wall Street Journal has made that paper better and he could do wonders with the Times resources. He could assign an editor who would bring some balance to the opinion pages and remake the International Herald Tribune into the leading paper of the world.

It may be a dream but it sure would be nice to see Murdoch make a move after sorting through the legal hurdles--hurdles that will be utilized by Democrats at every turn.