8 p.m. ET all around the dial. To put you in the mood for this one, let me quote Tapper:

Initially, you may recall, the US Coast Guard and BP told the public that they weren’t certain any oil was flowing from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Then it was updated to an estimated 1,000 barrels a day.

Then 5,000 barrels a day – which is when everyone sat up and started paying attention.

Last week federal scientists updated the estimated flow rate to anywhere from 25,000 to 40,000 barrels a day.

Today, based on updated information and scientific assessments, the new rate is estimated is between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels per day.

60,000 barrels means roughly 2.6 million gallons per day, almost one-quarter of the total amount spilled by the Exxon Valdez.

On the agenda for tonight: Ripping on BP, which they richly deserve for their catastrophic negligence, and of course seizing the crisis as an opportunity to push a new global-warming bill in Congress. Apparently the words “cap and trade” won’t be mentioned but there’ll be plenty of rhetoric about clean energy, “ending our addiction to oil,” etc. Byron Dorgan says the votes aren’t there right now, but who knows whether tonight’s plea will stir Lindsey Graham’s heart?

While we wait, via the ‘Busters, Ed Schultz indulges in some fantasy.