We're shocked. And delighted. We just got back from a great dinner with a friend of 30 years that we hadn't seen in the last six months. What a great suprise to learn via Atrios that the 2003 lefty blog winners, courtesy of Wampum Blog, have been announced.

For the second year in a row, TalkLeft has won the best single issues blog!

Thanks to all of you who voted for us. We were sure we had no chance given the excellence of the other blogs nominated in the category, and we are thrilled. This is the way to cap off a great night. Our congrats to all the 2003 Koufax Award winners and nominees.

Best Single Issue Blog

The voting for Best Single Issue Blog was the closest of any category. This was the Florida of the Koufax Awards. Our first count resulted a an absolute dead heat between Bob Somerby’s incomparable Daily Howler for coverage of the media and Jeralyn Merritt’s Talk Left for coverage of Criminal Law Issues. Those two blogs could not be any more different but they are both excellent.

After scouring the three different email accounts where votes were sent, the tie was broken and a winner decided by almost the smallest of margins.

For the second year in a row, the Koufax Award for Best Single Issue Blog goes to Talk Left by Jeralyn Merritt. Congratulations, Jeralyn, and thanks for all your great work. Nobody does it better.

Here's a list of all the winners (via Hamster):