Murdoch to Microsoft: U Can Has Yahoo

Asked during a February earnings call whether News Corp. might entertain the idea of a MySpace-Yahoo alliance, company Chairman Rupert Murdoch replied: “I think that day has passed, but you never know.”

Well, now that he’s had about a month to think about it, Murdoch seems more certain that day has passed. In remarks at the annual Bear Stearns media conference today, Murdoch said News Corp. has no plans to battle Microsoft (MSFT) for Yahoo (YHOO). “We’re not going to get into a fight with Microsoft, which has a lot more money than us,” Murdoch said.

Assuming Murdoch’s on the level, this is lousy news for Yahoo, which had been discussing a partnership with the media company in the hopes that it might thwart Microsoft’s unsolicited takeover bid. With News Corp. bowing out of discussions, Yahoo’s already limited options for avoiding a Microsoft takeover have dwindled to two: cut a deal with AOL or go to the mat with Microsoft in a proxy battle.

Cue the Jerry Yang sad trombone effect …