Index: wp-admin/css/colors-classic.dev.css
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/css/colors-classic.dev.css	(revision 19335)
+++ wp-admin/css/colors-classic.dev.css	(working copy)
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@
 	color: #fff;
 }
 
-.post-com-count:hover span {
+a.post-com-count:hover span {
 	background-color: #d54e21;
 }
 
Index: wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.dev.css
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.dev.css	(revision 19335)
+++ wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.dev.css	(working copy)
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@
 	color: #fff;
 }
 
-.post-com-count:hover span {
+a.post-com-count:hover span {
 	background-color: #d54e21;
 }
 
Index: wp-admin/css/wp-admin.dev.css
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/css/wp-admin.dev.css	(revision 19335)
+++ wp-admin/css/wp-admin.dev.css	(working copy)
@@ -1925,11 +1925,15 @@
 	display: block;
 	text-decoration: none;
 	padding: 0 0 6px;
-	cursor: pointer;
 	background-position: center -80px;
 	background-repeat: no-repeat;
+	float: left;
 }
 
+a.post-com-count {
+	cursor: pointer;
+}
+
 .post-com-count span {
 	font-size: 11px;
 	font-weight: bold;
@@ -1946,7 +1950,7 @@
 	background-position: center -55px;
 }
 
-.post-com-count:hover {
+a.post-com-count:hover {
 	background-position: center -3px;
 }
 
@@ -2277,10 +2281,6 @@
 	padding-left: 3px;
 }
 
-.fixed .column-comments a {
-	float: left;
-}
-
 .fixed .column-slug {
 	width: 25%;
 }
Index: wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php	(revision 19335)
+++ wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php	(working copy)
@@ -431,13 +431,18 @@
 	function comments_bubble( $post_id, $pending_comments ) {
 		$pending_phrase = sprintf( __( '%s pending' ), number_format( $pending_comments ) );
 
-		if ( $pending_comments )
-			echo '<strong>';
+		if ( current_user_can( 'edit_posts' ) ) {
+			if ( $pending_comments )
+				echo '<strong>';
 
-		echo "<a href='" . esc_url( add_query_arg( 'p', $post_id, admin_url( 'edit-comments.php' ) ) ) . "' title='" . esc_attr( $pending_phrase ) . "' class='post-com-count'><span class='comment-count'>" . number_format_i18n( get_comments_number() ) . "</span></a>";
+			echo "<a href='" . esc_url( add_query_arg( 'p', $post_id, admin_url( 'edit-comments.php' ) ) ) . "' title='" . esc_attr( $pending_phrase ) . "' class='post-com-count'><span class='comment-count'>" . number_format_i18n( get_comments_number() ) . "</span></a>";
 
-		if ( $pending_comments )
-			echo '</strong>';
+			if ( $pending_comments )
+				echo '</strong>';
+		} else {
+			echo "<span class='post-com-count'><span class='comment-count'>" . number_format_i18n( get_comments_number() ) . "</span></span>";
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	/**