Political bits - In no particular order

(AP) "House Democrats are expanding their investigation into ties between jailed GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the White House and have contacted several Abramoff associates recently about testifying to Congress."

(NYTimes) At the UN, everyone's complimenting new US Ambassador Khalilzad for not being John Bolton.

(AFP) Giuliani and McCain to skip Ames straw poll in Iowa. (So, Giuliani is skipping so he doesn't lose, and McCain is skipping to save money?)

(RockyMountainNews) Tom Tancredo gives up on winning the presidency, but will keep his presidential campaign going to "pressure GOP incumbents in their own back yards, threatening to work for their defeat unless they help block the immigration reform bill now pending in the U.S. Senate." (That should be popular.)

(NYTimes) Alaskan Republican Rep. Don Young is patently dirty, taking fundraisers for road funding in Fort Myers, Fla.

(HuffPo) Obama to beat Clinton in second quarter fundraising. (The NYTimes also has details of the Clinton's fundraising. I'd be curious who is pushing this around.)

(WaPo) "Comey said that Cheney's office later blocked the promotion of a senior Justice Department lawyer, Patrick Philbin, because of his role in raising concerns about the surveillance." (Warrantless wiretapping.)

And, don't miss this from Monica Goodling. In an email exchange regarding essential DoJ business, Goodling writes, "Send Directly Up To Me, Outside The System."

(But I though the use of the political emails was accidental.)