Obama: No vetting the vetters  —  At a press conference in St. Louis, Obama defends his choice of Jim Johnson to lead his vetting team, calling reports into Johnson's ties to the mortgage company Countrywide “a game.”  —  “Johnson has a very discrete task,” he said, dismissing the notion that he'd “hire vetters to vet the vetters.”

Obama could raise $100 million in June, fundraisers say  —  Leading Democratic fundraisers predict that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will raise hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few months if he opts out of public financing and begins raising money for the general election.

U.S. seeking 58 bases in Iraq, Shiite lawmakers say  —  BAGHDAD -Iraqi lawmakers say the United States is demanding 58 bases as part of a proposed “status of forces” agreement that will allow U.S. troops to remain in the country indefinitely.  —  Leading members of the two ruling Shiite parties …

McCain: ‘I will veto every single beer’  —  (CNN) - John McCain issued a promise Tuesday that may cause a bit of unrest with a broad swath of voters:  —  He'll veto every single beer?  —  In a slip of the tongue while railing against excessive earmarks at the National Small Business Summit in Washington …

Jewish Whispering Campaign  —  Newsweek has a piece this week on Barack Obama — titled “His Jewish Problem: A Myth?”  — that is an absolutely Herculean feat of water-carrying for the Illinois senator.  But before tackling the factual problems, the article's biggest problem needs to be addressed …

Why Is Bush Helping Saudi Arabia Build Nukes?  —  Here's a quick geopolitical quiz: What country is three times the size of Texas and has more than 300 days of blazing sun a year?  What country has the world's largest oil reserves resting below miles upon miles of sand?

KUCINICH CALLS TO IMPEACH BUSH  —  An Ohio Democratic lawmaker and former presidential candidate has presented articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush to Congress.  —  Thirty-five articles were presented by Rep. Dennis Kucinich to the House of Representatives late Monday evening, airing live on C-SPAN.

Justice Department Official Awards $500,000 Grant to Golf Group  —  Former Staffer Tells ABC News Anti-Crime Funds Given to Programs With The “Right” Connections.  —  A senior Justice Department official says a $500,000 federal grant to the World Golf Foundation is an appropriate use …

He's History's Greatest Monster!  —  Last week John McCain compared Barack Obama to William Jennings Bryan.  This week: … If we assume that McCain is being clever, it's a nice stilleto stab at Obama's relative weakness with Jewish voters.  Jimmy Carter's been working these last 4 years …

Obama backs oil profits tax, attacks McCain  —  RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama sought to tap into Americans' anxiety over high gasoline prices on Monday by pledging to seek a windfall profits tax on U.S. oil companies if elected.

Kathleen Sebelius, Completing The Obama Puzzle  —  When weighing Kathleen Sebelius' potential as a possible vice presidential pick for Barack Obama, it's useful to consider two separate instances when the Kansas Governor confronted President George W. Bush.  —  In May 2007, after a devastating tornado …

CNN works to keep its political winning streak going  —  The presidential primary race has pushed the news network's audience numbers up.  Now it wants to keep the momentum going.  —  NEW YORK — Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama aren't the only ones courting swing voters as the 2008 campaign shifts into its next phase.

Something Just Clicked  —  An Obama Delegate's Road to Politics Began With an Online Donation  —  SACRAMENTO It all started last summer with a $10 online donation — her very first political contribution.  —  With another click of the mouse, 52-year-old Linnie Frank Bailey, a political neophyte, morphed into a campaign volunteer.

BARACK'S BITE  —  WE'RE in for taxing times if Barack Obama wins the White House, says CNBC's Maria Bartiromo.  “He's going to take the capital gains tax at 15 percent right now all the way up to 25 to 28 percent,” the “Money Honey” tells Avenue.  “Sell anything, like a home or stocks, and make a profit . . .

McCain makes fun of lobbyist paranoia  —  Another note from McCain's fundraisers last night that I had to include.  At his lobbyist-heavy soiree at 101 Constitution — home to both Politico's Hill bureau and a few lobby shops — McCain poked fun at the Scarlet L's being affixed around town these days.