Pictures from Taste of the South coming soon…. In the meantime, if you have any, send them to [email protected]  – we promise we won’t tell your friends.

Taking one for the team never paid so well. While being a member of Congress might do wonders to your ego, it doesn’t necessarily benefit your wallet – at least compared to the salaries some of your staffers might be making. [Ethical cleansing, $ubcription] Today’s Roll Call reports that while …

Chris Cillizza and Matthew Mosk Rival Camps Plan Inevitable Merger: Top fundraisers for Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have begun private talks aimed at merging the two candidates’ teams, not waiting for the Democratic nominating process to end before they start preparations for a hard-fought fall campaign. … …

Your Carry On Bag is Too Large [oddly enough] Bush Policies Strengthen Hamas [Obama] Obama Back to Iowa [Ben Smith] Put a Cork in Him [Mondavi] I’ll do it live! [remix]

From Mike Allen’s Playbook: BREAKING NEWS 1: “BAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi government official says U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has arrived in Baghdad for a surprise visit. The official says the California Democrat is meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. … Pelosi’s visit to Baghdad on Saturday comes …

It’s a time-honored tradition that started at the Tune Inn twenty five years ago – now it hosts over 2000 drunk transplanted- Southerners looking for a good time. Back in 1983, well before Vineyard Vines, tickets to TOTS were $15. These days, in order to get a ticket, you’ve got …

Below is a list of five DC blogs you should check out, if you haven’t already. DCist Think Washington is boring? Well, don’t tell that to Somer Mathis of DCist- one of the area’s favorite blogs. DCist keeps your cultural appetite whetted with the local art and music scene, all …

Things Younger Than McCain [Shopping Cart] Enjoy the Weekend [bad decisions] Musicovery.com [life-changing] Nats Roundup [DCist]

This father might be enjoying his next game from jail. [h/t FishbowlDC]

Bet on black? [NYTimes] The sharp surge in black turnout that Senator Barack Obama has helped to generate in recent primaries and Congressional races could signal a threat this fall to the longtime Republican dominance of the South, according to politicians and voting experts. Some analysts suggest that North Carolina …

If Republicans think Obama isn’t good for the economy, that might change after they read this post. Abercrombie Posts Slight Rise in Net “Despite a tough selling environment, we produced bottom-line growth while still remaining true to the aspirational positioning of our brands,” Chief Executive Mike Jeffries said. “We continue …

Is that Rep. Loretta Sanchez drinking poo water? At least the photo below isn’t as bad as this sucker. Sewer to Spigot: Recycled Water [WSJ]

Gamblers lost $34 BILLION at U.S. Casinos in ’07 [double down] 17,328 Boxes of Girl Scout Cookies [BROWNIE PATCH] New Flight of the Conchords [Ladies of the World] DCist to the DNC Convention [congrats] Carbon, Tax, and Spend [junk math] Glover Park vs. Ethanol [obliterate] What Privacy Laws? [Zaba Search]

Rep. Tom Davis recently released a memo, [littered with problems] and probably wishes he could have take backs. Calls for concern in his memo: 1. He misspells Barack Obama’s name throughout the entire memo. [Hire a copy editor] 2. For some reason he uses the term “tar baby” while trying …

In a move that’s being labeled as unprecedented, the Politico newspaper, run by Jim VandeHei, has handed over total control of their newspaper to the Democratic Party for an indefinite amount of time. Coverage on today’s front page: The GOP CRASH GOP Diagnosis: Dire Some say 70-vote deficit come November …