Is Jack Abramoff going to get sprung from the pokey a little earlier than anticipated? Apparently folks at the Justice Department are seeking to have his sentence reduced in return for Abramoff's cooperation in their ongoing public corruption inquiry which has already ended the political careers of a handful of legislators.  He's currently serving a sentence in connection with another fraud charge, he's yet to be sentenced on the congressional stuff.

Who knows, maybe the curbs on ostentatious currying of favor with lawmakers inside the Beltway (no golf games funded by Exxon! No sandwiches!) have sent corporations and their lobbyists into overdrive because they're packing in enough partying (read: writing checks to candidates) during the conventions in Denver and the Twin Cities to stay hungover well into October.

I'm sorry to report that Alaska's Clean Elections ballot initiative did not pass yesterday -- in fact, on the primary ballot where both Sen. Ted Stevens (R) and Rep. Don Young (R) faced primary challenges none of the ballot initiatives got much love. But as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day. This is only the beginning of Alaska's fight for Clean Elections.

Just how well are those new ethics laws working out when it comes to corporations and their lobbyists throwing big parties for lawmakers attending the party conventions this week and next? The watchdogs of Washington, DC are looking to find out and now they're in Denver paying visits -- or at least trying to -- to the many events being put on by companies with a very real interest in getting legislators on their side.

All this week the media's critical eye will be trained on the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Barack Obama and his newly minted running mate Sen. Joe Biden as they make their case for the White House. Today that means a raft of stories dissecting the role that corporate money and the ever-present big donors play in this multi-day spectacle.

As Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) trial date approaches the details of the case against him are slowly coming to light. He is alleged to have accepted gifts and services from VECO Corp. (like the expensive remodel of his home) in exchange for doing official favors for the company, then concealed the extent of those gifts. Stevens is set to stand trial in late September.