TWO QUICK SCANDAL FOLLOW-UPS. Regarding Mike's take on Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi, and Bill Jefferson, tensions between Pelosi and the Congressional Black Caucus (including Rangel) have indeed exploded since her move yesterday to have Jefferson step down from his Ways and Means Committee post. As for ABC News's afternoon report about Dennis Hastert being targeted in the federal Abramoff corruption probe, a Justice Department spokesperson released a statement soon after saying "Speaker Hastert is not under investigation" by the department.
--Sam Rosenfeld
