Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has a party fundraising event coming up in August that is scheduled to feature a very special guest: Conservative media activist Andrew Breitbart, according to a copy of the invitation exclusively obtained by TPM.

How did American Crossroads, Karl Rove's "grassroots" fundraising operation, suddenly leap from $200 in monthly donations to a total of $4.7 million? Apparently 97% comes from four billionaires. A Republican Congress better reward them with some top-notch ponies! [Image: AP]

The annual Netroots Nation conference for liberal bloggers starts today, in Las Vegas. (Prostitutes, man your call centers!) And to fête the arrivals, the Democratic Governors Association has produced this Arcade Fire-backed motivational movie montage. Get. Pumped. Bloggers. [via]

The 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign will never retire its debt. Now, with several hundred thousand dollars remaining, donor prizes like "Win Dinner with Bill Clinton" have been downgraded to "Hey, wanna buy a Hillary DVD for $35?"

Now this is a weird story: apparently the congressional ethics office is investigating some congressmen for fundraising from industries that are subject to pending legislation. Suddenly Washington's absolute favorite activity, overt bribery, is worthy of selective investigation?

Capitol Hill summer interns think they're so savvy, so vital. One for Sen. Michael Bennet has been fired for telling a person "that she could secure a one-on-one meeting for a $2,400 donation." Never over email, intern!

If you're a Republican fundraiser, sure, you're happy that Wall Street is donating more to Republicans than Democrats, who stabbed Wall Street in the back by writing an inevitable, watered-down reform bill. Still, you shouldn't brag about it on Twitter!

Joe Scarborough really hates House minority leader John Boehner. At least that's what came across on today's edition of Morning Joe, when he relentlessly pushed a Politico reporter into confirming his suspicion that Boehner is Washington's laziest barfly.

Now that Barack Obama is the Worst President of All Time, which Republican do you most want to vote for in 2012? How about "corpulent" Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, eh? He's "discreetly building a complex political operation," right now!

$19-billion-in-debt California is considered putting ads on license plates: "The electric plates would look normal while the car is in motion, but would flash advertisements any time the car is stopped." Wasn't this in Wall-E? [Time, image via]

Former Bush advisers Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie pledged to raise $52 million for Republican candidates when they started their new fundraising group, American Crossroads, a few months ago. Big shots! Big money. But yeah... they raised $200 last month.

Massachusetts tween sex god Sen. Scott Brown has started an essay contest about Independence Day! Brown will pick up the winner in his truck, head to a baseball game, and then, well... use your imagination, eh? Also: Brown wants $50.

Michael Steele is just wasting RNC money on limos and private planes and, yes, private bondage-themed nightclubs with topless ladies. Update: A Republican consultant charged the trip to the RNC, and the party says Chairman Mike was not actually there.

First, Desiree Rogers refused to acquiesce to Sally Quinn's demand that she be an old person from Georgetown. Then she let some losers into a party. Now we learn that she forgot to send Christmas cards to rich people!

It is the worst year for Congressional Democrats since 1994. Right now we are all just wondering if they'll be able to retain a majority in either house. You know who isn't worried? Nancy Pelosi. She has all the money.

Joe Wilson's no doubt shaking in his boots. His opponent raised oodles of cash after Wilson's "You Lie" outburst. So, how's Wilson retaliating? By making a desperate, deflated and entirely flat plea for cash to fight "liberal attacks," of course.

Rob Miller, who's running against Obama-heckler Rep. Joe Wilson, raised $137,379 since last night.

Remember the last month of the campaign, when Barack Obama and David Plouffe would not stop emailing you begging for money? Oh, we need all the money in the world to beat these evil Republicans, they whined. It's all up to you! Send us a dollar or you won't get to abort your baby who'll be drafted to fight in Iraq for 100 years! Well it turns out they were running against an erratic old nut and his slow friend from church, and so even after they wasted a zillion extra dollars in the last three days of campaigning, the Obama campaign still ended up with $30 million left in the bank. $30 million!

So the New York Times has a great story on Barack Obama's shady illegal fundraising. Because the system is utterly broken and Obama is taking advantage of that fact to win this election. His unprecedented fundraising is democracy at its worst! Of course millions in donations from thousands of random people is not so bad, and McCain's taking advantage of the GOP bundling system that Bush developed which is really just a laundering service. Still, hey, lots of people are donating way more than is legal to Obama's campaign and that campaign is maybe not being as vigilant about checking up on this as they should be. Though honestly this story is primarily an excuse to print the funny fake names and occupations of these mysterious illegal donors:

"It's a great day," newly-minted CEO Sam Zell says in an email to his "fellow investor" on his first day heading up Tribune Company. Mixing his metaphors and going for grandiose, Zell anounces an era in which the Tribune saves not just your soul but our nation's as well. "We will take intelligent risks and reward innovation," he says. "We will tear down bureaucracy and reward entrepreneurial spirit. We will compete fiercely but with integrity." We will use anaphora! We will! We will! We will! Email after the jump.