Newt Gingrich

It doesn't get much better on FOX than seeing the rare sight of Alan Colmes emerging from his protective shell and exposing Sean Hannity for the idiotic, hypocritical windbag he is.

Summer fundraisers with high-profile national figures are commonplace, especially for incumbents with a challenger hot on their heels, like U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert with Newt Gingrich on Father's Day this or President Bush last year.

But when Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, comes to town this Thursday to raise money for Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, things will be different.

For starters, Mrs. Obama isn't running for, nor has she ever held any office. But more importantly, this fundraiser has seating for 1600.

Rep. John BoehnerU.S. House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) will be the featured guest at a fundraiser for Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn) later this month. The June 28 event will be the second major Reichert benefit of the month, with former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in town for a Father's Day event this Sunday.

Boehner will appear at a $100 a plate breakfast at the Bellevue Westin, helping Reichert stock up for what looks to be an expensive race in a rematch with Democrat Darcy Burner (D-Carnation). Burner has been outraising Reichert of late, and her campaign continues to use instances like these to tie Reichert to prominent national Republicans, despite his efforts to paint himself as a moderate in the purple-tinged 8th Congressional District.

"First Bush in August last year and the first lady in February. Now Gingrich this Sunday and Boehner on the 28th," Burner spokesman Sandeep Kaushik said of Reichert's past and future fundraising events. "For a guy who is working to position himself publicly as an independent -- notably, his campaign web site seems scrubbed of any easily discernable references to Reichert being a Republican -- he seems to have close ties to Republican leaders in DC."

Darcy BurnerDarcy Burner (D-Carnation) has made a habit of using U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert's big name fundraising events as a rally cry in her bid to unseat Reichert in the 8th District.

Last August, Burner made a youtube video criticizing Reichert's GOP ties and set up an online ActBlue account to call attention to a fundraising visit President Bush made to the 8th District on Reichert's behalf, and then did the same thing this past February when first lady Laura Bush came to town. The Democrat has used these occasions to bring in more than $200,000 to her campaign.

That trend continues today.

The Politico's Crypt blog is reporting that Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Seattle) has been ordered to pay over a million dollars in legal fees, interest and fines as a result of the invasion of privacy lawsuit filed against him by Rep. John Boehner in 1998. The total damages include $1,053,181.40 in attorney's fees and costs for Boehner, some $40,000 in interest, and $60,000 in fines.