PM Note: Obama-Addressed Letter May Have Ricin, James Comey as Democrats' GOP Folk Hero, Spelling Test

[neb- uh-k uhd- nez-er] noun 2.( sometimes lowercase ) a bottle for wine holding 20 quarts (18.9 liters).

(via @williamsjon, @dictionarycom) http://bit.ly/12kBdLy

That's N-E-B-U-C-H-A-D-N-E-Z-Z-A-R. Nebuchadnezzar.

Also - Russell Goldman will be live blogging the National Spelling bee in Washington, D.C., tonight. Unlikely things will turn to Champagne in that contest. But Russell will certainly point it out if they do - http://abcn.ws/Zwmv2n

Obama Addressed Letter, Possibly With Ricin, Intercepted - Get the latest from ABC's Investigative Unit - Katersky, Margolin, Ferran, along with an EXCLUSIVE photo of the a suspicious letter sent to NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg, here - http://abcn.ws/ZhhvMO

James Comey - Democrats' Republican Folk Hero - Abby Phillip explains - James Comey, the man President Obama is likely to nominate as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, may be a Republican, but he's near and dear to the hearts of many liberals in Washington. The former Bush administration official became something of a folk hero for some of the most riveting congressional testimony in history. Comey recounted how he, a deputy attorney general under John Ashcroft, rushed to his boss's hospital bedside to urge him not to sign an authorization for a classified domestic wiretapping program. At the time, Senate Democrats were investigating the Justice Department's activities, including the firing of Justice Department attorneys, and in the process of that investigation this now historic incident from 2004 was unearthed in cinematic detail. Here's how it happened: http://abcn.ws/10D6Q00

(The ACLU is not so happy. But they're more Civil Libertarian than Liberal).

ACLU Exec. Dir. Anthony Romero: "While the ACLU does not take official positions on nominations to appointed office, there are many questions regarding Comey's record that deserve careful scrutiny from the Senate Judiciary Committee. As the second-highest ranked Justice Department official under John Ashcroft, Comey approved some of the worst abuses committed by the Bush administration. Specifically, the publicly available evidence indicates Comey signed off on enhanced interrogation techniques that constitute torture, including waterboarding. He also oversaw the indefinite detention without charge or trial of an American citizen picked up in the United States and then held for years in a military brig."

Tea Party 2010 - Where Are They Now? - News that Michele Bachmann wouldn't be running for reelection and that Joe Miller would take another stab at running for Senate in Alaska got us thinking about the Tea Party. The movement altered the political conversation, but in recent years it feels more diffuse. Bachmann never suffered a defeat despite a huge political target on her back. Miller lost to a write-in candidate. Here's our full list of winners and losers of the 2010 Tea Party and where they're at now - http://abcn.ws/18yJay1 (Chris Good)

Ann Romney - 'Very Very Partial to Paul Ryan' re: 2016 - http://abcn.ws/15evlkn (Shush Walshe)

Bottom Line - Wither Bachmann? - A surprise announcement this week in Washington as Minnesota congresswoman and one time GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann announced she will not be seeking re-election after her current congressional term runs out in 2014. Lots of you had questions about the announcement and what Bachmann's departure from Congress means for her, and for the future of the Tea Party movement.

George's Bottom Line - George Answers - Ernesta Taylor tweeted: What is the real reason for Bachmann's announcement? Kimberly Robinson wrote in on Facebook: Is she quitting to prepare for the next presidential election?

George: "… Bachmann had done pretty much about what she could do in the House, was never really much of a legislator, much more of a provocateur and spokesman for the Tea Party movement and I get the sense that she's getting the sense she can do a lot more for that cause from outside the House."

George contrasted the Bachmann approach with that of people like Raul Labrador and Tom Cotton in the House and Mike Lee and Rand Paul in the Senate, who he said are trying to influence policy from within. Watch it here - http://yhoo.it/18BFcSK

Why is this note so short? Lawmakers are out of town, that's why. Here's what Twitter suggests they're up to - http://abcn.ws/13m5ipC