Hey Susan, Why Not the Mystics? The Washington Post reports this morning that Susan Ralston, a "top aide to presidential advisor Karl Rove, passed along inside White House information to superlobbyist Jack Abramoff at a time when she was also accepting his tickets to nine sports and entertainment events."

According to the Post, Ralston received free tickets from Abramoff to the Wizards, the Caps and the Orioles, as well as to Bruce Springsteen and Andrea Bocelli concerts. No mention of any Mystics tix! Perhaps we'll know that the WNBA has really "arrived" as a league when tickets to the games become part of the currency of K-Street lobbyists, and are sought after by those in power or with access to it.

The Post also reports that "Ralston also helped Rove get tickets from Abramoff for a game in the NCAA (men's) basketball tournament," but the White House confirmed that Rove "paid for the tickets." [Memo to the Washington Post: In the opinion of the BasketCases (who are internationally famous --- especially in Latvia --- sports bloggers) it's not whether you pay for NCAA tickets that determines whether there's a political favor . . . it's getting access to "buy" them in the first place.]