I'm glad we've finally realized that the biggest problem in DC is too much partisanship and not enough cooperation across party lines. Fortunately, Barack Obama isn't the only one getting into the movement to solve this one.
Trent Lott and John Breaux are opening up their own lobbying practice. This is such a big deal in DC that I got a RollCall alert on the announced partnership. Alerts like this are usually reserved for election victories, retirements, deaths, and major pieces of Congressional news.
Breaux is the former Democratic Senator from Louisiana who spearheaded the repeal of the estate tax and pushed aggressively for Bush's tax cuts in 2001. He is now a lobbyist for Patton Boggs, one of Al Wynn's big financial backers. And Lott needs no introduction, being both greedy and a sincere lamenter that Strom Thurmond never won the Presidency in 1948 on a segregationist ticket.
I can think of at least three ways that, by announcing his retirement now, Trent Lott was able to stick it to Democrats. First, it sidesteps new ethics laws:
A senior Republican source close to Lott said one reason for the decision is the new lobbying restrictions on former lawmakers.
A law kicks in on January 1 that forbids lawmakers from lobbying for two years after leaving office. Those who leave by the end of 2007 are covered by the previous law, which demands a wait of only one year.
Second, it comes about three weeks after the Governor's election in Mississippi, thus preventing making his replacement a campaign issue. Haley Barbour will appoint a Republican.
Third, it means that Lamar Alexander will be the new minority whip. This means that there is basically no chance Alexander will retire now, and that his new, more powerful position will put his seat out of play once and for all. the only poll on the campaign in Tennessee, which I cannot find right now, already showed Alexander ahead 60%-29%.
So, Trent Lott has managed to give Democrats one final fork in the eye as he leaves. At least he will be gone, and his replacement will have to face re-election next year. I don't know if we can make that seat competitive, but I do know that whoever we nominate in Mississippi almost certainly isn't going to be a progressive anyway.
STATE BLOGS
