WSJ: "After more than a decade of Republican rule in Washington, Democratic lobbyists have a lot to celebrate. Just a week after Election Day, they are getting promotions and signing up new clients."

NYT: "Democratic lobbyists are fielding calls from pharmaceutical companies, the oil and gas industry and military companies, all of which had grown accustomed to patronizing Republicans, as the environment in Washington abruptly shifts."

More WSJ: "When Republicans took over Congress in 1994, most lobbyists were Democrats. Although the power shift would ultimately have resulted in increased numbers of Republican lobbyists, the party leadership set out to accelerate the process. Republicans pressured corporations and lobbying firms to hire Republicans, and Republican lawmakers, such as former Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, told businesses that he would speak only with Republican lobbyists. Mr. DeLay was instrumental in a strategy called the K Street Project, which pressured corporations to hire hundreds of Republican lobbyists."

AP: "Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff reports to prison."

VAPilot: "The decision to back Murtha and Hastings for leadership positions reflects exactly the kind of casual disregard for ethics that led voters to boot Republicans from office just eight days ago."

Pete Townshend:  "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

Comments

[Trey]

We won't get fooled again?

[M. Simon]

We just got fooled again.

[Oldcrow]

Third party anyone? Go Libertarians!!

[Hoodude]

WTF are you ?

[Bubba]

Actually, the appropriate lyric would be "Meeet the new boss....worse than the old boss."

[Bubba]

"Nancy's got a squeeze play, Steny never sleeps at night."

[The CA]

And then there is this from USA TODAY:

"Virtually the entire earmark explosion occurred while Republicans controlled Congress, and that wretched excess helped doom the GOP majority. Now come the Democrats, promising to clean things up. There's reason to be wary:

* Many Democrats love earmarks as much as their GOP colleagues. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, who's in charge of setting the moral tone for the new House majority, told reporters in March: "There are many earmarks that are very worthy — all of mine, as a matter of fact."

* The man Pelosi has endorsed to be the No. 2 House Democratic leader, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., got at least $79 million worth of earmarks in the 2006 defense appropriations bill alone, according to a count by Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Pelosi told USA TODAY last week she's determined to drag the process into the daylight, a welcome if partial step. In January, she plans to ask Democrats to approve new rules that would require every earmark to have a publicly named sponsor, require sponsors to disclose any financial interest in the earmark, and bar using earmarks to influence votes. An ethics bill she has backed would require a delay before votes on spending bills to allow time to scrutinize earmarks.

But what about completely reversing that rabid, Republican-led earmark explosion? Well, that's not part of Pelosi's playbook."

Remember all the posts here by those convinced that the Democrats were elected to clean up "Republican corruption"? Not so fast... Funny how those issues fall by the wayside once power is gained. I fully expect a litany of poor excuses and hypocritical justifications to follow "OUR earmarks ARE justified..etc".

[Ed Cone]

Actually, I don't remember any posts by anyone convinced that Dems were going to clean up GOP corruption.

There was clear evidence that voters were disgusted by GOP corruption, and certainly hope that things will change.

As for the excuses etc., this blog and others far more influential than it (e.g. TPM) have come out firing on the Dems on this issue.