Lott and Breaux Open Bipartisan Lobbying Firm

Washington Post ^ | Jan. 05, 2008 | By Paul Kane

[jdm]

Former senators John Breaux (D-La.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.) are opening a new, all-in-the-family lobbying firm, saying the capital and its corporate suitors are "yearning" for bipartisan solutions to gridlock.

Revealing what had been one of the worst-kept secrets in town, the senators said in an interview that they would officially launch the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group next week, with both their sons and Lott's former top aide joining them.

Breaux and Lott, who together have more than 70 years of experience in the House and Senate, first talked about such a partnership decades ago when they lived across the street from one another in Annandale. The families remain very close, with Chet Lott and John Breaux Jr. serving as groomsmen in each other's weddings.

The professional marriage had been assumed a foregone conclusion among K Street insiders since Lott announced Nov. 26 that he was retiring from the Senate less than a year after starting a six-year term. Days later, Breaux announced he was leaving the large lobbying firm Patton Boggs to form his own small shop.

Lott, by Senate rules, was not allowed to officially negotiate his contract until after he retired on Dec. 18. The Hill newspaper recently reported that in mid-October, Chet Lott bought the Web site domain name "breauxlott.com," but the former senators said they were not involved in serious talks until after Lott retired.

Leaving before the end of the year allowed Lott to escape a new, more restrictive revolving-door statute that prohibits former senators and their top aides from lobbying the Senate for two years. That law took effect Dec. 31. Lott and his former chief of staff, Bret K. Boyles, will instead be able to directly lobby the Senate after a one-year cooling-off period.

[mewzilla]

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.

Mark Twain

[Pining_4_TX]

Amen to that!

99% of politicians have no principles whatsoever. It’s all about the power, the goodies, and especially the money. I wonder why we believe them every time, even though they all make the same promises and never deliver?

[TornadoAlley3]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010403519.html

Richard Baker (R)

[chasio649]

Truth bump

[Tarpon]

Me before thee. Who knew Lott was that way all along.

[jalisco555]

Is there a worse Republican than Trent Lott?

[chasio649]

hmmm...give me a few days to think about that.

[WKB]

Mississippi ping

[Walkingfeather]

We don’t know, guess we’ll have to wait till they stop tapping their feet and follow Lott out of the stalls.

[Hawthorn]

> Is there a worse Republican than Trent Lott? <

Larry Craig? Duke Cunningham? Mark Foley?

[Dick Bachert]

Once up there, these clowns NEVER leave Washington. Probably the Willie Sutton Syndrome. "Because that's where the money is."

Yeah -- OUR money!!

[restornu]

NOW Lotts admits he is by partisan many of us did suspect he was and along with a few others elected officals!

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Cashing in, big time!

[K-oneTexas]

"Former senators John Breaux (D-La.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.) are opening a new, all-in-the-family lobbying firm... "Bipartisan Lobbying Firm"

Translation: " Hi ya'll. Our doors are open and we take any ones money. Then push our agenda to Congress. Thank you!"

[sono]

My tagline says it all.

[cmet]

meanwhilst, Lott has left Mississippi in a legal augument as to when the replacement election must be held. Had he waited till after the first of the year, Gov Haley Barbour’s appointment would have been in office till the Nov election. Now there is a challenge by the Atty General that the election must be held in 90 days, that seriously erodes the incumbent factor for reelection.

Lott is all about Lott and none about the Republicans that supported him for years.

Does anyone know if Lott supported the law he is skirting by the early retirement?

[seoul62]

He left before he could be outed. The rent person in question must have been paid off, otherwise why the complete silence in the mainstream media????? Note to all GOP Politicians - do not preach to be a holy-roller, first make sure your own house is in order. A certain person of an adult magazine is lurking to out you./Just Asking - seoul62........

[Walkingfeather]

The truth is there is no difference between Rep. and Dems. They go to the same parties, sleep with the same women, go into business together. They just put on an act for their constituants so they can be re-elected.

[razorback-bert]

Leaving before the end of the year allowed Lott to escape a new, more restrictive revolving-door statute that prohibits former senators and their top aides from lobbying the Senate for two years. That law took effect Dec. 31. Lott and his former chief of staff, Bret K. Boyles, will instead be able to directly lobby the Senate after a one-year cooling-off period.

You understand that if Lott left after the year, he would be taking food from the mouths of his children.

See it is for the children