As Democrats adjust to controlling all three branches of government, Democratic lobbyists are flying high, reports the Washington Post. Barack Obama's stated resistance to influence-peddling notwithstanding, the trend that took off after control of Congress flipped 2 years ago is gaining speed. “In this climate, Democratic backgrounds are attractive to people,” says an energy-industry lobbyist. “This town, that's what it runs on.”
The presidential transition team announced “the strictest and most far-reaching ethics rules of any transition in history” this week, but that isn't dampening enthusiasm, even with tighter rules and fiercer competition. “You're advising people on how to structure their business—that doesn't require a partisan contact," says one veteran Democratic lobbyist. "It requires knowing what's going on." (More lobbyists stories.)