Former Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) who lost his bid for re-election in 2006 thanks to suspicions around his taking campaign contributions from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has registered as a lobbyist himself, having just cleared the one year moratorium (new rules will make it a two-year ban) on lawmakers becoming lobbyists. He's now working, along with a former staff member, for a firm, Gage LLC, founded by another ex-staffer. DC's a small town.

For a few congressmen booted out in 2006 amid charges of corruption, nothing says "turning over a new leaf" like taking high-powered lobbying jobs with people you used to help steer money too. Former Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) and former Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) who found themselves embroiled in corruption scandals last year have both landed jobs as lobbying advisors with groups they had a history of helping financially.

Noelle Straub at the Helena Independent Record notes the work of Public Campaign Action Fund and our Campaign Money Watch project in spotlighting our ad that outlines Senator Conrad Burns' ties to Big Oil and the campaign cash he's received from the industry.  The ad is no longer on the air, but you can check it out here.

Public Campaign Action Fund's Campaign Money Watch project has lauched two new ads, in Montana and Ohio, taking on Congress' addiction to Big Oil - more specifically, Big Oil's campaign contributions. The ads, which link big oil contributions and those politicians who take them, ask Congress to break their addiction and enact Clean Elections-style public financing.

Today could mark the beginning of an electoral referendum on reform - three contests heading to the polls today could signal whether corruption will play a major role in this year's elections.

Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) demonstrate that despite the outcry over scandal and the lip-service paid to reform in Washington, the old money in politics game goes on.