Trent Lott is not alone in cashing in his Senate office chips for a seat at the lobbyist's high rollers table. As Joel Connelly of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes in this column on the other Washington, many a lawmaker has heard the siren song of power and profit margins calling them away from public duty and accountability.

There more fuel for the Trent Lott speculation fire. Rumors are circulating that when the Senator vacates his post he'll join former Democratic Senator Jon Breaux in forming something of a lobbying empire.

As soon as Sen. Trent Lott (R-MI) announced that he would be stepping down as minority whip of the U.S. Senate, Washington tongues started wagging about where he might be job hunting. After all, by stepping down now, before December 31, he won’t be subject to a new Senate ethics rule that would keep former members of Congress away from lobbying for two years. Right now, he’ll only have to sit out a year before directly lobbying his former colleagues.

Hanging out with Trent Lott. Lots in common there.Who else will dare to be seen with him?UPDATE: Yes, that's a sip of Bacardi, with vodka -- he was smiling! ...