Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert starts work on Monday as a Senior Adviser to Dickstein Shapiro's lobbying practice, the firm has announced. He'll be the practice's second member with that title, joining former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R- Ark.).
The head of the firm's lobbying practice, Andrew Zausner, says Hastert will not lobby. Instead, he'll continue to live in Illinois — spending about half his time in Washington — and providing strategy advice to the firm and its clients.
"We expect him to be sought after," Zausner says, highlighting the former speaker's role on energy, communications, and transportation issues.
Hastert served in the House for more than twenty years, and as speaker for eight. After leaving Congress in November, the Illinois Republican has been back in his home state, helping Gov. Rod Blagojevich try to broker a $31 billion public infrastructure deal for Illinois.
Apparently the news of Hastert joining Dickstein has not gone over so well with the McCain team. They've had their own problems lately with lobbyists, and they don't need another reminder of the Mark Foley scandal that ultimately forced Hastert to leave office and lost the GOP both houses of Congress. To say nothing of the strange depiction of Dickstein as a "transgendered" law firm.
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/05/dennis-hastert-joins-law-firm-that.html
Posted by: wally | May 30, 2008 at 11:02 PM