There are so many reasons I heart Julia, not the least of which she does all the real work on stories like this WashPo attempt to whitewash the K Street Project as bipartisan and that means I don’t have to. She has an uncanny knack for pulling just the right piece from the past to smack WashPo right between the eyes:

Nearly a decade after Republicans launched a campaign to oust Democrats from top lobbying jobs in Washington, sometimes through intimidation and private threats, they are seizing a significant number of the most influential positions at trade associations and corporate government affairs offices — and reaping big financial rewards.

Partly because of the “K Street Project” — and partly because of GOP control of Congress and the presidency — virtually every major company or trade association looking for new top-level representation is hiring or seeking to hire a prominent Republican politician or staffer, according to Republicans and Democrats tracking the situation.

This year, General Electric, Comcast, Citigroup and many other Fortune 500 companies have hired Bush administration officials and former GOP congressional advisers for top lobbying posts. A Republican National Committee official recently told a group of GOP lobbyists that 33 of 36 top-level Washington positions he is monitoring went to Republicans, according to someone who attended the meeting.

The trend could deeply influence Washington politics, policy and fundraising for years. Already in control of the White House and Congress, Republicans are tightening their grip on the largely unseen but vital world of big-time lobbying. Lobbyists for major trade groups not only represent clients’ interests but also play key roles in political fundraising and often help shape legislation.

Washington Post, June 2003

As opposed to what they’re saying now:

Those sorts of assertions are “one of a series of problems” Santorum has in his race this year against Pennsylvania state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., said Stuart Rothenberg, a nonpartisan election analyst. “Santorum at the moment is the No. 1 most vulnerable Republican senator seeking reelection,” Rothenberg added.

A Republican Conference aide said there is “no connection” between Santorum’s meetings and the K Street Project, and Santorum has said that everything he has done in the meetings is appropriate. Last week, Santorum characterized the meetings as a way for Republicans to get their points of view disseminated in Washington.

“If you’re going to affect public policy in a positive way, you’ve got to get your message out,” Santorum said. “That’s what the project that I’ve been involved with has been about, period.

Democrats have also been passing around jobs memos of their own during Monday meetings between lobbyists and congressional chiefs of staff. A spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said the “job bank” document — as the Democrats called their listing — has not been distributed for months and “there’s no plan to put it back in place.”

Get it? It’s a bi-partisan problem! We can all relax now, knowing that Democrats are wielding their mighty power and influence to threaten and intimidate K Street firms to hire… Democrats! Who have so much power and influence!

Please, please, please go read the whole thing.