REVOLVING DOOR FCC COMMISH FACES RESTRICTIONS

—Philadelphia Inquirer: “The new senior vice president of government affairs for Comcast Corp. in Washington, Meredith Attwell Baker, faces a host of lobbying limits because of her position on the Federal Communications Commission when the agency approved the cable company’s $30 billion merger with NBC Universal Inc. in January. … She cannot lobby the FCC or any executive agency until the end of the Obama administration – which, if President Obama wins a second term, will be six years – and she is permanently barred from lobbying the FCC on issues related to the NBCUniversal transaction, which she voted to approve in the 4-1 vote.”

BLUE DOGS PROWL K STREET

—CPI: “Almost a third of the Blue Dog Democrats who retired or were defeated in 2010 have gone to work for organizations that lobby their former colleagues in Congress, according to an iWatch News review. … The Blue Dog ranks were devastated by the 2010 election, falling from a high of 54 to 26. Of those no longer in Congress, eight have moved through the “revolving door” to employment with lobbying entities.”

GINGRICH LINES UP LOBBYIST SUPPORT FOR PREZ BID

—Roll Call: “Newt Gingrich may face some obstacles in his bid for the GOP presidential nomination — such as defending his imperfect marital history — but it appears he will have no trouble rounding up support on K Street. … The former Speaker, who has been out of elective office for a decade, has a huge network of former staffers and House colleagues who have already pledged their support as he launches his bid for the White House. … Gingrich’s former chief of staff, Arne Christenson, a senior vice president at American Express, and another one-time aide, Jack Howard, who is also a lobbyist at Walker’s firm, are getting behind their old boss’s effort. So are other one-time staffers, including Rob Hood, a vice president at CH2M Hill, and Rachel Robinson, vice president of government relations for the American International Automobile Dealers Association. … Some of Gingrich’s downtown supporters say privately that they worry about the personal toll the presidential bid will have on the former Speaker. But no matter those concerns, they say, Gingrich can count on their help when it comes to raising money and courting inside-the-Beltway support for the effort.”

CONGRESSMAN CHANGES NO LOBBYIST CASH POLICY

—WashTimes: “Like other politicians eager to show the public they’re not beholden to Washington’s special interests, Democratic Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico has proudly refused to take campaign contributions from federal lobbyists. … The fine print on his fundraising notices made clear that “People for Ben does not accept contributions from registered federal lobbyists,” a stance that won him praise from editorial writers in his home state as recently as February. … Yet on a recent evening, Mr. Lujan was the featured lawmaker at a Cinco de Mayo-themed political fundraiser held in the Capitol Hill home of a prominent Washington lobbyist, Robert Raben. The fundraiser benefited the Committee for Hispanic Causes, also known as the CHC BOLD PAC, a political action committee chaired by Mr. Lujan. More than a dozen other lawmakers were mentioned on the invitation to the fundraiser. … A Lujan spokesman pointed out that Mr. Raben wasn’t in attendance, but acknowledged that the congressman’s position on taking campaign cash from lobbyists had changed.”