Where they landed

I thought I'd check in on the two Portland-area Congresspeople who got bounced from office last year for being too out of step with their parties. They're both drawing paychecks, thanks for asking.

Kurt "Traitor" Schrader, who got his head handed to him in the primary last year, is now a lobbyist. He works for Williams & Jensen, a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm that's connected somehow to a law firm. They reportedly specialize in getting legislation passed, and blocked, on behalf of big drug manufacturers. Well, they found the perfect guy for the gig. It's like Schrader, at age 71, got his old job back. He did Big Pharma's bidding for 14 years in Congress. Maybe Williams & Jensen can now branch out and work on behalf of machine gun manufacturers, Kurt's other best buddies.

Meanwhile, Jamie Herrera Beutler from the 'Couve has found a new position as a "strategic advisor" for the Children's Hospital Association. JHB, who was ousted in the primary by Trumpy Joe Kent, has a lot of first-hand experience with children's hospitals as a parent of a child with special medical needs. She gave birth three times in her 12 years in Congress. Her new employer represents 220 children's hospitals, including "advocacy" in Congress and before the federal bureaucracy. Their main headquarters is in Kansas, but they've also got a shop in D.C.

One day a member of Congress, getting schmoozed, the next day the one doing the schmoozing. That clinking clanking sound / It makes the world go 'round.

Interestingly, the candidates who ousted Schrader and Herrera Beutler in their respective primaries both lost in the general election. I wonder what they're doing – a post for another day.