Shadow congress. (TPM)

[rrneck]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/interactive/2010/06/shadow-congress-interactive-graphic.php

It's not exactly breaking news that Washington is stuffed to the gills with lobbyists. But what doesn't get as much attention is that, over the last few decades, a vast army of what might be called uber-lobbyists has taken shape in the capital, made up of retiring lawmakers eager to cash in on K Street after a lifetime of making do with public sector salaries.

We've compiled a close-to-comprehensive list of former Members of Congress currently working on behalf of private interests in Washington's influence-peddling industry. We count 172 of them -- almost one-third the number of current members of Congress.

Members of this Shadow Congress -- not all of whom are registered lobbyists -- hail from 41 of 50 states and they're almost as likely to be Democrats as Republicans.

Roll over a state on the map to see how many former lawmakers from that state are now members of the Shadow Congress. Click on a state for detailed information.

Graphic at link.