Billy Tauzin's revolving door

That paragon of principal, Billy Tauzin, has joined Big Pharma just months after authoring the big prescription drug bill. I am shocked.

"This industry understands that it's got a problem," Mr. Tauzin, a Louisiana lawmaker who is retiring from Congress, said in an interview. "It has to earn the trust and confidence of consumers again."

Billy, who decided to change parties after Republicans gained control Congress, is just the guy to help them do it, I'm sure. And he's a bargain at only $2 million a year. That will buy a lot of gumbo.

Drug makers said that the job was not a reward for Mr. Tauzin's work on the Medicare bill, which followed the industry's specifications in many respects. The law was signed by President Bush on Dec. 8, 2003, a few weeks before a lawyer for Mr. Tauzin began talks with the drug trade group.

It's good to see Pete Stark and Henry Waxman make waves over this. It's another opportunity -- like the DeLay waiver -- for Dems to act like a Reform Party. Unfortunately, life is long and outrage is short, and most Dems probably are hoping for similar opportunities should they take back the House.