After delivering the greatest boon to the the Pharmaceutical in American history with the profit-paddind Medicare Prescription Drug bill, Billy Tauzin is being rewarded with a high-paying, cushy job at PhRMA. The AP has the story:

Retiring U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin, who left his post as head of the House committee that regulates the pharmaceutical industry earlier this year, will become head of the industry's top lobbying group next month.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America made the announcement of Tauzin's hiring on Wednesday. Tauzin's spokesman, Ken Johnson, confirmed the hiring, but said he had no immediate comment.

Earlier this year, Tauzin had been talking with the trade group about a post-Congress job, but his negotiations were widely criticized by Democrats and government watchdog groups.

Tauzin had been chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which regulates the pharmaceutical industry.

I'm not one who believes we should remove lobbyists from Washington (I don't even know if that would be possible), but there's something wrong when a Congressman can move this quickly from legislating to lobbying. Perhaps a five year restriction should be implemented, but with the situation as it is now -- a sitting Congressman bargaining with a lobbying group for a high-paying job -- something has to change.