Joe Lieberman Joe Lieberman, who once promised he'd never become a lobbyist, becomes a lobbyist The former Connecticut senator in 2012: "I'm not going to lobby"

About a year ago, Joe Lieberman promised — twice — that he'd never become a lobbyist.

On Wednesday, Joe Lieberman registered to become a lobbyist.

According to a report from Politico, Lieberman registered to lobby on behalf of a Libyan politician. While the law holds that Lieberman cannot personally lobby lawmakers until 2015, there's nothing stopping Lieberman from providing strategic insight and consultation for those who are able to directly lobby.

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What that means is that while Lieberman cannot personally call up lawmakers and advocate on behalf of his client, he can direct other lobbyists on whom to call and how to present their case. As MSNBC's Steve Benen put it, "Lieberman can’t say, 'Let me call the chairman of the committee for you and tell him about your work.' He can say, 'You should call the chairman of the committee and tell him I referred you.'"

More from Benen at MNSBC: