So much for consistency in the application of the executive order on lobbying. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) just sent out this statement lifting his hold on Raytheon lobbyist/deputy defense secretary-designate Bill Lynn’s nomination, which the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee put on yesterday:

"The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has removed an obstacle to the confirmation of Bill Lynn to be Deputy Secretary of Defense by waiving the provisions of President Obama’s Executive Order on Ethics Commitments that would have precluded Mr. Lynn’s service.

"The Senate Armed Services Committee will continue to insist that Mr. Lynn comply with a strict set of ethics rules that we apply to all nominees, including the requirement to recuse himself, for a period of one year, from any decisions involving his prior employer, unless specifically authorized to participate by an appropriate ethics official. The decision of the Administration to impose an additional set of requirements, and then waive them for this nominee, does not change the standards to which we hold all nominees.

"I support Mr. Lynn’s nomination and look forward to prompt consideration by the Senate."

Just absolutely craven. Why put this rule out if deputy cabinet secretaries are exempt from it? Appropriately, this release was sent out at 4:46 p.m. on a Friday. Change we can believe in!

Crossposted to The Streak.