The Washington Post reports that the number of registered lobbyists in Washington, D.C., has more than doubled since 2000, to nearly 35,000. Starting salaries for lobbyists with prior experience on Capitol Hill or in the White House have risen from $200,000 a year to $300,000.

My goodness, is it any wonder that every issue these days seems to be incendiary? There are thousands of high-priced lobbyists fanning the flames every minute of every day. What a world.