Notepad

A onetime aide to former Rep. Abner J. Mikva and a general counsel to the Natural Resources Committee, he went on to become a well-connected lobbyist.

Meltzer returned to the House payroll to run Pelosi's transition to the Speaker's office. He worked for Pelosi -- for $20,000 -- from mid-November 2006 through early 2007, according to Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly. He then went back to lobbying, appearing on newly filed registration forms on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23, 2007.

Just a couple of years ago, Pelosi said the new Democratic-led Congress would "close the revolving door between government officials and lobbying firms."

Here's how Meltzer described his movements between the public and private sectors for a story that appeared in 2007 in the University of Rochester's alumni newsletter: "I think I might be getting close to holding the record for moving back and forth."

Pelosi's aides say Meltzer's mastery of public policy will be an asset and that her agenda will not be unduly influenced by his former clients, some of whom, like ExxonMobil and cigarette-maker R.J.Reynolds, are often at odds with central elements of Democratic orthodoxy.

"The Speaker's agenda is very clear and she will continue with that," Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said. "Dick has a lot of experience working on the Hill and knowledge of these issues, and he will be a valuable member of the Speaker's team."

Meltzer's list of clients is far too long to mention in a single story, but they include heavy hitters with serious interests in the outcome of Democratic agenda items, including a health care overhaul, energy legislation, the financial services bailout, the government's stake in the auto industry and others. In addition to ExxonMobil and R.J. Reynolds, his recent clients include health products giant Johnson & Johnson, Pacific Capital Bancorp (which has received more than $180 million in bailout funds), Ford Motor Company, Microsoft, General Electric, Aetna, and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

Typically, Meltzer has been listed on lobbying disclosure forms as one of several Ernst & Young lobbyists working on each contract.

The relatively small income he drew as Pelosi's transition office director exempted Meltzer from the new Democratic Congress's much ballyhooed lobbying restrictions. As director of Pelosi's transition office, he was not senior enough to trigger a "cooling off" period between working for Congress and being paid to try to influence its decisions.

Longtime Pelosi aide Amy Rosenbaum is stepping down from the role of policy director to advise the Speaker on health care issues in a temporary capacity.