For Abramoff, No Contracting Allowed

Now that Jack Abramoff is out of federal prison and emerging from home confinement, he'll have to start thinking about career options. Here's one possibility that won't be on the list: federal contractor. The Wall Street Journal reports that attorneys at the Interior Department have barred the disgraced former lobbyist from any business dealings with federal agencies through 2013.

Interior's legal eagles weren't persuaded that Abramoff's "attitude toward business honesty and integrity is presently altered" after his time in prison.

Abramoff's lawyer, Jon van Horne, said the ruling wasn't fair, but that Abramoff has no intention of seeking government work anyway. "Jack has never been a government contractor, never wanted to be a government contractor, and has no intention of ever becoming a government contractor," he said. "This is just punishment--a stick in the eye."