The restrictions on Sen. Lott as a former officeholder have expired, according to this report.

“I’m free!” announced former Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi. “My year is up!”

Special interests politics are apparently still in favor with the former Republican leader, who said he had been counting the seconds — quite literally — until the expiration of a 12-month ban on lobbying that he faced throughout 2008 as a former senator. Lott resigned his seat at the end of 2007 and has since formed a lobbying firm with former Sen. John Breaux, a Democrat from neighboring Louisiana. Their clients include AT&T, the Association of American Railroads, Delta Airlines, FedEx Corp., Nissan North America, Pharma, Raytheon Co., and Shell Oil Co.

Under Senate rules, former lawmakers who register as lobbyists are not permitted on the floor of the chamber and are banned for two years from hitting up their colleagues for favors. But because Lott retired before the longer ban took effect, the restriction in his case was limited to one year, as specified under the previous rule.