Experts on Executive Bonuses Wanted!

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Too Little, Too Late?

In the just a little late category, this week the Treasury Department ran job advertisements seeking applicants for executive compensation specialists. The Washington Times reports the postings — on a government jobs database — list duties like "recovery of bonuses" and "limitations on senior executives' compensation."

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has been enduring a firestorm of criticism for failing to stop big bonuses paid to executives at AIG after the federal government pumped billions into the insurance giant.

A Treasury spokesman said the ads had nothing to do with the recent criticism of Geithner and were posted to fill jobs under the federal bailout back in October. You have until Saturday to apply.

Lobby Hobby

Despite candidate Obama's pledge to keep lobbyists out of his administration, the National Journal reports that 30 out of the 267 Obama nominees and appointees — about 11 percent — have been registered lobbyists at some point during the past five years.

Politico reports Mr. Obama's recent pick for assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, Richard Verma, will need a waiver because Senate records show he lobbied the State Department last fall. But an administration official tells Foreign Policy magazine no waiver will be needed.

No Proof Necessary

Maryland is just one of four states where people don't have to prove they are legal U.S. residents to get driver's licenses or ID cards. As such, businesses run ads in Spanish-language publications in the area that urge "undocumented Hispanic friends" to go to Maryland and get an ID without having to prove they're in the country legally.

Maryland Motor Vehicle officials say that 68 different people applying for licenses and IDs gave the same address for an 800-square foot home in Baltimore.

Some Maryland politicians are backing legislation that would require the state ensure license applicants are in the U.S. legally.

DVD Diplomacy

And finally, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown might be wondering what the re-gifting policy is for a box set collection of DVDs given to him by President Obama during the Brit's recent visit.

The Telegraph newspaper reports the 25 American classics only work in DVD players made for use in North America and that the words "wrong region" came up on the television when Brown attempted to watch one.

A Downing Street spokesman said he was confident that any gift Mr. Obama gave Brown would have been well thought through but deferred to the White House for assistance on the "technical aspects."

— FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.