With the presidential campaign over, the news media are focusing on President-elect Barack Obama's transition to the White House. But while Team Obama is working on its transition, the lobbyists in Washington, D.C., also are repositioning themselves for a new administration.

Apparently the big lobbying firms in Washington didn't hear candidate Obama's oft-repeated pledge that he would curb, if not end, the influence of lobbyists and special interests.

A front-page article in the Wall Street Journal last week reported that lobbying companies already have "begun shedding Republican staffers, and are snapping up Democratic operatives."

The Journal noted that top defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing recently selected Democrats as their top lobbyists.

The article also noted that cable giant Comcast has just seen its former top lobbyist, a Republican, leave the company, with a former Demo-cratic Senate aide taking over those responsibilities.

A Lockheed spokesman said the changes "had nothing to do with the change of administration." Likewise, Comcast said its shift was "unrelated to the election or any party affiliation."

Do they really expect the American public to believe that explanation?

Another giant lobbying firm has promoted a chief staff conduit for the House Democratic Caucus and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. His new job, with Ogilvy Government Relations, will be to "broker meetings and legislative agreements between Democrats and Ogilvy clients such as Chevron, The American Chemistry Council and NASCAR."

This strategic realignment of lobbying firms could be one of Obama's first tests as president — or an early opportunity to prove that he really is bringing change to Washington. While failed presidential candidate Sen. John McCain often pounded away at the corrupting influence of special interests and lobbyists, Obama also spoke out against the practice of special interests pushing — even writing — self-serving legislation.

With big-time lobbying firms preparing to do the bidding of their clients by putting Democrats in top positions, Obama could illustrate that he's a man of his word by imposing a broad restriction on the access and influence of lobbyists and campaign contributors on policy in his administration. Of course, he can only control White House access. The strengthened Democratic control of Congress apparently will mean a happy hunting ground for lobbyists with the right connections.

Obama could set the right tone by keeping lobbyists out of the White House, and former lobbyists out of his administration.

But he already has softened his campaign pledge that he would have no lobbyists working in his White House. His more recent, weaker pledge is that lobbyists will not run his White House.

He might well have to fight the vested interests of members of his own party on this issue, but he could send a powerful message to the American people that he and his administration will truly represent the American people, not just the inside-the-Beltway lobbyists representing powerful special interests.

The throngs of people who attended Obama's rallies do not want change in Washington to mean just a different group of special interests getting tax breaks, profitable contracts and targeted favors from Congress or the administration.

The lobbyists are behaving as if it's business-as-usual. And Obama should make it clear that he really does intend to bring positive change to Washington by curbing the influence of lobbyists and special interests.