What's Lott worth?

Sen. Trent Lott -- remember him? For the first time since 1988, the U.S. Senate convened this year without the Mississippi lawmaker -- known for his nostalgic feelings for the Old South -- after his abrupt retirement in 2007.

Where is he now?

Preparing to make a lot of money, reports Tory Newmyer of Portfolio.com:

Lott is launching a lobbying firm with former Louisiana senator John Breaux, a Democrat, and is joining the speaking circuit and eyeing corporate boards. Compensation experts and other lobbyists say Lott's access and unflagging hustle will probably interest companies enough to net him millions out of the starting gate-quite an improvement over his $165,200 Senate salary.

Newmyer estimates that between speaking gigs (five a year at about $40,000 a pop), his new lobbying venture (representing "trains, planes, boats and harbors"), and involvement on corporate boards (he's available), Lott's new "annual value" will be around $4-$6 million.

Kind of takes the sting out of losing that Mississippi waterfront house to Katrina.