President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign added 120 new fundraising “bundlers” during the third quarter who have brought in at least $17.5 million, including a former secretary of state and a platinum blonde pop star who has sold more than 40 million albums.

According to a newly released list from the Obama campaign, a total of 758 bundlers have raised at least $180 million for the president’s re-election efforts, including scores of well-connected individuals from California, New York and Obama’s home state of Illinois.

“When President Obama named Hillary Rodham Clinton secretary of state after the 2008 election, he turned a rival into a loyalist. But he also lost Mrs. Clinton as one of the most popular Democratic fund-raisers for his re-election effort, since the nation’s chief diplomat is not allowed to engage in campaigning.

“The same restriction applies to the State Department’s ambassadors around the world, nearly two dozen of whom were fervent supporters of Mr. Obama in 2008, raising tens of millions of dollars for his first presidential campaign. He rewarded these backers with coveted diplomatic appointments to London, Paris, Tokyo and other capitals. Now, as federal employees, they are legally barred from reopening their gilt-edged contact lists.”

There’s an added layer of irony. Romney is required by the FEC to release the names of bundlers who are also registered lobbyists — i.e. people whose stated job is to secure favorable treatment from the federal government. Many of them work in industries where Romney could give their clients a boost: Bundler Van Hipp works in military contracting, for example, and bundler Patrick Durkin lobbies for banks. Obama, by contrast, prohibits his campaign from even using lobbyists as bundlers (although the distinction can be blurry).

“Mitt Romney is raking in big bucks from lobbyists whose main goal is to secure government contracts and get deals for their clients,” Adam Smith, communications director for Public Campaign Action Fund, which has been monitoring Romney’s supporters, told TPM. “He should be careful about throwing stones from his big glass house.”