The Hill’s annual “50 Most Beautiful” feature is one of DC’s less-essential but least unpleasant traditions.

And, as Eric Ostermeier at Smart Politics notes, it’s changed this year:

When The Hill released its annual 50 Most Beautiful People list earlier this week, there was one striking difference from the D.C. publication’s lists it had published over the last several years.

Republicans apparently just got a lot more beautiful.

The 50 Most Beautiful People list is a water cooler-worthy collection of photos and brief bios of D.C. staffers, lobbyists, Capitol police, members of the House and Senate, and other workers in and around the federal government.

And The Hill finally noted that the party of Kristi Noem and Sarah Palin has finally upended the party of Bella Abzug:

Smart Politics content analyzed the last five years of these annual 50 Most Beautiful lists and found a marked change in 2011’s edition compared to the previous four years.

From 2007 through 2010 Democrats crowded out GOPers, with 111 Democrats profiled as the most beautiful (56 percent), compared to just 70 Republicans (35 percent) and 19 independents or non-partisans.

In 2011, however, only 16 Democrats appeared in The Hill’s spread (32 percent) compared to 27 Republicans (54 percent) and seven others.

This is a mystery?

Go to “Drinking Liberally” and then a MOB party. You’ll figure it out.