'The Other K Street'

Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America's Future, called this clustering of a critical mass of these groups "a happy accident," and a very useful one.

"The ability to walk down the hall and see somebody and get things done is great," agreed Jeff Blum, executive director of USAction. Then, sounding just as corporate as anyone on K Street, Blum added: "We believe in synergy."

* * *

"Our job is to focus on the Republicans," the dark-bearded Matzzie said. "How can we juice up the attacks on them?"

So began another morning conference call in the same second-floor conference room that USAction shares with its like-minded neighbors. This one was about ending U.S. involvement in the Iraq war. Matzzie sat in shirt-sleeves at the head of the long wood table, with about a dozen others gathered around and the speakerphone on.

"Our poster child for this should be Collins," said Robert B. Creamer, a silver-haired consultant to Matzzie's antiwar coalition. He recommended an all-out assault, including instigating phone calls to the senator's office and holding demonstrations in Maine's larger cities.

Matzzie agreed. "I want all of our targets to feel regret" for voting against a timetable for withdrawal, he said. He listened approvingly to reports from staffers around the country discussing plans to stage rallies the day after the president's expected veto of the legislation.

(More than 350 such rallies, from Anchorage to Miami, took place last week, thanks to that plan.)

Matzzie also considered less-familiar types of persuasion. "What about a blimp?" he asked, wondering aloud whether the coalition should rent one to fly an antiwar message over the California site of last week's debate between Republican presidential candidates.

There were a few quiet snickers.

"Then maybe a plane with a sign coming out of the back," he said. "It's only $700 a plane. It's really cheap."

Certainly it would feel cheap for a lobbying campaign like his with a budget of $9 million to $12 million.