His New Lobbying Job Looks a Lot Like His Old Treasury One

That collaboration not only helped produce last week's victory, but will also pay dividends for the lobbyists down the road. "To the degree a leader -- whether it's the chairman of a congressional committee or the secretary of Treasury -- believes you are supporting their process," Yingling said, "they're going to talk to you more."

Sallie Mae's Christmas List

Sallie Mae, the nation's largest student lender, has been having a rough few months. Democrats have never been big fans, and in February President B us h piled on with his own suggestion for cutbacks in student-loan subsidies.

To defend itself, the agency devised a lobbying game plan -- a top-secret, week-by-week to-do list leading up to Christmas last year. Courtesy of the House's education committee, here are some excerpts:

Week of Nov. 20: Develop a "target list" of lawmakers to lobby and identify a potential "new hire as Democratic lobbyist" as well as "potential Democratic PR firms."

Week of Nov. 27: Develop messages "to be delivered by governors," make "assignments for grassroots contacts" and "draft letter to the editor from [then-chief executive] Tim Fitzpatrick."

Week of Dec. 4: "Meet with select offices," e-mail "key messages to the Hill," "begin polling, message testing," meet White House political staffers "with Citibank" and "distribute Tim's letter."

Week of Dec. 11: Work through House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to ask the White House for "the right budget language," "orchestrate communication from" Michael Lomax, president of the United Negro College Fund, and "retain Dem PR firm."

Week of Dec. 18: "Encourage communication to the Hill from . . . schools," "hire new Democratic lobbyist" and "begin working with Dem PR firm on refining messaging, tactics (e.g., op-eds), developing Tier 1 media contacts on national and local level."

Week of Dec. 25: "Holiday -- No Activity."

Drug Lobby Outreach of the Week

The pharmaceutical industry has come up with two more ways to make friends among the Democrats-in-charge on Capitol Hill.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry's trade group, helped launch a new organization, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. The group's executive director is Kenneth E. Thorpe, a health aide in the Clinton administration.

PhRMA's Pharmaceutical Industry Labor-Management Association, a group that emphasizes the common interests of drugmakers and unions, has also added several labor-connected Democrats to lobby Congress.

The contract hires include former congressman Ron Klink (D-Pa.), former mineworkers union lobbyist Kristin Leary, former airline pilots association lobbyist Gerald E. Baker, former operating engineers union lobbyist John J. Flynn, and Michael L. Tiner, who has lobbied for the Teamsters, the building trades, and the food and commercial workers unions.

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