Seriously, I'll take the enemy.
Democratic lobbyists are giving House Republican aides and lawmakers closely held information about the voting intentions of congressional Democrats in exchange for access to private meetings with GOP officials on Capitol Hill.
For House Republican whips, the inside information on Democratic voting strategies can yield a crucial awareness of what the ultimate vote count on the floor might be.
That helps determine how much pressure GOP whips need to apply to their Republican colleagues.
The pressure on Democratic lobbyists to cough up information parallels the K Street Project, which is aimed at putting Republicans in top lobbying posts. Both the K Street Project and the demand for intelligence on Democrats highlight the fact that access comes at a price [...]
In an e-mail, a Democratic lobbyist asks permission to attend a meeting about FSC: "I heard there is a ... meeting tomorrow at 3pm. Is it OK for me to attend on behalf of my clients?"
The GOP aide replied: "Sure, but what intel are you gonna get us? You worked for [Rep. Robert] Matsui [D-Calif.] right? Where are the California Dems? Is [Minority Leader Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.] really holding Dems feet to the fire?"
The lobbyist replied: "Yeah, I worked for Matsui (back when he was [for] free trade). I think Pelosi will be working this hard -- you probably already know this, but I just heard that the Dems will be putting in repatriation in their substitute (which will mollify the [California] and West Coast Dems)."
Brilliant.