Competición en el Capitolio

Tim Pawlenty y Mitt Romney son los dos candidatos que más están trabajando en busca de apoyos en el Capitolio. Pawlenty lo está haciendo a través de la delegación de Minnesota y la ayuda de algunas estrellas emergentes, mientras que Romney ha contratado para el trabajo a uno de los mejores lobbyistas de Washington DC, con la misión de promocionar al candidato como quien promueve y vende los productos de una firma comercial.

(...) “I’ve been trying to make connections and offer opportunities to my friend, Tim,” said Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.), who along with House Education and Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) constitutes Pawlenty’s de facto whip team. “I really want to do whatever I can to help him. Part of that is introducing him to people.”

Coordinating efforts for Romney is Drew Maloney, CEO of Ogilvy Government Relations and an old Capitol Hill hand. Team Romney expects to receive significant support from many, though not all, of the Members who endorsed his 2008 presidential bid. A key component of Romney’s strategy for maintaining old connections and cultivating new relationships has been to generously donate through his Free and Strong America Political Action Committee.

(...) According to a knowledgeable source, Pawlenty’s aim has not just been to accrue endorsements, but to open lines of communication with both the important Republican Members from the early caucus and primary states as well as those viewed as political and ideological leaders generally — regardless of the role their states play in the nominating process. Along these lines, Pawlenty identified Rep. Jim Jordan last year as a rising conservative star and began trading calls with the Ohio Republican.

Jordan is now chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee. Pawlenty has also established a relationship with freshman Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), who is set to introduce the Minnesotan at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday. Duffy won in a historically Democratic district last November.

“It’s not all about endorsements, at least to us,” said one Republican operative who is aiding Team Pawlenty. Instead, it’s about conversations that put a “network in place” should the campaign be successful. Among the Republican operatives assisting Pawlenty are former Rep. Vin Webber (Minn.) and consultants Phil Musser and Terry Nelson, who last cycle advised the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

(...) One Republican lobbyist aiding Romney described his Member relations effort at this point as a “miniature whip effort.” The operative said Romney might not score the level of endorsements he did in 2008 but attributed that to Members being less willing to endorse than they were during the previous election.

“But there’s no question that Romney’s the most organized and active in terms of courting Members,” the lobbyist added. Romney’s strategy also includes targeting key Republicans from the early caucus and primary states, as well as Members considered to be among the GOP’s “thought” leaders. For example, someone like Sen. Jim DeMint (S.C.) could be considered an important and influential potential endorsement. (...)