NY Times: Liberal Groups Are Flexing New Muscle in Lobby Wars

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Liberal Groups Are Flexing New Muscle in Lobby Wars

By JIM RUTENBERG
Published: February 28, 2009


WASHINGTON — When Newt Gingrich’s Congress was moving full-speed in its efforts to shrink the government more than a dozen years ago, Ralph G. Neas, an indefatigable champion of liberal causes, threw up his hands and declared that his side had been outmaneuvered.

Liberals who had grown up pressing their case with marches and old-fashioned door-knocking campaigns, Mr. Neas said, were no match for conservatives with big business allies and a commanding understanding of the new talk-radio, cable-news battlefield, where former President Bill Clinton’s signature health care plan lay bleeding.

Recent days have found Mr. Neas in a new perch, preparing to join the coming fight over President Obama’s sweeping health care proposals, with plans to coordinate a campaign of television advertisements, “blogger outreach” and community meetings. This time, he is supported by his own phalanx of big business backers, including the Exelon power company and Giant food stores.

“We get another chance to do it again, and win this time,” he said in an interview in his new office at the National Coalition on Health Care, which recently named him its chief executive.

The battle to grow the government, just getting under way, promises to be no less intense than the battle to shrink it was. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/us/politics/01lobby.html?_r=1&hp