How to Win Friends and Influence People, Washington Edition

At the tail end of a piece on the surprise resignation of PhRMA chief Billy Tauzin, Politico offers this description of how the drug industry's top D.C. lobbyist, who previously served as a Republican legislator, was able to buddy up to Democrats on the Hill:

Though a Republican himself, Tauzin stacked senior jobs with well-liked and respected Democratic Hill veterans and spent money advertising on behalf of vulnerable Democratic lawmakers and some of the party's key issues. The moves laid the groundwork for the cooperative relationship between the industry and Democrats during the health reform debate.