To the Editor: Re "Obama Reaches Out for McCain's Counsel" (news article, Jan . 19: There is, in fact, a precedent for President Obama's seeking Senator John McCain's counsel.
Eager to preserve their majority in the Senate, Democrats are rolling the dice in Maine on a popular independent former governor who is seeking Senator Olympia J. Snowe's seat, in the hope that he sides with them next year if elected.
"As a leader of the feminist movement I frequently sought Senator Bradley's wise counsel on how to move our legislative agenda forward," Ms. Friedan said in a statement.
Mr. Gore has simply not capitalized on winning his party's nomination more easily than Mr. Bush won his or achieving quickly the party unity and support from Bill Bradley that Mr. Bush is still seeking from Senator John McCain.
The group also endorsed Kathy Konst, an Erie County legislator who is challenging longtime Senator Dale Volker, a Republican, and Richard Dollinger, a former senator who is seeking to topple Senator Joseph E. Robach, a Rochester Republican.
The proposed controls, sought by senators and law enforcement officials, would apply to products like hydrocodone that are used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
Aides to the three men talk regularly, but all sides agree that when Mr. Christie wants things from Washington, he is much less likely than his predecessors to seek the senators' help.
But administration officials were vague when they were asked about requests for federal aid for New York, including $30 billion from Mr. Cuomo and $1 billion sought by Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand for the first phase of recovery.
According to a source familiar with the call, the host, Wade Randlett, encouraged donors who were going to the inauguration to seek out senators at events, such as the Majority Trust reception last Saturday, and offered to coordinate contacts.
This is unsurprising, since voting behavior in the Senate is fundamentally about senators seeking to balance their policy preferences against the views of their constituents.
This galvanized the National Woman's Party, which led a campaign seeking to oust senators who had voted against it.
