The gala invitation list reads like a who's who of Republican lobbyists from K Street, the capital's corridor of influence.

Tom Korologos, a longtime Republican lobbyist, said that he had been trying to tamp down his clients' hopes.

"We don't need to reinvent the wheel," said Kenneth Quinn, the Republican lobbyist who heads a new aviation security trade group.

One longtime Republican lobbyist predicted that more corporations would shun soft-money giving if they learned that competitors were doing the same.

"If they do anything, it will be to preserve the integrity of the Congress," said Tom Korologos, a longtime Republican lobbyist.

The answer is yes," said Mr. Ryan, the Republican lobbyist.

"It gives him access to the wealth on Wall Street," said Mr. Ryan, the Republican lobbyist.

Sheldon was an associate of Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist jailed for influence peddling.

"Individually, none of these things would have been insurmountable," said Mr. Ryan, the Republican lobbyist.

"She has been an independent individual who asks the right questions at the right times," said Mr. Ryan, the Republican lobbyist.

Republican lobbyists are also bulking up their Democratic credentials.

Investigators at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are examining $15,000 in payments to two Republican lobbyists last year that were not disclosed to the corporation's board, people involved in the inquiry said on Wednesday.

Mr. Tomlinson was also criticized by the subcommittee's chairman, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who said it was inappropriate for the corporation to have used taxpayer money to hire two Republican lobbyists last year.

Those include the use of a White House official to establish an ombudsman's office to scrutinize public radio and television for political balance, payments to two Republican lobbyists and the hiring of Mr. Mann.

"He will go into his re-election with the image of a president who has worked harder than any other, only to be stymied by an intransigent Republican Congress that pledged its soul to a Republican anti-tax lobbyist even before they took their oaths of office."

His lobbying efforts paid off, with a boost from two Republican lobbyists hired by the industry, Ed Gillespie and Vin Weber.

And the investigators are looking at $15,000 in payments to two Republican lobbyists last year at the direction of Mr. Tomlinson and his Republican predecessor, who remains a board member.

Republican lobbyists and consultants who are in close touch with the White House say they expect changes in the economic team after the elections this fall.

He also retained two Republican lobbyists to try to defeat a Congressional proposal that would have increased the representation of broadcasters on the board, again without informing the board of the contracts.

Mr. Tomlinson is the subject of an inquiry for signing a contract with a researcher to monitor the "Now" program with Bill Moyers and for signing contracts last year with two Republican lobbyists.