Hillary Clinton is sending emissaries to Capitol Hill to let congressional Democrats know that the era of lackluster treatment from the White House will be over if she wins in 2016.

And lawmakers who’ve been starving for attention under the Obama administration say her overtures couldn’t be more welcome.


“She understands the pathos that exists here and understands what it’s like in the legislative process, especially in the House, when you feel like the neglected stepchild,” said Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.).

For as long as Barack Obama has been president, Hill Democrats have complained that he comes around only when he needs something. Clinton’s campaign, by contrast, is engaging early and often with them, a sign her modus operandi as president would be much closer to her shmoozer-in-chief husband Bill Clinton, who cultivated deep ties to Capitol Hill during his two terms and to this day is known for calling up members of Congress to talk politics.

It’s also an indication that Clinton learned her lesson from 2008, when she assumed Democratic lawmakers would fall in line behind her only to see many of them jump aboard the Obama bandwagon.

Support from her party on Capitol Hill is a foregone conclusion considering the lack of competition for the Democratic nomination, but her campaign is going out of its way to show she intends to work for their help and support.

Top aides in recent weeks have met with officials with the House and Senate campaign arms. Campaign chairman John Podesta and campaign manager Robby Mook have called members personally. Podesta and Mook, along with Political Director Amanda Renteria, huddled with lawmakers during a private reception two weeks ago at the Capitol Hill office of Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro. Nearly 70 members attended that event, where they were given the chance to talk one-on-one with the senior aides in a casual setting. And Mook has been seeking input and advice from lawmakers on policy issues.

An aide to Clinton said members are not being pushed to endorse the former secretary of state — yet. At this stage, the aim is to open a dialogue and establish a point of contact for lawmakers inside what will soon become a behemoth campaign structure.

“We’re asking you to do something a little different — we don’t just want your name on a website or a press release,” read a memo her campaign sent to congressional offices after she announced. “We need you to activate and organize your volunteers, supporters, and community to take part in this campaign.”

It’s the kind of outreach House Democrats have been hoping for from the Obama administration for years, but never gotten.

“They are doing it the right way. She doesn’t need the pro forma endorsement,” said Larson. “They are taking nothing for granted. That’s heartening. Members want to be involved.”

Members of Congress are bound to work harder for her primary but, more importantly, her general election campaign, if they feel included. Democrats are hoping that Clinton can help the party cut into the GOP’s 244-to-188-seat advantage in the House and to lead Senate Democrats back into the majority.

“There are a lot of people here who want to help, and sometimes it’s nice to be asked,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). “If she’s our standard-bearer, we’re all invested in her because our fortunes are tied to her fortunes in the general election.”

Added Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.): “Members are eager to be supportive. But they also need to know that’s welcome.” He thinks the Clinton campaign is “doing exactly what they need to do to seal that deal.”

Lining up support on Capitol Hill wasn’t always a priority for Clinton. In 2008, Obama outflanked her in the competition for superdelegates — Democratic politicians and party officials — during their epic primary. That behind-the-scenes wooing from the then-junior Illinois senator put Obama over the top — and stung the Clinton campaign, which had been counting on support from party elders loyal to Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clinton is plainly adopting a different strategy this time, with early trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, grass-roots organizing and the outreach to Congress.

It helps that many of her key campaign staffers have deep ties to Capitol Hill. Mook is former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Renteria was chief of staff to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). And Deputy Political Director Brynne Craig is former field director for the DCCC.

McGovern noted that Clinton’s campaign is already organizing grass-roots events in Massachusetts, which is the earliest he can recall any presidential campaign undertaking such a step.

Connolly also pointed out that Clinton and her campaign staff are talking about rebuilding state Democratic parties, which have atrophied during the Obama years.

That’s critical after the “calamitous results we’ve had” in the past two midterm elections, Connolly said.

“You can’t just have a parallel presidential campaign. Well, I guess you can, but it would be very damaging to her presidency — assuming she’s elected — if you still have” a Republican majority in Congress. “Ask President Obama how much fun that is.”