Top lobbying stories from EarlyBird, NationalJournal.com's daily news roundup:

• "Firing some of the first shots in the coming showdown over health care, a conservative group led by the former owner of the Hospital Corporation of America is beginning a multi-million dollar campaign" today "in opposition to government-run coverage," the Politico reports.

• "Around a dozen nonprofit groups spent $80 million on television advertisements and grassroots lobbying efforts last election, according to a new study," The Hill reports. "Most of that money was spent debating a controversial proposal to expand union membership known as the Employee Free Choice Act, an analysis by the Campaign Finance Institute released Friday found.