From this morning's Earlybird:

• "With House Republicans poised to make major gains in November and Minority Leader John Boehner working to become the next Speaker, lobbyists are not-so-quietly cozying up to the Ohio Republican," Roll Call reports.

• "Now that Congress is moving to consider an economic package with those tax extenders, many business groups, including the technology council, aren't rejoicing," Roll Call reports. "The reason is that the Democratic leadership, under pressure to offset costs, has tacked on revenue-raising tax changes that business leaders complain could cut their bottom lines."

• Google "is building an unconventional presence in Washington, with connections to think tanks, education sessions on high-tech issues for legislative staff members and charitable efforts on behalf of high-profile causes," the Washington Post reports.

• "Boeing is painting its rival, EADS North America, as a potential security threat in the competition to win a $35 billion Air Force tanker aircraft," The Hill reports.

• "Comcast Corp. has been snapping up ex-government officials to help win approval of its proposed takeover of NBC Universal Inc., including former congressmen and congressional staff members, ex-government antitrust lawyers and former aides to the Federal Communications Commission's most impassioned critics of media mergers," Politico reports.