NYT:

 It’s the first Tuesday of the month, and the book club is in session. Between bites of their lunch buffet, two dozen members leaf through classics, best sellers and the latest nonfiction.

The scene, though, seems more country club than book club: a shoeshine man, an ornate rug, a picture of John A. Boehner, the House speaker. That’s because this book club gathers at a Republican social parlor in the Capitol’s shadow. And unlike a local library’s book club, this event doubles as a political fund-raiser.

For the book club’s members — an A-list of lobbyists from banks and insurance companies — the main attraction is access to the House Financial Services Committee. The cost of admission is a campaign donation to whichever committee member is playing host that month.