Whip notices and advisories to all party members about the legislative agenda are key products of both parties' whip organizations and are posted on each party's website.

DeLay mobilized his whip organization to ensure his deputy's election as speaker, and Democratic members are already wondering if Coach will be The Hammer's tool.

Mr. DeLay has expanded his whip organization from a vote-counting operation into a kind of political machine.

To carry out that role, he has assembled 64 colleagues into a whip organization that has been called one of the most effective in years.

At the news conference today, the leaders and the whip organization, ordinarily a loose and jovial crew, seemed solemn and intense.

A person present at today's meeting of the Democratic whip organization quoted Mr. Mrazek as saying: "My campaign has taken off like a rocket ship.

Mr. DeLay, whose role is to count votes, has the support of his 65-member whip organization.

Even with the artillery of his whip organization, he lost that vote.

But he is the one freshman who has been made a member of Mr. DeLay's whip organization, which counts Republican votes.

Such information is derived in part from the floor leader's contacts with his party's members serving on House committees, and with the members of the party's whip organization.