Machiavellian, Rasputin, Svengali, VIP, access, bad influence, behind-the-scenes operator, big wheel, court, eminence grise, finagler, five-percenter, friend at court, gamesman, good influence, gray eminence, heavyweight, hidden hand, influence, influence peddler, influencer, ingroup, key, lobby, lobbyist, logroller, lords of creation, machinator, man of influence, manipulator, open sesame, operator, pork-barrel politician, powers that be, pressure group, sinister influence, special-interest group, special interests, strategist, the Establishment, very important person, wheeler-dealer, wire-puller