Possible Clues:

• Sell
• Marshal eased up, admitting Republican influence
• Used pear salad to twist her arm
• Sweet-talk -- dupes are converted
• Prevail upon journalist, a US agent, to turn
• In trouble, use padre's influence
• EU spread out to convince
• Each French writer holding universal sway
• Some invited a US Republican over for influence
• Twist somebody's arm, colloquially