YES! They are very powerful especially if they link to your site from your blog. It is the most relevant content you can ever have linking to your site. Build back-links to your blog and now it will use the power of the whole site and rank well fast. Articles are just as powerful.

No one really has a special relation, the best you can do is read google guide lines and remember they lie! I do send emails to them and they do answer some times, but theywill never give you top secret advice. Most of the answers you will find under google guide lines.