Humans possess the innate talent for greed, cheating, lawbreaking, and exploitation. And lobbyists are human, aren’t they? A whole industry has been created and lobbyists have become an institution with massive influence. The courts have interpreted what lobbyists do as free speech. But we know that what they do isn’t free.

Special interests spend billions to control a government that is ever willing to be influenced for the right price. Studies show that lobbyists have been “spectacular investments” yielding “blistering” returns. A 2009 study found returns on lobby investments as high as 22,000 percent. That’s as hard to wrap my mind around as a trillion dollars.

Lobbyists are writing laws, influencing Congressional votes and providing the subject and material for media talking points. Few special interest groups are without some form of lobbying. This includes homosexuals, terrorists, illegal immigrants, gun owners, animals etc. Lobbyists only work for those willing to dig deep. However, some groups have no lobby support. The poor (no money). The middle class (no unity). The children (no voice).

However, the 2010 elections were an anomaly. A sizable portion of the American middle class confronted the “political establishment” and the lobbyists and threatened their power. Since then, the American middle class has been heinously attacked and undermined. How dare those peons (us)

question our power and our use of their money! Think we got their attention?

Woodrow Wilson said: “The government, which is designed for the people, has got into the hands of the bosses and their employers, the special interests. An invisible empire has been set up above the forms of democracy.”

Could it be? Do we have an unelected, out of control, fourth branch of government? What shall we call it? What fits with Executive, Judicial, Congressional? I’ve got it… Carpetbagature. Woe is me.