Lobbyists are at the heart of the system. Therefore they cannot be cut out.
For anyone who has ever heard the term “Washington insider” and felt outside — we are with you. So this week, we go inside the rooms where the deals get made, to the actual moment that the checks change hands — and we ask the people writing and receiving the checks what, exactly, is the money buying?
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/461/take-the-money-and-run-for-office