I, too, have worked with a lobbyist some as I was working on an education-related federal funding proposal. I know that's how the system is set up right now. They provide the squeak to the wheels of the pork truck. Unfortunately, if you don't have one working for your cause, no matter how worthy or important, you're not likely to be on the radar of your senator. Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that the more money you have, the better the lobbyist you can afford, and that sort of flies in the face of a lot of federal funding that's supposed to help areas that need it most. The ones who need it most can't afford the kind of lobbyist it takes to slide right into the life of a senator. Obviously, Biden's son, because he can easily bend the ear of a senator or two due to his family connections, can command a high fee.

My gut tells me that this is the very sort of thing Palin would clean up were she positioned to do so. As veep, that won't remotely be her purview, but I'd wager that the things that drove her to clean house within her own party in AK were similar in nature to this. Every place seems to have a good ole boys network!