I've tried to stay out of this one, but you guys finally hit my hot button.

Lobbying is a protected, constitutional right (a ligitimate one, unlike almost all forms of "entitlements" and other B.S. implemented in the past 75 or so years). If you send a letter to your congress person asking that they consider a proposal you make (like drilling in ANWR) you're a lobbyist. If a business entity is trying to keep congress from disadvantaging them by unfair and unnecessary legislation (like the phony "windfall tax" proposals) that's lobbying. The real problem isn't anyone/thing asking the government representatives to do or not do something, it's the representatives choosing to accept a "bribe" (large campaign donations, a house, a boat, cash, some favorable real estate deal, or anything else that benefits them) that is the problem. It's the voter's duty to fire the theiving bastard the next election............not condemning a constitutional right.

While we're on the constitution some of you need some more refresher. The President is not a unilateral powered dictator, the Congress and the Supreme Court are there to keep him/her in check.........and they do often, both correctly and incorrectly. Congress, not the President do the spending, all the President has is the power to present a budget and approve or disapprove budget and spending choices of the Congress. There's more that this whole thread has ignored about constitutional authority, but I've blown off enough steam for now.