If This Doesn't Confuse You Nothing Will

It is well known that lobbyists have a great deal of influence over both congressional legislative outputs and actions taken by government bureaucracies.  It is also well known that lobbying produces results for its customers (not the public at large).  What is not well known by the public is "exactly" what is the nature of lobbying and disclosure of financial benefits by whom derived from lobbying.  That we don't know the answer to this question is rooted in a maize of federal laws.  Another question worthy of an answer is why the public is kept in the dark.  The contents of the linked article documents an extraordinarily confusing web, one which I think is allowed to exist because it benefits those involved.  What you will likely realize after reading this article is that you are not suppose to understand the arrangement between the government, government contractors and their lobbyists.  Otherwise, it would have been corrected long ago. 

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/thank-you-for-contacting-nsa-we-do-not-have-anything-for-you-93752_Page3.html  

George Burns