Armand's & Lobbying

Sunday and Monday were both pretty lazy days.  The highlight on Sunday was having some delicious pizza at Armand's Chicago Pizzeria with Pete and his friend that visited from home.  Why has nobody from Wisconsin come to visit out here yet?!?!?!  Monday we had a panel discussing their role as lobbyists for their respective organizations.  It was an interesting discussion, as lobbying is considered a four-letter word of sorts outside of the beltway.  The way they presented their occupations puts a softer image on it than what the general public perceives.  One of the panelists pointed how politicians are highly unlikely to read and research the topics that they are voting on enough to fully comprehend them, so lobbyists see themselves as educators in a sense; Jack Abramoff was just a bad egg.  I wasn't fully convinced, but I do see the purpose of their role, and as Richard pointed out in the question that he asked, they may be a necessary function in a pluralist system.  Just in case though, maybe the amount of dinners they can provide members of Congress ought to remain limited.