LOBBYISTS AND LOBBYS: First, Amazon ($9M) and Uber ($470K), then Boeing ($21.9M), Lockheed Martin ($13.7M), Northrup-Grumman ($12.3M), United Technologies (11.3M), General Dynamics ($10.3M), and Raytheon ($5.8M).

All are significantly higher than previous years, typically by a factor of two. Does anyone seriously think these companies would spend so much if they weren't trying to protect themselves from government? [Nice little company you've got here; too bad if something were to happen to it....]