Lobbyist? They are OK IMHO. I know I'll get maligned for saying this, but if you are open minded enough to read the following, I'd be gracious.
Lobbyist existed to be publicists hired by special interest groups. Not all special interest groups are bad. There are telecommunications, electric, railway, aviation and agricultural business that can't function without dealing with government on the daily basis. They represent interest to a large chunk of population, not just business owners, shareholders and CEOs, but also people who work in industries.
Labors Unions also hire lobbyists, although they might not use the name. There are also other kinds of special interest groups who rather label themselves as "activists" such as those for global warming prevention or wild life preservation. They, too, hire publicists to advance their agenda in Washington DC.
Lobbyist are highly regulated by US law. You have to register, and made public of who you are representing and how much is spent on what. Contrary to some other "activist" groups under US tax code 527, lobbying is actually less corrupt and more open.
In a democracy, you are allowed to stand up and defend your own interests. Politicians chose their career to grab power by the means through government positions. They are not naturally bound to serve you, and, in most case, will glad to screw you through tax and social-justice agenda. Lobbyists are not the problem. The problem is power. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.