They don`t call him The Clown prince for nothing.  Mind you, if there is one thing that the left-liberal side of the political divide excels in it is the parsing of words (remember Clinton's "ìt depends what the meaning of is is"?) and the ability to practice cognitive dissonance as in this case arguing that preferential lobbying access does not lead to preferential influence.  On trivialities like growing the economy, spending within their means, and expending time and energy and money on things ordinary people actually care most about instead of frivolous and symbolic things, the left-lib folks are less, much less, impressive.