Originally a term used to explain or describe someone that spends time waiting on the lobby of the House or the Senate in hopes of getting an elected officials attention because the alternatives were few, no phones etc.

In the modern age:
1. It gives the elected official a way to get money to finance their re-election campaigns and keep out incumbents.
2. It allows corporations and organizations a way to stack the deck in their favor without any regard toward social responsibility.
3. It can be used as a sophisticated way to keep the Congress busy with mundane tasks so that the Oligarchy can continue narrowing the power toward despotism.