They pay this money on the expectation that the recipients, the elected politicians and their appointees, will not act contrary to their industry's interests. You might call the bundled contributions "tribute," because that's what they are. The Republicans get their share, smaller now that they'll be out of power, and the Democrats get theirs, larger now that they'll be in control.
Back in 2006, voters swept Democrats into control of Congress, expecting that they would force an end to the Iraq war. Disillusion wasn't long in coming, and it's hard on the heels of this change in administrations as well. Barack Obama is in a position where he must choose whom to disappoint: the progressives or the powers-that-be. If you're the kind of person who likes to make a wager, which group is the better to bet on - the more likely to have its interests served? Meantime, the economy shrivels, and the president-elect says things are going to get worse before they get better. If that's the case, we'll all soon be worrying about more important things than ideological fidelity.
