Like most people you really have no idea of how the system works and instead have this perverted view, which isn’t surprising. As one of the people that you would consider to be a “briber” I can tell you that there is no such thing as a gift or a bribe. I give campaign cash to all sorts of people and nearly all of them have fucked me over at one point or another on an issue. I can also tell you that the one thing candidates like better than money is people out going door to door, making calls and canvassing for them, and no one mobilizes better than a union. Corporations aren’t putting boots on the ground, but labor unions can offer you thousands of people our knocking on doors, which they couple with all of the cash they give.