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(photo by gak)
I’ve had a lot of concerns about the neoliberal agenda that seems to drive much of what comes out of the White House. But if there’s been one strategy that I wholeheartedly concur with, it has been their effort to dismantle the Chamber of Commerce and disempower Fox.
The Chamber is the heart of the conservative beast. Although many associate it with their community chapters and local business, the national organization spent over a hundred million on lobbying alone last year. It was the Chamber who commissioned the Powell memo in the 70s, from which the modern right-wing infrastructure sprang. Fox has in recent years acted as its media arm.
And, this morning, we have Rahm’s Blue Dogs attacking the White House efforts:
“It’s a mistake,” said Rep. Jason Altmire, a moderate Democrat from western Pennsylvania. “I think it’s beneath the White House to get into a tit for tat with news organizations.”
Altmire was talking about the Obama administration’s efforts to undercut Fox News. But he said his remarks applied just the same to White House efforts to marginalize the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a powerful business lobby targeted for its opposition to climate change legislation.
Take it away, Brad Ellsworth:
Rep. Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, for example, has this testimonial from a Chamber official on his site: “On issues ranging from lowering taxes to increasing trade, Indiana’s businesses and workers have no better friend than Brad Ellsworth.”
Ellsworth got a $5,000 campaign contribution from the Chamber in the past election.
But, it isn’t all Blue Dogs. Here’s Progressive Caucus member Jim Moran:
“There’s no reason to gratuitously piss off all those companies,” added another Democrat, Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia. “The Chamber isn’t an opponent.”
Yeah, actually, they are the opponent. On everything from the environment to energy to labor issues, trade, and health care. That members of Congress don’t realize that isn’t a surprise. And I don’t mean that as a compliment.
And let’s find a reason for granting anonymity for this quote:
A senior House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity while questioning the wisdom of the White House strategy, said: “I have no problem with [going after] Rush at all. I don’t have much of a problem with Fox. I think the Chamber’s another story.”
Rush beats them up, but the Chamber can be relied upon to give them money when they put the “for sale” sign out.
The creation of Business Forward, a competitor to the Chamber that the White House has encouraged, is one of the smartest things I think they’ve done. It was launched in March and has been steadily picking off big companies from the Chamber ever since.
Sure we’ll end up fighting them, too, because business wants what’s good for business, over the interests of consumers. But the giant, monolithic power of the Chamber seriously needs to be dismantled. Their infrastructure is always going to default to helping the GOP and they’ve got enormous resources to do just that. If Rahm’s going to keep business money out of GOP coffers (something I support wholeheartedly, just not as a prime directive) taking apart the Chamber is imperative.
Somebody get the memo to the ConservaDems.
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The Chamber of Commerce is very conservative and not a friend to Dems at all – have never figured out why however. Let’s take them down.
The good ones (they do exist), those with outlooks that stretch beyond the 3 month mark, take a different view. For example, Apple just resigned from the Chamber of Commerce because of their opposition to the EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas limits.
Need to fix your style sheet or something. The headline on this post isn’t rendering as intended (at least not in the newest firefox).
Screenie: http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/7785/badrender.jpg
The officers and staff of the US Chamber of Commerce has been gradually taken over by conservatives to the point it is little more than a front group for the GOP, like the NRA and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Idiots used to be ashamed to exhibit their idiocy in public. Now they get elected to Congress. Is there no group beyond the pale for these guys?
Good timing, Jane. I informed my chamber membership director early this morning that I wasn’t going to be a member:
He wrote back that the local chamber acts independently of the U.S. Chamber and does not take part in how they operate, but did not mention anything about financial ties to the U.S. Chamber. I have asked if the local chamber contributes dues or other payments to the U.S. Chamber, but have not received a reply yet (as I just sent the email question).
Jane,
Glad to see you bring this up. Here in my small town in upstate New York, we have a terrific local chapter of the Chamber run by a smart and progressive guy, and he’s doing his best to make it clear that the various chapters around the country aren’t necessarily under the umbrella of the National Chamber. They have the option to join, but many of them don’t. Our local chapter has nothing to do with the corporate shills from the National chapter, and we are fiercely independent. I’m beginning to think that maybe we ought to drop the Chamber designation altogether and take up a new brand, just to avoid affiliation with those jerks.
hey Jane
some o/t caught over at Sargent’s place:
Liberal Groups take direct aim at Emanuel in letter
Veal Pen Gone Wild ?
Blue Texan’s regularly scheduled post is up: “Peggy Noonan: 9/11 Wasn’t Bush’s Fault, But the Great Recession is All Obama’s”
Will House Blue Dogs start appearing on teevee in silhouette and with voice-modifiers? Will House Blue Dogs ask their mechanics to disable the OnStar in their Buicks? Will House Blue Dogs ever stop being weenies?
“THE CHAMBER” thats a great way to brand them..just subtract the “of commerce” part and it goes from sounding like aunt bee’s ladies auxilliary partner to torquemadas secret dungeon. ie torture chamber, gas chamber, chamber of horrors, star chamber, etc.,
The Washington Press corps just declared their loyalty to Fox over the White House. The other 4 network reporters all refused to meet with a Treasury representative unless a Fox News reporter was included as well.
Well, that settles it — they’re all liberally biased!
I’m sure we can all remember the many, many instances when the Bush White House manipulated the press and the press totally rebelled! Remember how skeptical the liberal media was of Bush’s aircraft-carrier PR stunt? Anyone? Anyone?!?
Their not conservadems but republidems, and should be kicked out of the party, because their no good in it.
They patted these people on head like nice puppies for years, it’s time for them to behave or go to the pound.
Jane, it isn’t just the U.S. chamber, but American ones worldwide, I feel.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan sold out the ordinary American’s interest here a long time ago.
The most unappealing thing of theirs is this attitude that somehow they have the community’s interest at heart behind whatever they do. In reality, it is a very exclusive and elite group, and a very narrow agenda.