White House confronts the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

[TomCADem]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Washington - The Obama White House, stepping in where other Democrats feared to tread, has launched a potentially risky fight with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- attempting to bypass the nation's most powerful business organization and develop independent ties to corporate America.

In recent weeks, President Obama, his Energy secretary and one of his other most senior advisors have begun criticizing the chamber publicly, casting it as a profligate lobbying organization at odds with its members in opposing the administration on such issues as consumer protection and climate change.

At the same time, the administration has been meeting privately with prominent corporate leaders -- more than 60 of them since June -- in an effort to develop its own pipeline to the business community.

The White House also has gone out of its way to cultivate another corporate group, the Business Roundtable, which is much smaller than the chamber but represents chief executives of many of the nation's largest corporations.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-chamber25-2009oct25,0,2759556.story?track=rss

[safeinOhio]

1. Will the Chamber become

the rights' ACORN? They sure promote free trade over fair trade.

[Brickbat]

2. This would be so much awesome.

[Captain Hilts]

3. This is great. nt

[bertman]

4. Not as risky as the Times implies. Lots of companies are dropping out of the Chamber Pot.

The organization has become such a right-wing mouthpiece that it's alienating millions of American businesses.

This is a good fight to pick. Let the Chamber Pot show itself for the ideologically fascist organization that it is.

[glinda]

8. Like Walfart. They are Fascist to the max.

[DallasNE]

5. Karl Rove Light

Chamber President Tom Donohue has abandon the Chamber's charter and taken it into a completely political direction. This direction pits business groups against one another, causing several to drop membership. It also puts the national organization at odds with many of the local affiliates. The other thing it does is it makes Donohue the issue rather than the business community the Chamber is supposed to represent.

Something I have to wonder is whether Karl Rove wrangled to get Donohue in as President of the Chamber for the specific purpose of turning it into a wing of the national GOP. Regardless, the tactic is now backfiring and it seems only a matter of time before the Chamber board asks for Donohue's resignation. Right now Donohue is toxic to the goals of the Chamber affiliates, who are the bread and butter of the national organization.

[elleng]

7. I wonder whether this is really a surprise;

Donohue was a trucker, after all, not exactly a 'Chamber' type.

[underpants]

6. "feared" "risky" sounds like anyone daring not to suck up to the NRA

which is pretty much the reason the Feds have punted any gun control down to the states and localities

OOOH! he is so brave he DARE take on the Chamber of Commerce doesn't he KNOW how the media hasn't even developed a book on what to report on them??

[New Dawn]

9. The "US Chamber of Commerce" is merely an instrument of the super-rich.

[Cha]

10. Thank you, President

Obama and Team!