Obama Reaches Out to Chamber of Commerce

[somone]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/business/05obama.html

WASHINGTON — President Obama is moving to cool down his war with the United States Chamber of Commerce, one of the most bitter political feuds of the last two years...

This week, the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, met with the chief executive, Thomas J. Donohue, to discuss international economic issues. In his news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Obama came close to conceding the chamber’s main argument, that American businesses had concluded — wrongly, in Mr. Obama’s view — that his policies were antibusiness. “I think business took the message that, well, gosh, it seems like we may be always painted as the bad guy,” Mr. Obama told reporters. He acknowledged that a relationship with the business community had not been “managed by me as well as it needed to be.”...

In the news conference, Mr. Obama did not mention the chamber. But he seemed to suggest that his often-repeated goal of creating “new rules of the road” for business needed to be better balanced against a new appreciation for the need to buck up firms that were struggling in the faltering economy. “I’ve got to take responsibility in terms of making sure that I make clear to the business community as well as to the country that the most important thing we can do is to boost and encourage our business sector, and make sure that they’re hiring,” Mr. Obama said. “We do have specific plans in terms of how we can structure that outreach.”...

The administration official said the meeting with Mr. Donohue was “actually pretty constructive on the international economic front.” In an interview, Tami Overby, the vice president for Asia at the Chamber of Commerce, said she would give Mr. Obama “high marks” for his recent work to complete a trade pact with South Korea. Mr. Obama said his administration had already been “talking to C.E.O.’s constantly.”... In his remarks, Mr. Obama hinted at a new direction from the White House that could help reassure businesses. “I think setting the right tone publicly is going to be important,” he said, “and could end up making a difference at the margins in terms of how businesses make investment decisions.”

[Angry Dragon]

1. Right

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9482107

[SunsetDreams]

10. Well that just seems to contradict the OPs article, now doesn't it?

[Newsjock]

2. By declaring them enemy combatants?

One could hope. It wouldn't be inappropriate. Un-American bastards.

[Larkspur]

3. Sounds like Obama wants to be a one-term President

the Chamber of Commerce doesn't give a damn about this country and is willing to sell out the Middle Class for more money.

[SoCalDem]

4. Sure.. they'll "cool it down' NOW..after they have removed support he needed

they'll pretend to play ball, until closer to the next senatorial election, where republicans will easily add 8 or 9 senators to the "red"column..then it's all out war..

In 2014, republicans will add another 9 or 10, and it will be a generation before dems even have a chance at 50..

Don't believe me?

check the maps..

[Radical Activist]

6. huh

I see a number of Democratic pickup opportunities on that 2012 map. Especially since it will be another Presidential election year with Obama on the ballot. I'm looking at Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, plus maybe Tennessee and Texas if we recruit the right candidates.

We might lose a couple of blue-dog Democrats from Republican states and still end up with a more liberal Senate after pickups in other states. For example, if we lose Ben Nelson but also replace Scott Brown with a more liberal Democrat then we're coming out ahead.

[SoCalDem]

7. I see us taking back Massachusetts & maybe Maine...BUT

I also see us losing MT,ND,WI,OH,PA,VA,FL,NJ,NM

I know it's a presidential year, but after being flogged for 2 more years straight, it's hard to tell how enthusiastic people will be...and don't forget how many of those states are now have republican governors & secretaries of state .

There is also the issue of redistricting & many blue states losing electoral votes.

[Radical Activist]

12. You're way too pessimistic.

You're listing states as a loss that trend Democratic during Presidential election years and/or are becoming more demographically Democratic. There's no reason to think we're likely to lose Jim Webb, Sherrod Brown, Jeff Bingaman, or Bob Menendez. Several other states you mention only need the incumbent to run again or the recruitment of a good candidate. The Democrats most likely to lose are ones like Ben Nelson who we don't need anyway. I see a much better Senate after 2012.

There are also a few states where redistricting will be done by Dems, like Illinois, and some western states trending Democratic that will gain electoral votes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=508877&mesg_id=508877

[XemaSab]

5. .

:banghead:

[Zhade]

8. *facepalm*

He just. Doesn't. Learn.

[KT2000]

9. I sure wish

he (Obama) would stop apologizing and blaming himself.
Wonder what Donohue said after the meeting - to his pals.

[FrenchieCat]

11. Ooh shit!

He talked to somebody!

I don't know if I can support him after doing that! :wow:

Now let us speculate like good little unpaid pundits as to what this all means,
and what he will do, and why he shouldn't do it, and how he sold us out.....
cause hell, he's talking to somebody that we don't like....like he said he
would when we voted for him.

Unbelievable! :mad:

[Flubadubya]

14. The man has a history...

and it keeps growing... longer and stronger every day that he seems willing to give away the farm to the enemy.

Why shouldn't there be room for this kind of speculation?

If it looks like a duck... :shrug:

[JCMach1]

13. The Chamber pumped at least 20M against you and you are surrendering to them

:wtf:

The Chamber is the problem, not the solution!!!

Damn it!