Gag

by digby

When the Chamber of Commerce starts calling them heroes, you know they are servile industry lackeys. It’s a good shorthand:

Last time out, the chamber took a little while to get on board with the Party of No and Philip Morris (which was spearheading the anti-health care drive in order to head off tobacco taxes to pay for parts of the initiative ) had to apply lots of pressure:

[R]ather than mount a major campaign in its own name, Philip Morris Washington Relations Office (WRO), PM’s lobbying, Office, sought to mobilise conservative groups that it funded to defend the company’s interests. “The WRO is working behind the scenes with Citizens For A Sound Economy and other anti-tax groups to oppose the Clinton package. Specifically, through funding PM is providing, these groups are engaged in grassroots and/or public education efforts against the Clinton plan in districts of ‘wing Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee“.[…]
However, PM wasn’t having it all its own way as it had to develop a strategy to persuade the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that they should spring to the defense of the tobacco industry. Another internal PM document revealed the magnitude of the tensions with the peak industry groups. “As we all know, the Chamber has been all over the map, including on the wrong side, of this debate. However, we have been intensely lobbying them behind the scenes to “bring them in line” consistent with other major business organisations, especially on FET, but also on employer mandates”. [3] PM was impatient that the Chamber of Commerce was awaiting the results of a survey of members before deciding their position on the issue. … We should coalesce with other large corporate members of the chamber (who comprise just 10 of the membership but full 90% of the dues) to ensure not only that Chamber waffling be discontinued, but that the positions it takes be representative of its members interests. We are presently working on a strategy to accomplish this,” the memo stated.

That Lincoln ad shows that they are fully in the game this time. But they are starting to have some problems on another issue:

Last Monday, Apple announced that it would be quitting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of the Chamber’s opposition to global-warming legislation. And that was just the latest in a series of defections: in the past few weeks, the public-utility companies Pacific Gas & Electric, PNM Resources, and Exelon all announced that they’d be leaving the Chamber, while Nike quit the organization’s board of directors. Historically speaking, this is a positive exodus. The Chamber of Commerce won’t be going out of business anytime soon, of course: it still has three million members, mostly small businesses, and a gargantuan lobbying budget. Still, the decidedly public nature of these corporate departures—the companies made statements attacking the Chamber for obstructionism—complicates its claim to be representing the collective interests of American business. One of the great strengths of business lobbies in recent decades has been their ability to maintain a united front. Global warming has revealed fractures in that façade.

The story of the Chamber’s evolution from mainline business organization to Randian fundamentalist church is an interesting one. But their wingnut dogma may finally be costing them. I guess some of these big companies don’t think being a flat earther is in their best interests.

By the way, Blanche Lincoln’s constituents aren’t only hearing from the Chamber of Commerce right now. Blue America’s ads are running all over Arkansas as we speak. Thanks to you.

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