Say hello to the US Chamber of Commerce. Or don’t; they’re coming to sit down at the table any which way.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is building a large-scale grass-roots political operation that has begun to rival those of the major political parties, funded by record-setting amounts of money raised from corporations and wealthy individuals.
[snip]
The new grass-roots program, the brainchild of chamber political director Bill Miller, is concentrating on 22 states. Among them are Colorado, where incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is vulnerable; Arkansas, where Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln faces an uphill reelection battle; and Ohio, where the chamber sees opportunities in numerous House races and an open Senate seat.
The network, called Friends of the U.S. Chamber, has been used to generate more than a million letters and e-mails to members of Congress, 700,000 of them in opposition to the Democratic healthcare plan. That is an increase from 40,000 congressional contacts generated in 2008.
The article goes on to note that the CoC’s grassroots planning recently got a big boost from the recent Citizens’ United case, as well as that this organization is increasingly publicly acknowledging that ‘pro-business growth’ means ‘pro-Republican.’ And why would that be? Probably because of Democratic assaults like this one:
A Democratic aide says a new provision in the health care bill will require businesses to count part-time workers when calculating penalties for failing to provide coverage.
Via Hot Air, and that particular sudden addition to the health care bill should have the same effect on small business growth as would, say, a load of buckshot to the face. Remember, folks: the current ruling party of this country is largely led by people who have never worked for a living in their lives – and by God, does it show sometimes! Keep this in mind when opening your checkbooks, because the business community certainly plans to…
Moe Lane
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
*HOW* can they do this? How is it Constitutional?
yoyo (Diary) Tuesday, March 9th at 12:16PM EST (link)Isn’t the Senate Bill ALREADY voted for? How can they insert an amendment into a bill that is already passed?
Wouldnt the inclusion of this amendment (or any other) require that the whole she-bang go back to the Senate for another up/down vote? Or at the very least, allow the Senate to Amend this to Death – FINALLY?
Without coming back to the Senate, the Bill would be unconstitutional, yes?
Just Checking. Dan, can you help me out here? Rule check, please!
Nemo me impune lacesset
“No one will provoke me with impunity!”
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Pukin’ Dogs – The Fighting 143
Sans Reproache
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The ‘yoyo’ replaced my cigarettes January 22, 2006….
That's what "reconcilliation" is all about.
The_Gadfly (Diary) Tuesday, March 9th at 12:25PM EST (link)See, this is a cost cutting measure. Without it, they won’t have enough money to cover the bills, so the reconcilliation rules apply, and they only need 51 votes for that.
….
No, I don’t really believe that either, but you can better a year’s salary that’s how they’ll sell it. Assuming of course you can find someone dumb enough to take the wager.
"Cost Cutting?" Really? Smells of "Policy" to me.
yoyo (Diary) Tuesday, March 9th at 12:33PM EST (link)But, I *do* have a head cold, so my sniffer may be broken.
OR, more likely, it just stinks.
I say they should start reconcilling the bill with the Constitution and go forward from there.
But, I AM a little bit “old fashioned.” *Tradition and Patriotism* and all that.
Nemo me impune lacesset
“No one will provoke me with impunity!”
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Pukin’ Dogs – The Fighting 143
Sans Reproache
=============================
The ‘yoyo’ replaced my cigarettes January 22, 2006….
George Washington
hickorystick (Diary) Tuesday, March 9th at 1:32PM EST (link)led the Rebellion, because England was infringing upon his interests. George Washington wasn’t that political a guy. He did maintain his ‘interest’ very sharply. He was one of the wealthiest Colonials, and he was constantly irritated with England imposing laws and restrictions impinging on his ‘interest’. He chose his wife, Mary, not for her looks, but because she had a lot of land. I get so frustrated with politics because most of the time, especially media time, is spent talking about nebulous things which we have no power or control over. We would do well to frame every bill in terms of how it affects ‘interests’. You cannot walk into court and ask for something, unless you can prove an ‘interest’ or ‘standing’. We should do the same in our political fights, sticking to our right to maintain property. That is what we fought over in the revolution. Remember, we didn’t bother to write a Constitution till some years after we had won the war. The form of government that came most naturally after the victory, was a Continental Congress. This form left most issues to the states, where property could best be protected. If we want to effectively fight this Redistibutor-in-Chief, We better start focusing on our own interest and that of our states.
Wow...
tdpwells Tuesday, March 9th at 3:09PM EST (link)So let’s see, that’s most employees at fast food restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, corner pharmacy stores like CVS and Walgreens, etc etc etc…
Unemployment ought to be at a healthy 30% by the time they’re done. Nice.
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I do not believe that the power and duty of the General
Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual
suffering which is in no manner properly related to the
public service or benefit…to the end that the lesson should
be constantly enforced that though the people support the
Government, the Government should not support the people.
Grover Cleveland (16 February 1887)