Business Fights Back (Tom Donohue of Chamber of Commerce)

Wall Street Journal ^ | October 23, 2009 | Kimberley A. Strassel

[reaganaut1]

"One thing I can tell you: They can go out and chase me and chase the Chamber and put stuff in the newspaper. It only . . . drives more and more support. . . . You think we are going to blink because a couple of people are out shooting at us? Tell 'em to put their damn helmets on."

Them's fighting words, all the more so when delivered in the feisty, New York accent of U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue. The 71-year-old was recruited 12 years ago in order to revitalize a drifting business lobby. And the gregarious chief hasn't disappointed: He's grown the Chamber's membership, tripled its budget, transformed its lobby shop, and increasingly thrust it into the political fray. Most recently he's ginned up opposition to union "card check," the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plans to regulate carbon emissions, and parts of the proposed financial overhaul.

The Obama administration's response has been to treat the Chamber like it has Fox News Channel: with brass knuckles. It has launched a campaign to undermine the organization by making CEOs think twice about associating with it.

...

"I did an interview a couple of week ago, and somebody said, 'Well, the White House says that you've become Dr. No and you are going to lose your seat at the table.' And I said, 'The White House doesn't give out the seats at the table. The seats at the table go to the people who have a rational policy, who have strong people to advance that policy, that have a strong grass-roots system, that have the assets to support their program, and that are willing to play in the political process,"

[reaganaut1]

I'm glad the Chamber of Commerce is fighting card check and the EPA's plans to regulate carbon emissions, but its support of the stimulus and cash-for-clunkers shows that it is unprincipled.

[Loud Mime]

Face it, our new president is declaring war on everybody except those who need to be fought.

[native texan]

Maybe they tried the “Can’t we all just get along?” policy and found it doesn’t work. Now they are fighting mad.

[Pietro]

".....but its support of the stimulus and cash-for-clunkers shows that it is unprincipled."

Its simply self-interest. Someone's writing checks and they want a piece of the action.

I'd call it short sighted and now they're learning why. All that money came w/ major strings attached.

Hopefully this is a wake-up call for them.

[Ganndy]

Hopefully this is a wake-up call for them

As it is becoming for the rest of those who initially supported The Change

[rae4palin]

Very encouraging. I might have to give a donation to the Chamber.

[parthian shot]

Face it, our new president is declaring war on everybody except those who need to be fought.

_______________________

I think it’s just the “bully syndrome.” That is, he won’t fight anybody that they think will fight back. Sometimes he gets surprised. All he has to say to the Republicans is... BOO! They run off crying. He has built his entire adminstration on the ‘bully syndrome” and the Republicans have let him do it!