The Daily 202: The U.S. Chamber wants to disentangle its brand from the GOP and hopes to rebuild the

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

THE BIG IDEA: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, navigating dramatic cultural change that’s transforming the worlds of politics and business, plans to become less aligned with the Republican Party than it has been for decades.

The largest and most powerful corporate lobbying group in Washington is changing the way it evaluates lawmakers for the first time in 40 years, launching a $250 million capital campaign to remodel its headquarters and even rethinking its approach to regulation.

Several dues-paying companies have balked as the Chamber endorsed fewer and fewer Democrats over the past several election cycles. The GOP’s drift toward protectionism, nativism and isolationism since Donald Trump took over the party in 2016 is also at odds with the Chamber’s longtime support for expanding free trade, growing legal immigration and investing in infrastructure.

The Chamber’s major strategic shift, outlined here for the first time based on a series of exclusive interviews with its leaders, grew out of more than two years of intensive conversations. The deliberations began in earnest shortly after Trump became president but long before the Democratic takeover of the House in the midterms ushered in divided government.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2019/04/25/daily-202-the-u-s-chamber-wants-to-disentangle-its-brand-from-the-gop-and-hopes-to-rebuild-the-center/5cc08e551ad2e52459e24671/?utm_term=.71c3da8f9af4&wpisrc=nl_daily202&wpmm=1

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Donald Trump = "bad for business"?

[comradebillyboy]

1. A positive trend I hope. Because capitalism isn't going away.

[3Hotdogs]

11. But we ain't got capitalism. We got fascism (Corporatism is the American form of fascism).

[comradebillyboy]

12. Capitalism and fascism, while not incompatible, are not the same thing.

[Marthe48]

2. House is pursuing investigations

for the benefit of all citizens. The chamber should also represent all citizens in local businesses , not just repukes.

[Merlot]

3. The C of C is a lobbying group, just like the NRA

in that they can represent who ever they wish. They are not a government entity.

I would never join the C of C for that very reason - they support republicans. There are a couple of alternative Chambers, I think one is Green, the other might be Whole or Wholistic.

So, good on the C of C for changing direction, it's long overdue. Will have to see them backing at least 50% democratic candidates before I would consider joining.

[Marthe48]

9. Ty for clarifying

We'd be better off without the special interests representing part of a group.

[not fooled]

4. Huh

this is surprising considering how much damage the CoC has done in the recent past by pushing policies that hurt most Americans by pursuing unfettered predatory capitalism.

[Greybnk48]

5. F*ck the C of C. They've been horrid in Wisconsin

working with Scott Walker for years and Vos/Fitzgerald alliance. I hope they go down.

[Grins]

6. "Donald Trump "bad for business?" Why the question mark? NM

[NCjack]

7. Another C of C trick to get DEMs to go easy on their leadership

in guiding the GOP to screw the small business owners and the poor.

[beachbum bob]

8. US Chamber of Commerce no friend of democrats, working class americans

[JudyM]

10. Good news. They've been growing a deeper presence in CSR with conferences, etc. so maybe the

execs are getting a bit more enlightened.

Not holding my breath that they’ll adopt progressive positions, but any movement left by this GOP stalwart is good for us.

[Justice]

13. For real change need change in leadership - Tom Donohue should go

Tom is the one who cozied up to the GOP. Not credible for him to be the one leading effort to uncouple from them.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. Too late.

[cstanleytech]

15. To late imo as they and their support helped bring people like Trump rise to power and now they are

just upset that the crop they sowed and were hoping to reap has a bunch of weeds in it.

[Nitram]

16. Fuck the Chamber of Commerce. They are a bunch of smug right wing capitalists who fight

every progressive idea that comes along and always make campaign donations for big business over citizens.

[stuffmatters]

17. 'Bout time CoC realized self defeating to impoverish majority of customers & destroy the planet.

[McKim]

18. They KNow Which Way the Wind Blows

So now they know which way the wind blows. They have besmirched their name and alienated many. This is an encouraging sign that it is no longer acceptable to support extreme right opinions.