In case anyone wonders why Reid thanked Chamber of Commerce prez Tom Donahue

[highplainsdem]

Yes, I know this is a right-wing rag, but this is the only thing I've found that explains it.

Notice this article was written a couple of days ago -- not after Reid thanked Donahue tonight.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/04/budget-battle-business-odds-tea-party

In budget battle, business at odds with the Tea Party
By: Timothy P. Carney 04/06/11 8:05 PM
Senior Political Columnist

-snip-

Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donahue twisted the arms of GOP lawmakers this week and then met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Dow Jones Newswires quoted Reid saying that Donahue "told more than 100 Republicans yesterday at an event that they were making a huge mistake shutting down the government." Business Roundtable head John Engler personally lectured Boehner on keeping government running for the sake of government contractors.

-snipping paragraph about the Tea Party toward austerity while the business lobby is opposed to spending cuts-

The chamber's role as a counterpoint to the Tea Party has always presented a potential rhetorical problem for Democrats. The White House tried to make the 2010 elections about Republican coziness to the chamber and other corporate lobbyists, while today business interests are aligned with the White House.

The contradiction stems from the divergent agendas of the Tea Partiers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The chamber supported Troubled Asset Relief Program, stimulus, cash for clunkers, green subsidies, and Obama's proposed new infrastructure spending -- all of which The Tea Party opposed.

Government contractors have been vocal in their fear of a shutdown. An executive at Army contractor Belzon in Huntsville, Ala., told a local reporter, "We will start losing money on day one" of a shutdown. While federal workers are compensated for wages lost during a shutdown, contractors' employees are not. Back in February, the Professional Services Council gathered hundreds of government contractors to come up with a strategy to deal with a shutdown.

-snip-

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. I believe the old Royal Navy toast was...

..."Confusion to our enemies!"

They sound confused this evening.

[Liberty Belle]

2. A similar thing has happened in California --

Some Chambers of Commerce, though not all, have backed Gov. Jerry Brown's budget plan which is far less radical than what the Republicans want. Shutting down the govt. is not good for business and it seems the Tea Party types have gone too far even for pro-corporate Republicans.

[highplainsdem]

3. I hadn't heard that but I just did some googling and found this:

http://studiocity.patch.com/articles/senator-pavley-responds-to-budget-impasse

SANTA MONICA, CA – Senator Fran Pavley (D-Santa Monica) issued the following statement today in response to news that Governor Jerry Brown has decided to halt budget negotiations:

-snip-

An all cuts budget, which could devastate education and public safety, is not acceptable. Business leaders in our state agree. The California Chamber of Commerce has rejected an all-cuts approach to closing the deficit. The California Small Business Association, California Black Chamber of Commerce, California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association all support placing the tax extension on a special election ballot.

-snip-

[Liberty Belle]

9. thanks. That's good to see.

[highplainsdem]

4. kick

[highplainsdem]

7. again

[blindpig]

5. True Power reveals itself. n/t

[highplainsdem]

6. Yes.

[highplainsdem]

8. kick