Dems find unlikely ally in business lobby (Chamber of Commerce)

[Robbien]

WASHINGTON - Freshman Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean, of Illinois, is facing the Republican Party machine in her re-election bid. Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have headlined money-raising events for her opponent. The National Republican Congressional Committee has budgeted $1.5 million to attack her.

But Bean has won an unexpected ally with clout to counter the Republican heavyweights: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Usually a stalwart of Republicans, the chamber has run about $700,000 in advertisements defending the Democrat and plans to help get out the pro-business vote for her in the fall.

Bean is among more than a dozen Democrats in key races across the country that the chamber is backing this year. Half of them also have benefited from the chamber's first-ever television ads for Democrats. Partly, the organization is rewarding these Democrats for votes in favor of free trade and other issues it holds dear. It also is sensing possible Republican defeats in congressional elections Nov. 7, and is hedging its bets by spreading some of the organization's wealth to the other side of the aisle.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/15586892.htm

Appears the vote for CAFTA (and other Big Business bills) are paying off for Bean.

[madrchsod]

1. bean is a true centrist democrat

of course her district is republican lite so they are compatible. i can see why the chamber would be hedging their bets and putting some money her way.. i take she isn`t going to lose the district..

[NewJeffCT]

2. Saw this in the Wall St Journal, too

What's next? The Club for Growth supporting Democrats, too?

[Robert Oak]

3. not a good sign

I'm sorry but who needs another Corpocrat and please don't give me this stuff about her district.

She got elected, beat an incumbent because Labor helped her enormously...so what does she do?

She screws 'em pronto.

So, here comes her new base, the Corporate donors.

That is just not the message Democrats want to put out there to the American people who are under assault by these corporate lobbyists
and special interests and that includes conservatives.

[Moderator]

4. duplicate

from Sept 22

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2525754