NYT prints Chamber of Commerce letter: Recent Attacks on the Chamber

[ProSense]

Chamber Vows to ‘Ramp Up’ Political Activity


From the letter:

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October 12, 2010

To: U.S Chamber Board of Directors and Federation Partners
From: Tom Donohue
Subject: Recent Attacks on the Chamber

In recent days, the Chamber and other groups have been accused of using money derived from foreign sources to finance activities related to the upcoming elections. This is patently untrue. I welcome this opportunity to lay out the facts, explain why this is happening, and assure you of the Chamber’s response.

The charge was first made on an anti-business liberal blog called ThinkProgress, run by Obama transition co-chair John Podesta and funded in part by international financier George Soros. Once it appeared in the blogosphere, the report was then heavily promoted by Congressional Democrats and the White House and it received some mainstream media coverage.

By the end of last week, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and various Congressional leaders began repeating the accusation in campaign speeches, offering no facts or evidence to back up such a serious charge. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) produced a television ad on the topic. The President’s campaign grassroots operation, Organizing for America (now run by the DNC), issued a call to action amplifying the charge and decrying the role of money in politics—and then asked its members for political contributions. MoveOn.org has done the same thing.

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These tactics have been strongly criticized by many respected media organizations—including those who are not always friendly to business:

• The New York Times wrote: “But a closer examination shows that there is little evidence that what the chamber does in collecting overseas dues is improper or even unusual, according to both liberal and conservative election-law lawyers and campaign finance documents.” The paper goes on to note that “Organizations from both ends of the political spectrum, from liberal ones like the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the Sierra Club to conservative groups like the National Rifle Association, have international affiliations and get money from foreign entities while at the same time pushing political causes in the United States.”
  
• The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s FactCheck.org called this line of attack on the Chamber “a claim with little basis in fact.”
  
• An Associated Press “Spin Meter” analysis concluded: “The Obama administration and its allies are going all out against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and GOP-leaning groups, accusing them of using foreign money to help finance political ads. Trouble is, they’re providing no evidence.” The AP report also reminds us that political action committees (PACs), many comprised of employees of foreign-headquartered companies, also participate in elections. “Foreign-connected PACs have contributed more than $12 million to political candidates this election cycle, with more than half going to Democrats…” explains AP.
  
• The White House correspondent for MSNBC echoed the suggestion by a Baltimore Sun journalist that the smear tactics directed at the Chamber and others were “McCarthyesque.”
  
• When White House political operative David Axlerod was asked by CBS’ Bob Schieffer to back up the foreign money accusation, Axlerod offered no proof. Schieffer responded dismissively: “Is that the best you can do?”
  
• A Los Angeles Times report today suggests that the White House attacks on the Chamber are already backfiring, with moderate, pro-business Democrats expression their disapproval of the smear campaign.

Well, there is all the proof you need: media shills claiming the Chamber denied the allegations

[LiberalFighter]

1. Donohoe and his gang are hoes!!

Their argument is full of weeds that hoes can't dig out.

[otohara]

2. Even So, They Are The Outsourcing Leaders

Shipping jobs overseas is good for us, said Tom Donohue back in 2004 - American's will benefit greatly.

[flpoljunkie]

3. Weenies!

[Monk06]

4. Why are foreign companies allowed membership in the US Chamber of Commerce?

So foreign companies can have access to the USCCs
political lobbyists and campaign funding apparatus.

In other words the "dues" are foot in the door for
foreign business entities, whether government or
private, to influence US political campaigns.

They do this to ensure that no law is passed which
hurts their access to US markets or protects US
workers from foreign competition.

The USCC and many other so called business orgs
are becoming subsidiaries of ChinaCorp.

[tsuki]

5. Well, again proof that the pseudo-journalists remain out of touch.

"A Los Angeles Times report today suggests that the White House attacks on the Chamber are already backfiring, with moderate, pro-business Democrats expression their disapproval of the smear campaign."

I am a small business person, and a lot of my friends are small business people who think they are Republicons. We believe it, and we're pissed.