The Board Of The ‘Voice Of Business’ Is A Republican Money Machine
The Board Of The ‘Voice Of Business’ Is A Republican Money Machine
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which purports to be “the voice of business,” is run by a Republican money machine. As the nation’s largest lobbying shop, the Chamber is spending millions of dollars from its corporate members against President Obama’s progressive agenda of health care, energy, and financial reform. The Chamber claims that the “board’s membership is as diverse as the nation’s business community itself,” but this is false. A ThinkProgress analysis of federal election contribution data compiled by the LittleSis project has found that the Chamber’s 116-member board of directors has given more than six times as much money to Republican candidates and committees ($4,741,747) as it has to Democrats ($778,282), with $1,074,697 flowing to corporate political action committees:
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| Source: Center for American Progress Action Fund, from Federal Election Commission data compiled by the LittleSis project of the Public Accountability Initiative. |
The top beneficiary of this outpouring of conservative cash is the Republican National Committee, which has received over ten times as much money from the Chamber’s board as the Democratic National Committee — $1,257,201 versus $102,950. Contributions went 4.5 to 1 for John McCain ($373,150) versus Barack Obama ($82,150).
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| Source: Center for American Progress Action Fund, from Federal Election Commission data compiled by the LittleSis project of the Public Accountability Initiative. |
Of the board’s 116 members, 96 have made major political contributions. Sixty-eight directly contributed to the campaigns of George W. Bush or John McCain. In contrast, only 27 gave to the campaigns of Al Gore, John Kerry, or Barack Obama. Forty-seven board members, including Chamber of Commerce president Tom Donohue, have contributed more than 90 percent to Republicans, averaging $74,634 in GOP contributions. Only seven members have contributed more than 90 percent to Democrats, averaging $3,529 to Democrats.
The political giving is dominated by leading Republican billionaire George Argyros, the Bush pioneer who served a disastrous term as the U.S. ambassador to Spain. Argyros is also one of the top backers of Newt Gingrich’s right-wing American Solutions for Winning the Future. The following visualization of Chamber of Commerce board member contributions is a sea of red surrounding a few small islands of blue. The size of each box is proportional to amount of total contributions per person, with the shading indicating percentage of Republican versus Democratic contributions:
The Chamber’s Board: A Right-Wing Money Machine
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| Source: Center for American Progress Action Fund, from Federal Election Commission data compiled by the LittleSis project of the Public Accountability Initiative. |
Cross-posted at the Wonk Room.
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Makes sense – money and death are two favorites for republiscum.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:03 pmOur company recognized this obvious trend years ago and left our local Chamber. At the time, I told them I couldn’t support an organization actively working to elect Republicans to office. Why should I? Besides, what has the Chamber ever done for small business? Little or nothing. They represent the interests of large corporations.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:08 pmpretty damning statistics. Unfortunately, we will likely never see these charts shown on CNN, etc.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:13 pm#3 you’re correct, and very few (if any) from the left will even mention it.
God I wish the Dems would get a backbone and fight back. We have a few who speak up, but for the most part our side just turns the other cheek.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:31 pmThis is not all that surprising. I wonder what other money trails lead from the RNC? I wonder how much Faux News gave to John McCain’s presidency and/or the RNC?
Everything dwindles down to money. Follow the money trail and you will find the real people behind all the troubles of this country.
Simply put: conservatives don’t as much stand for principles as much as they stand for whoever pays them the most.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:39 pmFunny that they think Soros and Acorn can compete with this….
The only way republics can compete is if there is no competition.
☮
November 14th, 2009 at 12:41 pmGreat work Think Progress. This is a nice confirmation of what we all suspect.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:42 pmtexasrick says, “God I wish the Dems would get a backbone and fight back. We have a few who speak up, but for the most part our side just turns the other cheek.”
Waiting for people like President Obama, Harry Reid, or Nancy Pelosi to fight for us is a waste of time. You have to get out there and do it yourself. And sometimes, in order to get their attention, you have to kick the Democrats we elected in the rear end, too.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:46 pm12% to Democrats…that many DINO’s?
November 14th, 2009 at 12:52 pmdelafield, we have to be careful though.
Things like Dennis Kusinich voting against the house health care reform bill can throw people if they don’t know the facts.
A vote against it ≠ not being a proponant of health care reform.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:54 pmFred says, “Things like Dennis Kusinich voting against the house health care reform bill can throw people if they don’t know the facts.”
That’s true, Fred. Senator Feingold said that if the “health care reform bill” doesn’t contain a strong public option, he’s going to vote against it, too.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:11 pmGee, now there is a real surprise…
Ever so slightly O/T:
November 14th, 2009 at 1:30 pmAmericans need fair trade with the rest of the world. Currently, the Japanese levy a 30% tariff tax on automobiles exported from the United States, while we charge a 0% tariff tax on automobiles imported from Japan. Fair and balanced? No. We need to level the playing field in trade. Getting the health care insurance monkey off the backs of American businesses would be another step forward to make our exports more competitive in the world markets. We need to set up tariffs against Chinese-made shoes so that they cost the same amount as American-made shoes available to American consumers.
Nothing With a Face says:
That’s pretty funny. What does it say for a party(☠
November 14th, 2009 at 1:30 pm) that they must pin their future on someone else’s failure and nothing else?
Nothing (#14) – Thanks for the (off-topic) link. Fox News, when viewed from the aerial view of reality is pathetic. For those on ground level who use it as a sole source of news though are damned to not know what they’re talking about. At least the post-Health Care vote uprise in stocks wasn’t called a “Bush Bump” like when the Dow first re-cracked the 10,000 mark.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:32 pmI think it’s hilarious that they are pouring all of this money in and it’s having no effect.
They complain about being taxed but at least when you pay taxes you get something for your money.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:36 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
I think ‘Voice of Business’ is an understatement.
I would say ‘Hummer of Big Business’
November 14th, 2009 at 2:20 pmWe’re still mouthing off about ACORN when we voted against recognizing the stupidity inherent in sending a rape case to arbitration, for a firm receiving in one year more than ACORN will in all of our lifetimes combined? Man we suck.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:23 pmSo you admit that what the rnc is doing is madness, you would just like to project that onto Acorn if you could. That about it?
Sad that you think that Acorn is as illegal and illigitimate as the gop.
Equally odd is that you attempt to lie and say they compare in size in scope.
It just shows your lack of ability to grasp reality and it shows, especially in the last two election cycles.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:26 pmby the way 卐duke卐, the Acorn debacle will soon be biting you in the a$$.
It was illegal and even if it holds, your programs will fall because of how broadly the law was written.
Sucks to be you.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:30 pmComes as no surprise. The US Chamber is interested in “what is good for business” and rarely, if ever, is interested in what happens to the nation or its people. The local chamber in our community has often been blinded by pro-business stances even when in direct conflict with what is good for the environment or communities.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:43 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Fred, your mastery of NCR makes the posts even more interesting! Thanks.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:54 pmRebelscum882, what’s odd is that using your guidlines the economy just crashed…..irony?
using your guidlines the economy and business boomed in the Clinton era. Also the debt clock, you know, the National debt? That clock was running backwards.
In summary, what you said is historically eronious.
Sucks to be you too.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:56 pmebband, I picked Toasterheads brain the other day.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:58 pmThe economy boomed in the Clinton era? Sure did… and guess what, I am a fan of Bill Clinton. What was it that Greenspan said? Bill Clinton is the best Republican president of the past 50 years? I would love to have a moderate Democrat president and a Republican House again.
Regulation hurts small businesses more than anyone else. It strangles the little guy but barely hurts the big guy. (Applies to basically everything but anti-trust law)
November 14th, 2009 at 3:04 pmDemocrats are the party of higher taxes, more regulation and a thicker social safety net. The first two hurt small businesses and the last one doesn’t help them. No **** they aren’t going to support the Democrats.
If the great GOP is so dearly wonderful and inspiring for business, why does job creation typically do better under democrat administrations?
November 14th, 2009 at 3:05 pmIn other words, post hoc ergo propter hoc.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:09 pmRegulation hurts small businesses more than anyone else. It strangles the little guy but barely hurts the big guy. (Applies to basically everything but anti-trust law)
Wrong. Regulation is LAW. Isn’t the republican party for the RULE of LAW?
Another reason the great GOP has no purpose at the table of the health care debate: Health care costs are, in actuality, hurting small businesses the most and leaving affordability open to the largest corporations only. They don’t want to understand that to be the case. They’d rather post a diversion. There is no REGULATION in place now that health insurance comapnies are raising premiums by the minute on individuals and small businesses.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:11 pmMr Duke
You are a liar and you are both astonishingly stupid and exceedingly brainwashed. Doenst it embarass you to be so stupid and gullible? Do you enjoy lapping up the mindless Dreck that Rush tells you to think? I mean even YOU cant be so stupid you dont understand how utterly ignorant it makes you look to regurgitate such inane stupidity.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:16 pmBy the way, TP was taking issue with the claim that the “board’s membership is as diverse as the nation’s business community itself,” so, Rebel, don’t mistake TP’s argument against yet another GOP ATM machine for your usual “libs r anti-buzniss” talking point. Likewise, don’t mistake your party’s cares for the boardrooms across America as being a conduit for job creation, innovation, etc., as that work is done down the line for your greedsters to reap.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:18 pmYou’re not listening. You and your cut taxes for the rich and de-regulate idiots just bankrupted the country.
By the way, where is that era of prosperity that you promised in exchange for those things?
de-regulation hurts everyone. The notion that the free market economy will provide better quality and prices is a bad joke on you.
If it were true then where are my competitive prices and high quality for health care, a nearly unregulated industry.
You talk a good fight but it’s the same failed trickle down economics that even republicans call voodoo economics.
Time to wake up and smell the reality.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:18 pmRebelSTUPID
Just how ignorant and brainwashed do you have to be to spew such stupidity in public? The GOP is the party of starting wars for profit, starving children and brainwashing the most ignorant sheeple on the planet like you CLEARLY are. Your repition of what the screechmonkeys who do your thinking for you told you to think shows you are a very GOOD propaganda parrot. Mindless and stupid but you spew on command as well as any Chatty Kathy doll. Congratulations and thanks. I love to laugh at morons as stupid as you
November 14th, 2009 at 3:19 pmRebelSTUPID
You are like the classic rock of brainwashed stupidity and rightwing talking points. Regulation is bad he says AFTER the easing of regulations gave us both the Savings and loan debacle and the most current economic meltdown. Obviously RebleSTUPID shows there are sheeple out there so incredibly ignorant that reality will NEVER mean as much to them as their beloved talking point inspired delusions
November 14th, 2009 at 3:22 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Clinton’s economy was good. In one term, Carter oversaw the creation of 10 million jobs despite the rampant inflation he picked up. Reagan did 16 million in two terms. But income inequality, namely the proportion of CEO/worker pay, skyrocketed. So Carter goes unmatched despite the longstanding myth that Reagan was the savior from the antagonist Carter.
The best economic period, however, was the 60s, when Kennedy and Johnson were in office. War on Poverty – remember that? Too bad Nixon dismantled much of it when he took office and endorsed the for-profit model for healthcare that has done wonders for small bidness.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pmRebelscum882, you’re still not lisenting. actual market competition without the public option is what we have now and it’s failing, you said so yourself.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:25 pmLMFAO “RebelSTUPID” really? How old are you bud?
RebelSTUPID
You are like the classic rock of brainwashed stupidity and rightwing talking points. Regulation is bad he says AFTER the easing of regulations gave us both the Savings and loan debacle and the most current economic meltdown. Obviously RebleSTUPID shows there are sheeple out there so incredibly ignorant that reality will NEVER mean
Savings and Loan debacle in a nutshell: Government regulation gives special protection to S&L industry. Government protection is removed. S&L industry fails. The crisis wouldn’t have occurred if you had not given the industry special status in the first damned place.
And the current economic crisis will be debated for years and years to come. People STILL debate what the cause of the great depression was. (And last I checked, our Fed Chairman agrees with the Friedman/Schwartz idea that it was Federal Reserve incompetence)
November 14th, 2009 at 3:26 pmRebelSTUPID says SKKWWWWAAAAAAK regultion bad SKWWWWAAAAAKKKKK market competition SKWWWWAAAAAKKKKKK. Yeah that magic marketplace where someone made MONEY by selling a pinto Ford KNEW was going to kill people, another corporation paved over a toxic waste dump and sold it as a housing project called Love Canal. Those regulations were the problem there. Rebel you are just brainwashed and stupid. You have been wound up by Rush and regurgitate the stupid on demand. A whole lot of our economy is public cost and risk turned into private profit. Market competition is what healthcare has HAD. It is what made our healthcare all about no preventative care and the best catastrophic care around. That is where the higher profit margin is. It is why we pay the MOST per capita for our healthcare and are 37th on the quality list. Dont let the REALITY get in the way of your next charished talking point though. I do enjoy the laughs
November 14th, 2009 at 3:28 pmYes, toss it on individuals, because the insurance premiums they’re facing now isn’t “individual” enough.
Yeah! That’s right! And allow insurance companies to make being an “individual” a preexisting condition as opposed to a faceless moneygrubbing titan who can use the treasury as their piggy bank.
Biggest welfare queens in history, Rebel, all of you. After raiding the treasury and showing nothing for it you all still rant on individuals (little guys) about the dangerz of soshalizm.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:29 pmreb, I have been civil with you up until now. I’m going to give you one last chance to enter a serious discussion. YOu know, one where you don’t get to determine reality based on what you want it to be?
raygun is the one who made the S&L debacle happen by deregulating which is what republicans do.
The current crisis will be remembered for a long time. The only people who want to discuss it are those of you who caused it and wish to dilute the blame to others if you can.
America knows what happened. Remember the elections in 06 and 08? There’s your sign.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:31 pmWhat the GOP REALLY means: Carter was the first one who got the ball rolling with deregulation. (See: Airlines/Trucking) Most of the hate he gets is justifiable anger at his laughable failed attempt to control inflation. Paul Volcker (with Reagan’s approval) effectively brought an end to stagflation by becoming (in his own words) a “practical monetarist”.
And Nixon gave us Medicaid and the EPA… he was hardly some deregulation minded individualist conservative…
Fred: Yeah no. We absolutely do not have anything remotely resembling “actual market competition” right now. What we have are a system of HMO cartels implemented by Richard Nixon in the 70’s. Essentially we have a bunch of regional monopolies or oligopolies due to absurd regulations like not being able to purchase insurance across state lines.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:31 pmHi Rebelscum882:
November 14th, 2009 at 3:32 pmBig on the “Free Market” are you?
Rebelscum882:
November 14th, 2009 at 3:33 pmDo you think the market is self regulating? If so how?
reb, I got to say, as offensive as your username is, your posts are even worse.
I would think that you would be ashamed to come here and pretend to have answers to the problems you cased and lo and behold, the answers are the same ones that got us in the mess….
I think you’re behind the ❽
November 14th, 2009 at 3:33 pmYou all don’t want a robust public option because that would mean your inefficiencies meet their demise. Get Rich Quick is the inefficient model where wealth accumulation is dependent on their pain of others.
Sorry, Rebel, you come across as a conman. Like the rest of the GOP.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:33 pmRebelscum
NO Savings and loan scandal in short. Regulation STOPPED irresponsible risk taking, since the rich know what you dont seem to, that we have ALWAYS had socialism for the rich in this country. Regulations taken away, the S&Ls did EXACTLY what the regulation stopped them from doing and then as they KNEW would happen when the risks, which are always socialized fell apart WE BAILED THEM OUT. The current scandal oversimplified. After the depression we put in Glass Steagal limiting the speculation on mortgages. Glass Steagal goes away they IMMEDIATLY begin to do what it was meant to stop, speculating on mortgages. Making that DEBT a commodity. The banks no longer cared if the loans got paid back since they were going to bundle and sell them. The financial institutions didnt care because they KNOW risks are socialized in this country. Bad loans were given because there is NO RISK. When the problem started HUGE SUPRISE WE BAILED THEM OUT. Your supposed free market is a FANTASY. It doesnt exist and never DID. If you are a mom and pop business you better watch your bottom line but if you are a huge corporation your risks and costs are socialized and your profits are privatized
November 14th, 2009 at 3:35 pmThere are no regulations except for some states. You will have to explain this further because it just isn’t true.
Addtionally, how would being able to purchase across state lines change anything? I think it would make things worse yet.
You touted the free market economy and how it would balance things…….I gave you an example and you waffle?
November 14th, 2009 at 3:36 pmLets say a poor person develops prostate cancer. Where is the MONEY there? Giving him pills for a few hundred a year? NO make it worse, then give him a surgery for say twenty thousand to save his life? NO the REAL money is letting him DIE and giving him catastrophic care for the last five months of his life for a few HUNDRED THOUSAND. Where was the profit motive and market competition for the Pinto? Fix the problem BEFORE you send the car out and save a thousand lives? NO put it out LET THEM DIE and fix the problem later. Where is the profit motive and market competition for those who owned the Love Canal land? CLEAN IT UP for a few MILLION THEN do something SAFE with the land? NO pave it over and sell it to the suckers. IF you think market competition is ALWAYS best for the American Public you are dangerously delusional.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:40 pmWhat example was that exactly? S&L? I’m surprised no one has brought up the Great Depression. (Please do)
Being able to purchase across state lines would help tremendously. Right now you basically have very few big companies competing per state. If you could purchase across state lines those companies would be forced to compete with the companies in all of the surrounding states as well, and perhaps even further considering how simple electronic money transfers are these days.
The other thing I mentioned- kicking the employer credit to individuals- would make it so that the individual is in charge of choosing their insurance provider instead of their employer.
None of these ideas are especially new, people have been touting them for a while now to no avail. Here is Milton Friedman from nearly a decade ago:
http://www.hoover.org/publications/digest/3459466.html
November 14th, 2009 at 3:46 pmand this is new to you guys???
November 14th, 2009 at 3:46 pmkali90 says:
Your point? Of course this is not a “new” concept for most, if not all, of us here.
TP was just kind enough to analyze and illustrate the data in a very revealing and conclusive way.
Information like this can be very useful when debating with a particularly obtuse, contentious person.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:52 pmRebelscum you have been given several examples. SnL, the most current crisis, the Pinto, Love Canal. ALL of them were FAILURES of deregulation and no regulations. You answered NONE of them. You spewed a few more silly talking points we have all heard and dealt with dozens of times. Simply put you have no IDEA what you are talking about.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:53 pmThis is all about greed and knowingly getting as much revenue as one can get before this crumbling country goes down for good.
There will be a name for this time frame.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:45 pmRebel: “Savings and Loan debacle in a nutshell: Government regulation gives special protection to S&L industry. Government protection is removed. S&L industry fails. The crisis wouldn’t have occurred if you had not given the industry special status in the first damned place.”
Pure, unadulterated nonsense. Here’s the real world: Regulations in effect since the 30’s prevent problems for 50 years. Conservatives push through deregulation in the early 80’s. By the late 80’s, the industry has screwed itself and the taxpayers pay the bill.
November 14th, 2009 at 5:18 pmRebel: “Here is Milton Friedman from nearly a decade ago”
You need to keep up. The Milton Friedman from just a year ago admitted he had to re-evaluate his basic economic philosophy.
November 14th, 2009 at 5:19 pmHeh… the Repukkkes think that America circa 1900 was the epitome of good times and the pinnacle of success: the rich were kings, there was no income tax, no regulation on business – and the poor were little better than just a pathetic rabble of squalid serfs; sheep to be shorn at will and then turned into mutton for the tables of the rich.
I suppose if I were one of the top 1% moneyed elites in this country today, I might long for the “good old days” of the Gilded Age – but what I’ll never understand is why the stupid serfs long for it too.
November 15th, 2009 at 10:36 am