A War Of Lies Against The Chamber

Posted 10/12/2010 07:14 PM ET


Politics: President Obama has doubled down in his attack on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, continuing to call its ads foreign-funded. His charges are false and he knows it. If this isn't beneath his office, what is?

One needs to look hard to find any head of a major democracy as openly at war with his country's Chamber of Commerce as Obama is. His charge that the Chamber's $75 million ad campaign ahead of elections is funded by foreign sources is both false and an unprecedented smear, an accusation of a crime.

It's deeply disappointing coming from a country's elected leader.

Neither Europe's socialists nor Asia's combative leadership fight their chambers like this. Chambers of commerce, including the U.S. branch, generally seek pragmatic accommodation with those in power. Obama's attack on the Chamber is sadly reminiscent of the scorched-earth relations Venezuela's self-declared communist leader Hugo Chavez has with his country's business groups — and he makes no secret of wanting to destroy them.
Shockingly, a similarly antagonistic situation now exists in the U.S. center of world capitalism.

Based on a blog post from the Center for American Progress, Obama now calls the Chamber's ad campaign in defense of free markets not protected speech but "a threat to democracy." His embattled party still repeats the scurrilous claim that the Chamber's ads are foreign-funded because it receives a small amount ($100,000) of dues from overseas companies. But nearly all of these businesses are based in the U.S. and their dues are separated from ad funds. The White House knows this — or at least, should.

As the media, including the New York Times, gave this a good debunking, Obama refrained from continuing his charges Monday.

But his lieutenant, Vice President Joe Biden, "didn't get the memo," as Lucianne Goldberg quipped on her Web site. So Biden continues the dishonest line of attack.

"I challenge the Chamber of Commerce to tell us how much of the money they're investing is from foreign sources," Biden said Monday.

"Not a red cent," the Chamber replied, desperate to keep the lies from becoming a "truth" by repetition.

"These accusations by a George Soros-funded anti-business blog are unfounded, deceitful, and completely erroneous," the Chamber wrote on its Web site. "They are a desperate attempt to silence those who support free enterprise, and a diversion by people upset by their grim prospects in the coming election."

This sorry situation says two things about the Obama administration: One, it's willing to use the same Alinskyite tactics against a single target that it used to win elections. And two, it's at war with America's private sector.
A War Of Lies Against The Chamber - IBD - Investors.com (http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/550219/201010121914/A-War-Of-Lies-Against-The-Chamber.htm)
Next on his docket ,The Lion's Club ,Kiwanis Club,and The Boy Scouts.
The Chamber of Commerce represents businesses of all sizes nationwide. 96% of the Chamber's membership consists of small businesses with fewer than 100 employees... and yet the White House has called them "a threat to democracy."

This beg for an investigation into charges about the President receiving foreign donations during the 2008 campaign that were never seriously addressed ,although there was substantial evidence of him receiving many in his internet fundraisings(he avoided a FEC audit by not accepting Federal matching public funds).

His charges about the Chamber reek of hypocrisy. On November 6 ;less than a week after the election,the President will travel to Mumbai to address a business summit... a summit sponsored by 'The U.S.-India Business Council'.

The U.S.-India Business Council, formed in 1975 to advance commercial ties between the world’s two largest free-market democracies, is hosted under the aegis of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
USIBC to host summit for Obama?s India visit | Articles | IndUS Business Journal (http://www.indusbusinessjournal.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=15A62385BD5F40F7A7043601CD39181E)

The bottom line is that there is no basis for the charges being leveled by the Obots ;and indeed they haven't even attempted to provide one. Instead they are asking the Chamber to open their books to prove the Obot's wrong. When Joe Biden challenged them to reveal how much of their campaign donations comes from foreign sources ,Tom Collamore, senior vice president of Communications and Strategy from the Chamber of Commerce responded "We accept the vice president's challenge here and now, and are happy to provide our answer"... "Zero. As in, 'Not a single cent".
If the President has any proof it is up to him to provide it . But he can't .

If the President has any proof it is up to him to provide it . But he can't.Hello tom:

You got it backwards... The WHOLE idea of secret donors is so that NOBODY knows who's contributing... So, the onus falls on the Chamber to DISCLOSE its list of donors... To simply SAY that they DIDN'T misspend foreign money, and that we should TRUST them on that, AIN'T good enough...

There's no question that they ARE taking donations from FOREIGN countries... That's been admitted. They say that THAT money isn't used for blasting Democrats... But, I don't believe 'em. You shouldn't either... Oh, of course, the righty's will. I don't know why.

But, if YOUR job has been outsourced to India you should be VERY wary of the US. Chamber of Commerce accepting money from them, and then using it against Democrats... The Indians want SOMETHING for their money, and it's YOUR JOB!! They know who ISN'T isn't looking out for you and YOUR job.

excon

Hello again, tom:

Karl Rove has been accused of misspending foreign money too. George Stephanopoulos asked him DIRECTLY (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/karl-rove-responds-foreign-money-accusations-11857293)if he would guarantee the voters that the money he is raising is NOT from foreign donors.

Rove did NOT give George that guarantee. He could have. I wonder WHY he didn't. Nahhh... I don't wonder why...

excon

I'd say it reeks of McCarthyism ,but that would be a disservice to Joe McCarthy . It is more like a Stalinist ,Alinsky style smear without substance. If he has anything on the Chamber then I suggest he get his Justice Dept to move on it. But he won't because he's got nothing.

I'd say it reeks of McCarthyism Hello tom:

To wonder which FOREIGN country is donating to YOUR Senators election campaign is McCarthyism?? Dude!

excon

Since we are making baseless charges ,then I will make the same charges about funnelling foreign funds to Democrats against the Teamsters and SEIU ,the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ,all the affiliated AFL-CIO unions... all of which have international affiliates .

I call on them to open their books to show the sources of their contributions .

This is absurd.

I call on them to open their books to show the sources of their contributions . This is absurd Hello again, tom:

Me too.

excon

PS> To wonder WHICH foreign country might be funding your presidents re-election campaign is ABSURD?? Dude!

The reason for their phony charges against the Chamber is that dues are collected and money is fungible. Therefore they claim that since foreign dues are being collected it stands to reason that foreign dues are part of the money being used in campaign donations.
Again this is baseless ;as baseless as my claim above about the unions.

The reason for their phony charges against the Chamber is that dues are collected and money is fungible.Hello again, tom:

The problem is twofold. First, is the fact that the UNITED STATES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is collecting a DIME from foreign sources, and then spending it domestically. Money IS fungible, as you say, so the accusations are not only proper, they should have been expected.

The second is transparency. YOU like it sometimes, when it has to do with Obama, but you don't like it other times, like when it has to do with Republicans raising money... I don't know why. Transparency is good, or it isn't... I think it's good - ALL the time.

The third, is Citizens United, which is the underpinning for this entire controversy... It was right wing JUDICIAL ACTIVISM on steroids, and clearly the WRONG decision.

excon

Citizens United had nothing to do with this. The Chamber being a non-profit has been able to air political ads since 1986 .
What the Dems don't want to admit is that their policies ,being tremedously hostile to business in America is what is prompting the explosion of campaign spending against them.

What the Dems don't want to admit is that their policies ,being tremedously hostile to business in America is what is prompting the explosion of campaign spending against them.Hello tom:

I understand what businessmen think... I don't blame 'em. After 30 years of DE-regulation (which caused our fall off the cliff), who'd be happy about being RE-regulated a little bit??

But RE-regulation is what was called for, and the Dems did it. They were gentle though. After all, the guys running the fix, were the guys who broke it... So, they protected your Wall Street friends pretty good.

But, for sure, whey you've been stealing BY lobbying for 30 years, you're going to get upset when you actually have to EARN your way now, and of course, you're going to spend the farm to keep you what you stole (earned).

PLUS, Citizens United opened the floodgates for UNLIMITED campaign spending... I think THAT had something to do with it, too.. You, not so much..

excon

Anyway ,I'm sure Rep .Darrell Issa and Sen. Tom Coburn will be more than happy to open up Congressional hearings on the influence of foreign donations in the last 2 election cycles when they become chairs of their respective committees.

Anyway ,I'm sure Rep .Darrell Issa and Sen. Tom Coburn will be more than happy to open up Congressional hearings on the influence of foreign donationsHello again, tom:

Don't forget impeaching that Muslim, commie, Marxist, Nazi, Kenyon, Allinskyite. I can see it now... The first expert witness Chairman Bachman will call is Glenn Beck...

Bwa, ha ha ha ha.

excon

The Chamber is bipartisan, they started running ads for Blue Dogs (http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/12/under-fire-from-democrats-chamber-of-commerce-helps-blue-dogs/) last week.

And Gibbs? He used to work for a secretive group that helped derail Howard Dean's candidacy (http://dailycaller.com/2010/10/12/spirit-of-political-disclosure-white-house-press-sec-once-part-of-group-that-refused-to-disclose-donors/) in 2003-2004. This administration, after breaking virtually every transparency promise he made, has no room to speak. Pot, meet kettle.

And you might like this, ex. Obama is Rove’s fundraiser-in-chief (http://dailycaller.com/2010/10/13/obama-is-roves-fundraiser-in-chief/)

Your man has no respect for the office and he's obviously not up to the task. The Dems are desperate, they won't run on the issues, they're running away from Obama and their own votes and living by the smear. Whatever happened to hope and change?

The DNC chair is claiming this could be bigger than Watergate (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/14/tim-kaine-fundraising-watergate_n_762544.html). Did I say they were desperate?

The DNC chair is claiming this could be bigger than Watergate (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/14/tim-kaine-fundraising-watergate_n_762544.html). Did I say they were desperate?

I say go for it and we can start here ;)

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Obama Online Fundraising Scandal in Less Than 5 Minutes! | Obama Shrugged (http://obamashrugged.com/?p=187)

Hello again,

I don't know... I seem to remember a right wing refrain that goes something like this: if you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't be afraid of being searched...

Even YOU want to know who's funding the race for YOUR senator.

excon

My Senator has a war chest full of money he will never deplete . Campaign finance restrictions is incumbency protection by another name.

I dunno... I seem to remember a right wing refrain that goes something like this: if you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't be afraid of being searched...

So you're OK with the President of the United States accusing the US Chamber of Commerce of a federal crime - much less doing so without offering a shred of evidence?

BOB SCHIEFFER: do you have any evidence that it’s anything other than peanuts?"

David Axelrod :Well, do you have any evidence that it’s not, Bob?

When did you stop beating your wife, ex?

So you're ok with the President of the United States accusing the US Chamber of Commerce of a federal crime - much less doing so without offering a shred of evidence?Hello again, Steve:

What are they afraid of? What are they hiding? All they have to do is let us look at their books. If they didn't do anything WRONG, why won't they let us see them?? Don't YOU want to know WHO is funding YOUR Senator's reelection bid?? Do you not see any correlation to the right wing screed, "if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid of being searched???? Do you see how really DUMB that right wing statement is??? Are you bummed only NOW, because it's YOUR side who's ox is being gored???? Have you heard the left wing refrain that goes something like this; "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander"??

excon

"what's good for the goose, is good for the gander"???

Coming from the king of undisclosed donations and his first lieutenant, Gibbs, that's rich. Here's one you've probably heard, too. If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither, pound the table.

Obama is just pounding the table 'cause he's got nothing left.

Coming from the king of undisclosed donations and his first lieutenant, Gibbs, that's rich.Hello again, Steve:

So, because the Democrats are a$$holes, Republicans should be a$$holes too?? That won't win you any seats... Look, this is easy. All the chamber has to do is disclose... What are they hiding? Don't you want to know WHO is funding your Senators reelection bid?? Don't you want to know what the agenda is of those foreign companies?? Isn't disclosure in politics GOOD? Why do you attack the person who wants to know what Republicans are doing?

I don't know. Using your OWN right wing screed, that if you have NOTHING to hide, you wouldn't mind being searched, TELLS me that they have something to hide. NO?? Or is your right wing screed WRONG??

excon

The membership of the Chamber is no secret. The campaign contributions are coming from the American membership.

Even the NY Slimes calls the charge baseless.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/09/us/politics/09donate.html?_r=1


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

If Obama was asked to open his books he'd open Alinsky's' "Rules for Radicals."

The membership of the Chamber is no secret. The campaign contributions are coming from the American membership.Hello again, tom:

You know that because they TOLD you, and you TRUST 'em. I don't! In fact, I BELIEVE in your right wing screed. They're NOT disclosing because they DO have something to hide. You righty's are finally right about something.

excon

I dunno. Using your OWN right wing screed, that if you have NOTHING to hide, you wouldn't mind being searched, TELLS me that they have something to hide. NO???? Or is your right wing screed WRONG???

excon

Here is the line I draw. Id like to see disclosure but also it needs to be followed by law. Just like you (I assume) they aren't getting into my house without a warrant no matter how baseless the charge is. But when the powers that exist speak of disclosue they are talking about "other" people. That is the part that bothers me most. I say let congress make no law that doesn't apply unto them also.

Here is the line I draw. Id like to see disclosure but also it needs to be followed by law. Hello again, dad:

Me too. But the LAW in these matters, ALLOWS them to conceal their donors. The law is WRONG, and THIS is how to DEMONSTRATE that it's wrong.

Right wing media has called this an attack on corporate free speech... I don't want to attack a corporations right to speak.. I just want to know WHICH corporation is speaking. You do too.

excon

The hypocrites in the White House are witholding the political contribution records of Fannie and Freddie Mac ;and a Federal Judge last month denied public access to the agencies records . Now the records of the CofC are private records and the records of Fannie and Freddie are at least semi-public ,and doubly so since they benefitted from taxpayer bailouts.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0910/Judge_cant_FOIA_Fannie__Freddie_political_gifts.ht ml


The truth is that CofC has a vested interest in the protection of it's membership ,and that is why they keep the donations confidential . They don't want a repeat of the thuggery that Target was subject to when they made the mistake of openly donating to a Republican candidate . After they did that ,they were subject to boycotts and other vilifying by liberal activists .

The VP of the Cof C was pretty clear of this reason in an interview with Jake Tapper of ABC .They have been subject to harassment because of this before .


TAPPER: But why not just settle the dispute by opening your books?

JOSTEN: I've explained to you, we're not going to subject our contributors to harassment, to intimidation, and to threats and to invasions of privacy at their houses and at their places of business, which is what has happened every time there's been disclosure here...

A year ago when we ran issue ads across this country, hundreds of them, against the patients protection and affordable care act, citing the CBO report, citing the Center for Medicare Studies--Services report, the companies that got divulged publicly were harassed, were intimidated.

TAPPER: How?

JOSTEN: The outside allies of this administration, the SEIU, the AFL-CIO, HCANN - Health Care Action Now network and Moveon.org, all combined and coordinated protests at those companies, at the CEOs' homes in some cases, as they did here with us. And they began a proxy campaign, through outside groups, the Center for Political Accountability, and another group, Walden Asset Management. This is a game, OK? And they like to play that game out. So it's clear that the game here is to harass and intimidate...

It led to death threats. It led to physical violence, vandalism and economic reprisals from against those people and their homes... http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/10/chamber-of-commerce-the-white-house-wants-our-donor-lists-so-its-allies-can-intimidate-our-donors.html

Hello again, tom:

Well, that's as good as excuse as any... It's STILL an excuse, and you buy it. I don't! What do they have to hide?

The Chamber receives funding from three foreign sources: 1) Foreign-based corporations, 2) Business Councils that operate out of the Chamber's Washington, DC headquarters to solicit foreign donations, and 3) independently-run AmChams that are based overseas. Most of the Chamber's foreign sources of funding come from large multi-national corporations which are headquartered abroad, like BP and Siemens. Business Councils in Bahrain and India have raised at least $300,000 in direct contributions to the Chamber's 501(c)(6) account.

There is no oversight of the Chamber's money flow - something the Chamber fought successfully to prevent. Money, as you explained, is fungible. It is impossible for an outsider to know whether the group is following its rules. The Chamber claims that it has a "system" in place to prevent foreign funds from being used for its political attack ads, but it refuses to disclose what exactly that system is or how it works. There is absolutely no doubt that this is a back-door way to get around what are long-standing and legitimate restrictions.

excon

You can't provide a shred of evidence that foreign money is used in their political contributions .All you can do is link the Soros funded Center for American Progress. But I'm sure you think the Soros Empire ,which has been funding progressive campaigns for a decade or more ,is exempt.

you can't provide a shred of evidence that foreign money is used in their political contributions .Hello again, tom:

It's true. I have no evidence. All I have is a suspicion. Maybe they're using foreign money, and maybe they're not. All I'm doing is asking a question. What do they have to hide? They could PROVE they don't use foreign money like they SAY they don't, by DISCLOSING their donors... I wonder WHY they don't. I'm just saying...

excon

Well begin the investigations .then perhaps when the Republicans become the majority there will be public investigations into what the Obots are hiding with the Fannie and Freddie political contributions.

But then again ;it's not that hard to guess .Their top 3 between 1989-2008 were Chris Dodd ,Barack Obama and John Kerry.

Hello again, tom:

They couldn't have been hiding much if you KNOW who received their donations... I'm just asking the same from the US Chamber... What are they hiding?? You don't want to know?? What if it's donations from Iran?? You wouldn't want to know that? Dude!

excon

And you mock conspiracy theories while advancing one yourself

That the chamber is using Iranian money is something that couldn't happen . Even IF the Chamber was using it's Foreign membership dues for the ads ,the Chambers membership is not a secret... they publish their membership.
ICC - The world business organization (http://www.iccwbo.org/id19696/index.html)