It has become increasingly clear that the US Chamber of Commerce, the biggest purveyor of attack ads on behalf of Republicans, is not only accepting contributions from foreign corporations and governments, but also soliciting such contributions for the stated purpose of influencing US politics, mixing the money in the same 501(c)(6) account that pays for the attack ads, and asking us to trust them that no foreign money is being used for that purpose.
For at least 44 years, it has been illegal for foreign corporations, countries and individuals to make political contributions in the United States for any election, either directly or indirectly. It is even against the law to solicit such contributions. But in this Wild West year of political money, that longstanding ban is being set aside. The United States Chamber of Commerce — one of the biggest advertisers in midterm races around the country — is actively soliciting foreign money, and government enforcers seem to be doing nothing to stop it.
According to a report issued Tuesday by the Center for American Progress, a liberal policy group in Washington, the chamber is getting “dues” payments of tens of thousands of dollars from foreign companies in countries such as Bahrain, India and Egypt, and then mingling the money with its fund to advocate for or against candidates in the midterm races.
The chamber firmly denies the charge, saying its internal accounting rules prevent any foreign money from being used for political purposes. Money, however, is fungible, and it is impossible for an outsider to know whether the group is following its rules…
Inserted from <NY Times>
While still issuing these pathetic denials, they are holding a grand reception today for the Bank of Bahrain, no doubt seeking funds for more lying attack ads.
Here’s coverage from Keith Olbermann and Leo Gerrard, a labor leader.
And the chambers wants is to believe them because of their integrity? Remember that they had the integrity to run attacks ads against Health Care Reform, claiming that Obama was instituting death panels to kill grandma.
Corporations are NOT people! Money is NOT speech!
Republicans will NOT represent YOU!
6 Responses to “The Republican, Anti-American Chamber of Horrors”
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It will be interesting to watch as DOJ investigates the Chamber’s claim to an internal and totally opaque “system” that it alleges keeps their huge foreign money donations from making its way to political ads in our country.
This isn’t over yet – not by a long shot!
I agree, Nameless. The problem is that I am aware of no law that requires disclosure in the wake of Citizens United.
The US Chamber of Commerce should be abolished. They are nothing but a shill for the Repub party. I agree with So – the DOJ needs to investigate them, especially since we don’t know that this money isn’t coming from overseas – and the Chamber isn’t forced to disclose it. Several bills have failed in the Senate to force this transparency but that Citizens United decision is really coming to bite us in the ass. 😈
It is, Lisa. The local chambers provide a valuable service to their members, but the national organization does not reflect them at all.
The demise of the nation-state is underway, besieged by the rise of the multinational corporation. Look around the world at the trouble spots where the US military is engaged in active combat, and you will note a dearth of corporatism. The purpose of the US military is to make a region such as Afghanistan safe for corporate exploitation, an open fulfillment of Gen. Smedley Butler’s admission that his service as a US Marine was to be a thug for commercial interests: “I spent 33 years in the Marines,”he said, “Most of my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.”
One can rest assured that when the US military has achieved its intended international commercial purpose, the government which still thinks it is in control of it will be quickly dismissed into history.
I can’t disagree with your point, Realist, but I’ll keep fighting to prevent oit from happening.