New Chamber index shows conservatives aren’t corporate pawns

By Timothy P. Carney
DC Examiner Columnist

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., had the most conservative voting record in 2008 according to the American Conservative Union (ACU), and was a “taxpayer hero” according to the National Taxpayer’s Union (NTU), but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says his 2008 record was less pro-business than Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton.

Similarly, Texas libertarian GOPer Rep. Ron Paul—the most steadfast congressional opponent of regulation, taxation, and any sort of government intervention in business—scored lower than 90% of Democrats last year on the Chamber’s scorecard.

Liberal Democrats often accuse conservative Republicans of being pawns for Big Business, but the 2008 scorecard for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—the largest lobbying organization in the country and the official Washington voice of business—provides convincing evidence to the contrary. In fact, the policy agenda of big business can be very different from that of limited-government conservatives and libertarians.

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Stand and Deliver, Business Geniuses

For years Space Coast businesses and taxpayers have poured millions of dollars into the Economic Development Commission and four Chambers of Commerce, largely on the assumption that these organizations can attract new businesses, create new jobs and raise the prosperity of our community. Now it’s time for these organizations to deliver on that promise.

Our current recession, painful as it is, is just an annoyance compared to the jarring economic dislocation we will suffer if we have no replacements for the jobs and business activity that will disappear with the Space Shuttle. Today we’re suffering with only about 8% unemployment. Titusville is facing the prospect of 50% unemployment, and the rest of the county is facing unbearable declines in employment, home values, business revenues, tax revenues and everything else that depends upon a sustained strong economy.
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