U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Nemesis Regular Visitor To White House
The White House has just released its visitor logs for November, and here’s a fascinating little nugget: The chief of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce visited the White House nearly a dozen times.
U.S. Chamber president Tom Donohue, whose organization is one of the most determined and well-funded foes of Obama’s agenda, was received at the White House 11 times so far, the records show.
I’m trying to find out more about this. But one immediate takeaway is that the White House was probably more eager than publicly advertised to reach some sort of detente with the Chamber, despite its ardent opposition to Obama’s agenda. The White House’s ongoing vow that it would bring key stakeholders in the health care fight to the table has been central to projecting its message that Obama means no harm to the private sector in his quest to remake a massive chunk of the U.S. economy.
The White House only took the gloves off against the Chamber after the news broke that it was hoping to fund a “study” finding that health care reform is a job killer, and it looks as if White House officials may have worked hard to resolve the standoff, albeit to no avail.
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Update: An administration aide says he actually visited 10 times.
Update II: I erroneously said that all the visits occurred during the month of November, when that’s not the case. I’ve edited the above to correct; apologies for the error.
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Detente?
When were they ever truly at war?
Charles — I meant with the Chamber. the chamber has been targeting Obama’s agenda since the get go.
I’d assume they were trying to negotiate. It apparently didn’t work. The Chamber is running ads non stop in DC calling reform a tax burden that will destroy jobs.
On another note. Yahoo homepage picked up on Politico’s story about Obama using the word unprecedented and its now their front article.
Yahoo has been absorbed the GOP echo chamber.
…by the…
Lots of surprise Wedding Proposals being tossed around at this White House.
For Yahoo and Politico, that is just precedented.
Sez here that Tom Donohue met with Obama (3 times), Valerie Jarrett (3), Larry Summers (2), Dandra Daigle
e (1), and Micha Fergenson (1). The three meetings with Obama were all with big groups (31, 58, an
d 106 attendees). Other meetings were all 1-on-1’s or 2-on-1’s.
Probably just negotiating for a good price on a new Chamber Pot, for the Lincoln bedroom.
thing is jzap that the big group things could also be efforts at detente with biz community at large
Can I try again without the spurious line breaks?
Sez here that Tom Donohue met with Obama (3 times), Valerie Jarrett (3), Larry Summers (2), Dandra Daigle (1), and Micha Fergenson (1). The three meetings with Obama were all with big groups (31, 58, and 106 attendees). Other meetings were all 1-on-1’s or 2-on-1’s.
Shouldn’t The American Chamber Of Commerce relocate to China, in order to be close to all our factories, manufacturing jobs, and money?
You’re right Liam. Them along with the Republican party cheer at the thought of us labor standards being dragged down by unchecked free trade agreements and sneer at the idea of the WTO enforcing any sort of standards to level the playing field all in the name of corporate profits.
The Anti-American Chamber of Commerce is more like it.
Who the hall knows what Obama’s real agenda is? I think it fits more closely to the chambers’ than to the progressives’.
Donohue’s big-group meetings with Obama were on 2/18, 3/5, and 3/16. His last three meetings were on 6/8, 6/12, and 6/15 with Jarrett, Jarret again, and Fergensen.  That last one is described as an “announcement of flagship initiative to guarantee loans to small businesses”.
“Update: An administration aide says he actually visited 10 times.”
O well that one visit less makes all the difference.
;p
“Who the hall knows what Obama’s real agenda is? I think it fits more closely to the chambers’ than to the progressives’.”
O yeah – cause most biracial people in the country who start their careers as community organizers are closet laissez-faire capitalists.
Man that makes as much sense as calling him a Socialist does.
# par4 | November 25th, 2009 at 03:31 pm
Who the hall knows what Obama’s real agenda is? I think it fits more closely to the chambers’ than to the progressives’.
…………
Which is it? First you state that you think that no one really knows, and then you declare that you just might know.
Sir: You appear to be fluent in circle speak!
“Shouldn’t The American Chamber Of Commerce relocate to China, in order to be close to all our factories, manufacturing jobs, and money?”
LOL!
The Chamber, much like Hitler, was against the White House…coincidence? I think not.
I think I’m onto something…brb.
Donohue’s co-invitees to the 2/18 31-person meeting with Obama include John Castellani, Elijah L. Pariser, Nancy A. Keenan, Gara Lamarche, and Lynn C. Richards. It is described variously as a cocktail party and/or a business-council speech.
Greg already pointed out that this looks as much like Obama trying to reach detente with the business community as anything. There’s nothing wrong with seeing if a little personal attention from the Prez and a nice visit to the White House can’t change some minds.
The word diplomacy is totally missing from the the right’s dictionary. And it’s not just in foreign affairs where they get overwrought about bowing, acknowledging past transgressions…but it also the same with their slash and burn domestic politics.
I think where Obama has ALL of us a bit off kilter is we have forgotten what it’s like to see a leader who is not “my way or the highway”. I must confess to remembering his promises of inclusion…and then perhaps he is capable of utilizing every strategy available…the old rope a dope comes to mind in the HCR debate…perhaps his dalliance with the Chamber comes from Don Corleone…keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.
I admit I can’t figure him out…but I believe that is part of the charm of Obama…he’s not totally predictable and he’s not boring!!!!
Attendees at the 106-person 3/5 meeting with Obama included Donohue, John Castellani, Risa Lavizzomourey, John D. Podesta, Lynn C. Richards. There is one notation describing it as a cocktail party, but everything with John Castellani seems to be a cocktail party!
Attendees at the 58-person 3/16 meeting with Obama included Donohue, Fred R. Becker, Camden R. Fine, and Daniel A. Mica. It is described as an “announcement of flagship initiative to guarantee loans to small businesses”.
I’m sure you meant to say Communist Fascist!
Speaking of antithetical phrases, I’ve noticed a proliferation in the use of Radical Conservative lately. That makes about as much sense to me as Reactionary Liberal. Guess I must be incurably old-school.
All, happy hour roundup posted:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/stimulus-package/happy-hour-roundup-thanksgiving-edition/
“closet laissez-faire capitalists”
You mean like Clinton?
Obama is closely emulating the Clinton model.
“Fox In Hen House?”
ahem: Geithner, Summers, Bernanke, Emmanuel…
Obama’s conservative centrism puts him in an antagonistic position with liberals and it hasn’t paid off at all with right wingers nor much to speak of with independents.
But the right wing laissez-faire Kings of Finance have sure made out like bandits.
The thing about a beginner is that they’re eager. This is both good and bad. It’s good because they’ll put full effort into things and learn as much as they can, it’s bad because their eagerness makes them impatient! Many’s the beginner who didn’t get dramatic results in the first month and gave up because of it.
haha, the White house do do their best to work out the stand off.