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We're currently preparing a more talking pointsy version of all of this, but this a good comprehensive look at where we're at so far on the Chamber.
Click here for the mobile edition<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66251&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> | Problems viewing this email? Click here for the online edition<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=7787&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>
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October 6, 2010
by Faiz Shakir, Benjamin Armbruster, George Zornick, Zaid Jilani, Alex Seitz-Wald, and Tanya Somanader
Contact Us<mailto:[email protected]> | Tell-a-Friend<mailto:?subject=The%20Progress%20Report&body=Read%20Today's%20Progress%20Report%20at:%20http://pr.thinkprogress.org/> | Archives<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=7788&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> | Permalink<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=7707&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> | Subscribe to Feed<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=7789&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>
CORPORATE ETHICS
The Chamber's Foreign Influence
Following the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=50367&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> in January, the right-wing<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=33986&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> U.S. Chamber of Commerce has taken record-breaking <http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66252&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> steps to influence the 2010 midterm elections. Pledging to spend an unprecedented $75 million<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=59108&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3b%0d%0a%20f681be7777692f9> this year, the Chamber is in the midst of launching one of the largest partisan attack campaigns<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66150&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> to defeat Democrats, including candidates like Jack Conway<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66253&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (KY), Sen. Barbara Boxer<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66254&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (CA), Jerry Brown<http://app.%0d%0a%20mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66255&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (CA), Rep. Joe Sestak<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66256&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (PA) and Rep. Tom Perriello<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66257&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (VA). Having aired more than 8,000 campaign ads<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66258&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> on behalf of GOP Senate candidates alone and having spent 85 percent<http://app.mx3.%0d%0a%20americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66259&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> of its current expenditure on Republicans, the Chamber's spending has "dwarfed<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66150&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> every other issue group and most political party candidate committee spending." It is well-established that the Chamber has used dues from corporations like health insurance giant Aetna<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66260&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> to try to defeat health care reform<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66261&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>, received contributions from bailed-out banks to lobby against Wall Street reform<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66262&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>, and solicited funds from Fox News'<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66263&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> parent company News Corporation<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=65725&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> for its election season attack campaign. But a new ThinkProgress investigation reveals<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66150&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> that the Chamber is leveraging foreign companies to help fund its activities. Foreign corporations that join the Chamber pay dues that go into the Chamber's general account, which the Chamber then employs to fund its attack campaign. The Chamber "firmly denies the charge<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66264&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>, saying its internal accounting rules prevent any foreign money from being used for political purposes." But, as a New York Times editorial notes today, foreign money is fungible, so "it is impossible for an outsider to know whether the group is following its rules." "We want to know what the system is. Basically, they claim they have a system, it's not enough to simply trust them, we need to verify," said<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66265&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> Think Progress' Editor-in-Chief Faiz Shakir on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews yesterday. While Congressional members and watchdog groups are calling for further investigation into the charges, such campaign actions fall into "something of a regulatory netherworld<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66266&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>" leading campaign finance watchdogs, lawyers, and current and former federal officials to believe regulatory agencies like the IRS or the FEC will not examine them closely. Thus, with the Citizens United ruling and the Chamber's abuse of its 501(c)(6) standing, the Chamber is set to use "unlimited money<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66264&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> from donors who have no fear of disclosure."
HOW IT WORKS: Under the Federal Election Campaign Act<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66267&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (FECA), it is illegal for "foreign nationals" to "directly or indirectly" contribute, donate, or spend funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the U.S. It is also illegal to "solicit, receive or accept contributions or donations from them." The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a trade association that qualifies as a 501(c)(6) organization<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66268&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> which can engage in limited political activity, lobbying, and accept d ues from foreign members. While regular dues from American companies like Aetna or News Corp. can be used for any purpose deemed necessary by the Chamber leadership, 501(c)(6) organizations, like any organization, cannot use<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66267&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> foreign funds to advocate for a political candidate or cause. What the ThinkProgress investigation<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66150&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> found is that the Chamber has spearheaded efforts "to raise money from foreign corporations, including ones controlled by foreign governments" and funneled that money into its general 501(c)(6) account. Foreign members send money either directly to the U.S. Chambe r or to their country's local American Chamber (AmCham), which then transfers dues payments back to the Chamber's H Street office in Washington, D.C. While the Chamber may claim to have internal controls, foreign funds are fungible and all dues go to the same general account, which is then used to fund the Chamber's political attack campaign. Essentially, as Shakir pointed out<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66265&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> , "they're acting as a [Political Action Committee]" which "run[s] ads against political candidates. But the difference here is PACs disclose where they get the money from." The Chamber refuses to disclose its donors.
OUTSIDE PLAYERS: The Chamber has aggressively cultivated foreign business connections to raise significant sums to augment domestic funds in its general account. In 2006, the Chamber created the "U.S.-Bahrain Business Council" (USBBC), a local office<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66269&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> of the Chamber's 501(c)(6) trade association to help Bahranian businesses take advantage<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66270&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> of the Chamber's "network of government and business relationships in the US and worldwide." Many of the USBBC board members are Bahranian, including B ahrain Martime & Mercantile International, Aluminum Bahrain, and the state-owned Bahrain Petroleum Company. USBBC's membership form explicitly states that foreign-owned firms are welcome and directs applicants to send or wire dues directly to the Chamber. With each USBBC board member contributing at least $10,000 annually, the Chamber of Commerce raises well over $100,000 a year<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66271&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> in funds from its operation in Bahrain. The Chamber also operates a "U.S.-India Business Council" (USIBC<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66272&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>) in its U.S. headquarters that includes some of India's largest corporations<http://app.mx3.americanprogressactio%0d%0a%20n.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66273&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> like the state-owned State Bank of India and the ICICI Bank as members. Annual membership dues range from $7,500 to $15,000 or more, and the funds are funneled directly<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66274&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> into the Chamber's 501(c)(6) bank account. The USBIC, which advocates<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66275&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> changing American manufacturing policy to help guide U.S companies to India, generates over $200,000 a year<http://app.mx3.americanprogressact%0d%0a%20ion.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66274&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> in dues from foreign businesses. While foreign "AmChams" operate outside the Chamber's direct sphere, they nonetheless send dues back to the U.S. In the Middle East, for example, the AmCham in Egypt calls itself one of the Chamber's "most active affiliates<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66276&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>" and Abu Dhabi AmCham -- which includes a subsidiary of the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Company -- claims<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66277&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> it is a "dues paying member" of the U.S. Chamber. The AmCham of Russia's relationship to the U.S. Chamber is less clear because many of the dues-paying members are Russian state-run companies, like VTB Bank<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66278&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>, and controlled by the Russian government. When asked if members do pay dues, the Russia AmCham membership development manager replied, "Unfortunately, the information that you require is closed for the public<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66150&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>." And in what looks like an attempt to raise money for election from foreign nationals, the Chamber also commissioned former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and McCain-Palin cam paign aide<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66279&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> Frank Lavin to speak before foreign<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66280&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> Chamber affiliates<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66281&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> to talk about the stakes for the midterm elections. If such solicitation occurred, it would be a clear violation of FECA law.
TRUST AND DON'T VERIFY: Following ThinkProgress' report, Sen. Al Franken<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66282&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (D-MN) wrote to the FEC -- a federal agency that has ironically "been rendered toothless<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=50367&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> by its Republican members" -- to launch an investigation<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66282&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> and insist that foreign companies prove whether their funds had b een used in campaign activities. He also asked the FEC to change its regulations allowing foreign companies that are incorporated in the U.S. to spend on elections. Rep. Tom Perriello<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66283&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> (D-VA) also repudiated the funding as "fundamentally un-American and undemocratic" and called on his Republican opponent to denounce the ads. And finding Lavin's actions<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66284&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> to amount to "indirectly soliciting contributions from foreign nationals for the use in U.S. elections" thereby violating the FECA law prohibiting anyone "to solicit, accept, or receive" contributions, the public advocacy group M oveOn.org requested the Department of Justice yesterday to launch a criminal investigation. The Chamber, however, has responded to the allegations by claiming it does not use foreign funds for political activities, calling ThinkProgress' report "completely erroneous" and a "partisan" "smear<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66285&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>." But instead of rebutting the actual allegations with evidence, Chamber spokeswoman Tita Freeman offered unverifiable assurances<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66286&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> that the Chamber complies "with all applicable law." "We have a system," she said, that ensures AmChams "are not government-controlled entities." But as for addressing whether the AmChams transfer money from government-controlled entities, the Chamber was demonstrably silent. Indeed, as ThinkProgress' Lee Fang noted<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66287&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann Tuesday, "what's alarming is the Chamber of Commerce hasn't put out any documentation. They haven't proved that there's a firewall. They're just saying, 'hey, trust us.'" What's more, with the Citizen's United decision and the Chamber's successful effort<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66288&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> to kill a campaign finance reform bill mandating disclosure, the Chamber could continue to use foreign dues while funding more attack ads against Democrats without ever having to reveal any of its foreign contributors. Still, the Chamber insists that its unverified "system" should be enough to quell concern. As the Washington Monthly's Steve Benen puts it<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66289&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>, "there's nothing like vague, terse responses from an already-secretive, conservative lobbying group to set minds at ease."
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Politico reports that conservative activists are demanding that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney apologize for passing a health reform law in his state. "I would advise him to acknowledge he made a mistake<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66290&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>," said Brent Bozell, president of the Conservative Victory Committee. Referencing a recent ThinkProgress post<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66291&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>, Politico states that Romney's record is causing "a distraction" for the GOP.
Todd Palin fired off an email to Alaska's GOP U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller, complaining that Miller refused to say whether his wife, Sarah Palin, is qualified to be president. "Sarah put her ass on the line<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66292&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> for Joe and yet he can't answer a simple question," Todd Palin said in the email, adding, "Joe, please explain how this endorsement stuff works, is it to be completely one sided[?]"
Joe Miller has revealed this his wife drew unemployment benefits after working as Miller's clerk when he was a federal magistrate in 2002. Miller has argued that such benefits are unconstitutional, but he recently softened his position, saying that payments for unemployment should be entirely under the control of the states<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66293&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>.
The Washington Post reports that "half a dozen" well-placed sources reveal that the Afghan Taliban are in high-level talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to end the war in Afghanistan. The talks are different from previous ones in that the Afghan Taliban are for the first time<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66294&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> authorized to speak for the Quetta Shura, "the Afghan Taliban organization based in Pakistan, and its leader, Mohammad Omar."
This week, both President Bush and Vice President Cheney spoke separately before the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers in Colorado<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66295&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>. Both appearances were closed to the press. The Council is the leading industry voice<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66296&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> of commercial insurance agencies and brokerage firms.
A poll<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66297&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> shows that voters may like the health care reform bill passed earlier this year, contrary to frequent claims by Republicans and pundits that it's unpopular. The Public Religion Research Institute found that a majority -- 54 percent -- said they would be more likely to support a candidate who voted for health care reform.
Women on Wall Street earn less and have fewer jobs, according to a report<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66298&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> by Bloomberg. More than five times as many women then men lost their jobs since July 2007, and their pay has also fallen: they earn only 58.8 cents for every dollar men in the industry earn.
"The House since January 2009 has passed 420 bills that have sat on the Senate shelf," according to a list of legislation given to The Hill. Legislation awaiting Senate action includes "measures<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66299&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> to audit the claims fund set up by BP after the Gulf oil spill and legislation to increase screening for diabetes."
And finally: Outwitted by Weekly World News<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66300&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>, Fox & Friends fell for a false story published by the tabloid, reporting as true that the Los Angeles police department was planning to purchase 10,000 jetpacks at $100,000 each. Co-host Brian Kilmeade offered the sage advice, "You gotta make up some rules. Because you're going to have jetpacks flying into choppers<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66301&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>!" But about 40 minutes later, co-host Steve Doocy corrected the record.
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Fox News follows all of its personalities on Twitter -- except for Glenn Beck<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66302&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>.
The way forward<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66303&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> on climate change.
What are you owed<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66304&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> for 14 years on death row?
Revisiting the Henry Louis Gates Jr. affair<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66305&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>.
Why we can't have nice things<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66306&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>.
New health care law literally covers<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66307&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9> young people.
The House GOP's Pledge to America is unpopular with small minority that have heard of it<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66308&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>.
Rep. Pete King (R-NY) has little faith in the U.S. justice system<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=66309&elq=fc1ca91f2d0149f3bf681be7777692f9>.
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"The guy who tried to blow up Times Square with a car bomb was sentenced [in civilian court] to life in prison without parole. Good."
-- Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, 10/05/10, on Fox News
VERSUS
"Last night, Judge Andrew Napolitano put forth on 'The Factor' that the Constitution demands a civilian trial for the terrorists. I think that's hooey."
-- O'Reilly, 11/17/09, on Fox News
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