The US Chamber of Commerce launched a political broadside against Democrats and the Obama administration Wednesday, accusing the administration of harming the economy through its health care reform and financial reform agendas.
“Instead of continuing their partnership with the business community and embracing proven ideas for job creation, they vilified industries while embarking on an ill-advised course of government expansion, major tax increases, massive deficits, and job-destroying regulations,” the Chamber said in an open letter (PDF) to the president.
In a surprisingly confrontational interview, Betty Liu of Bloomberg TV grilled Chamber President Tom Donohue over the increasingly bitter, partisan tone of his chamber’s communiques.
“Is this [jobs] summit just to air what you think has gone wrong, or is there really going to be anything solid coming out of this?” Liu asked.
“We’re not airing any grievances with the White House,” Donohue said, arguing that his chamber wants to bring attention to job-creation policies.
“Did you invite White House officials to speak at this summit?” Liu asked.
“No, we didn’t,” Donohue replied. “We regularly invite White House officials to participate in our activities, often they don’t come. The cabinet secretaries come. Although the president was over the other day when the the president of Russia was here….”
Pressed again by Liu to explain why the Chamber wouldn’t want White House officials at their jobs summit, Donohue said the Chamber has “a very full agenda” and needs to concentrate on activities like “giving awards to job creators throughout the country.”
(Source: RawStory.com)