Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Republicans who decry Government interference in Business now threaten businesses who opposed their political platform.

The party promising to fix the economic mess they now deny they created, with even more deregulation, are now poised to break their one big rule; picking business winners and losers. In this upside down, no real agenda, avoid the press at all costs election year nightmare, Republicans aren't waiting to break their own rules.

Who knew that free speech rights and business personhood would also subject corporate America to political retribution? The authoritarian inclinations of the Republican Party could not be more obvious.

Republicans have a message for the businesses that worked closely with the Obama administration over the past two years on key controversial issues: We won't forget.
Take the case of Wal-Mart … it began to break ranks with industry groups by speaking out in favor of an increase to the minimum wage and health-care reform. And, for the first time in its history, it gave more money to Democrats than the GOP for Tuesday's elections … caught the eye of Republican Rep. Dave Camp (who) bluntly reminded Wal-Mart of its unpalatable position on the issue, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

Companies that worked with the Democrats over the past two years would face a far less sympathetic audience from Republicans, "Some businesses joined in on the hang-me-last strategy," said Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.). "I think upon reflection, in moments of candor, they may say they were foolish to do that."

Now that’s political retribution. Imagine if a Democrat had been caught saying anything like this, suggesting of course, a pay to play system of corrupt government? But that’s not even a question asked in this Washington Post story. The unanswered question, answered here, has always been whether money really influences politicians.

GOP leaders began speaking with lobbyists and corporate donors about the imbalance in their campaign contributions as momentum for a Republican upset built over the year. In this election cycle, corporate political action committees donated $262 million, with 53 percent going to Democrats and 47 percent to Republicans … During the last midterm elections, Democrats received only 35 percent of corporate PAC money.

(Big PhaRMA’s) Billy Tauzin struck a deal with Democrats under which the industry would give up $80 billion in revenues over 10 years to help pay for the legislation. Tauzin's strategy did not sit well with House Republicans … John Boehner blasted PhRMA in a scathing letter. "Appeasement rarely works as a conflict resolution strategy," he wrote to Tauzin. "When a bully asks for your lunch money, you have no choice but to fork it over. But cutting a deal with a bully is a different story, particularly if the 'deal' means helping him steal others' money as the price of protecting your own."

"There's going to come a time when pharma companies are going to want Republicans to take a tough vote for them, and they're going to be like, 'Why are we going to walk off a cliff for you guys? You were fighting against us,' " said one Republican lobbyist, who declined to be named
in order to speak candidly.

Are there any other questions about the pay to play conservative political pro-business party?
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