Republican Rift: Big Business vs. Tea Party

[Flaylo]

Peter Dreier: Republican Rift: Big Business vs. Tea Party

The major corporate lobby groups -- like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable -- wanted Congress to lift the debt ceiling. They weren't interested in linking the debt ceiling issue to either tax reform or budget cuts. They care about both matters, but they just wanted to avoid an economic meltdown, and they lobbied Congress to get it done.

The Tea Party wanted to use the debt ceiling issue -- which in normal times is raised without controversy by Republicans and Democrats alike -- to manufacture a crisis over the budget, by demanding that Congress slash government spending without raising taxes, even on the very rich, as a quid-pro-quo for lifting the debt ceiling. The Tea Partiers latched onto the debt ceiling to win ideological points, embarrass Obama, and test their political muscle with the Republicans in Congress, especially the members elected in November and others who identify with the Tea Party caucus. A significant number of Republicans in both houses did not want the debt ceiling raised regardless of what the consequences were for the economy.

This rift within the GOP put enormous cross-pressures on House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Both are conservatives who have who pledged allegiance to the Tea Party's right-wing principles and signed the "no tax" pledge demanded by Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform. (All but 13 Republicans -- six in the House and seven in the Senate -- have signed ATR's pledge). Boehner and McConnell not only support the Tea Party views, but owe their leadership positions to support from their colleagues in Congress who view themselves as Tea Party allies.

At the same time, both Boehner and McConnell know that it is Big Business that fattens the GOP's campaign coffers with the funds needed to elect Republicans. They were caught in the tug-of-war between the two wings of their party. When, early in the negotiations, Boehner hinted that he might be willing to cut a deal with President Obama that would include some tax increases, he faced a rebellion within the GOP ranks in the House, led, not too covertly, by Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Boehner quickly recanted.

This is why they will not win the White House.

 

[Avatar4321]

So you admit that if the Republicans lose it will be because of their inability to unite rather than because of President Obama's skills, ability, leadership, or effectiveness of any of his policies? That's a rather telling admission.

 

[uscitizen]

Do you really think the TP are serious enough to really go against their party and the big corporations?
I think not when it comes down to the vote.

44 of them voted to keep the partiot act and even strengthen it.

 

[dilloduck]

Big business likes Obama better? This outta be interesting.

 

[uscitizen]

Big business likes Obama better? This outta be interesting.

Yeah I think they have jumped the logic track a bit, even though Obama is pretty much a corporatist.

 

[ladyliberal]

Admittedly, the notion of big business siding with Democrats over Republicans seems far-fetched, but I think it could happen. Organizations like the Chamber of Commerce understood that the debt-ceiling brinksmanship was bad for business-- they were definitely closer to the President than to Congressional Republicans on that one. And of course large corporations have been giving to both parties-- Republican intransigence could lead to a noticeable but not overwhelming shift towards the Democrats.

 

[Avatar4321]

Big business sides with Democrats all the time. Who exactly does GE support? Or Goldman Sachs?

I remember last year when Democrats were supposedly going after Goldman Sachs for financial abuses. They wanted to pass legislation aimed at "getting at the big guy for the little guy". Of course the media conveniently ignored that Goldman Sachs was heavily contributing to the Obama and other major Democrats and despite the legislations statement that the regulation was going after them, Goldman Sachs was in a position to heavily profit from the passage.

The idea that Big business doesn't support Democrats is a myth. I'm not saying there arent big businesses that support Republicans too. But then it's foolish to presume that all businesses benefit from the same political objectives.

Some of the big businesses would be seriously hurt by limited restrained Federal Government because they need the government regulation to eliminate new competition that might someday beat them out before they can get started.

 

[uscitizen]

big business does control both parties now.

 

[Avatar4321]

big business does control both parties now.

The way to defeat big business is to support limited government. Big business likes big government because they can manipulate the legislation to make it too expensive for smaller businesses to compete with them. If we followed the Constitution and reigned in the Federal Government's spending and regulation spree, we would do much to curb the powers of big business.

 

[uscitizen]

big business does control both parties now.

The way to defeat big business is to support limited government. Big business likes big government because they can manipulate the legislation to make it too expensive for smaller businesses to compete with them. If we followed the Constitution and reigned in the Federal Government's spending and regulation spree, we would do much to curb the powers of big business.

considering lobbyists and the recent supreme court decision on corporate contributions I do not see any way to stop the corporate control.

btw we have a corporate majority in the supreme court now.
If it is govt vs individual the govt wins. If it is corp vs individual the corp wins. If it is corp vs govt the corp wins.
Look at all the recent decisions.

 

[JoeB131]

At the same time, both Boehner and McConnell know that it is Big Business that fattens the GOP's campaign coffers with the funds needed to elect Republicans. They were caught in the tug-of-war between the two wings of their party. When, early in the negotiations, Boehner hinted that he might be willing to cut a deal with President Obama that would include some tax increases, he faced a rebellion within the GOP ranks in the House, led, not too covertly, by Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Boehner quickly recanted.

This is why they will not win the White House.[/QUOTE]

More wishful thinking.

I would say at this point, the Business people want Mitt Romney (R-Kolob) and the Tea Party/Religious Right want Bachmann, but they will comprimise on Perry because he's more electable than either of them.

This is not like 2008 where Huckabee scared the business types because he believed in populist stuff. They could live with Perry.

 

[editec]

big business does control both parties now.

The way to defeat big business is to support limited government.

No, that doesn't work.

In the duel between power small national and local governments Vs enormously powerful international corporations who do you think wins?

Big business likes big government because they can manipulate the legislation to make it too expensive for smaller businesses to compete with them.

Yes, that's truer than true.

When corporate power owns governments then governments are their best customers, their loyal servants, and their around-the-clock and around-the-world FREE bodyguards

If we followed the Constitution and reigned in the Federal Government's spending and regulation spree, we would do much to curb the powers of big business.

No, that doesn't work.

Not when the SCOTUS is a tool of the corporate state...which is obviously has been for quite some time.