Big Business worries about tea party candidates
Suddenly, business executives — like their allies in the Republican Party — are getting a little nervous about candidates favored by the tea party. With a couple of exceptions, the GOP has generally welcomed the enthusiasm generated by the tea party, even if several tea party-backed candidates endorse positions that are not in keeping with Republican orthodoxy.
But now, business interests are taking another look, hoping several of the tea party-backed candidates don’t actually mean what they say. The GOP still favors them over Democrats, of course, since they back lower taxes and less government regulation. Still, according to The Wall Street Journal:
“Most of K Street thinks it’s tall corn and lollipops with all these new Republicans coming to town, but lobbyists should realize there could be a rub between client priorities and the governing plans of tea-party members,” said Eric Ueland, a lobbyist who represents companies including Pepsi Co., Time Warner Inc. and General Motors Corp.
Congress plans next year to consider a $500 billion road and highway plan, and industry representatives are already bracing for opposition from tea-party Republicans.
“It’s probable that some” of these will oppose the transportation bill, said Pete Ruane, president of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. “I wouldn’t say we are worried, but we will be more challenged, for sure.”
“In many instances, we don’t know enough about the concerns of some of the winners in the primaries to be comfortable that they understand the intricacies of the battle for free enterprise,” said Larry Harlow, who handles the Washington interests of the American Petroleum Institute and such firms as Boeing Co. and Union Pacific Corp.
“They may view some of the tax incentives as some type of corporate welfare,” said Trent Lott, the former Senate Republican Leader and now a lobbyist. “But if you care about jobs and the economy, you have to give people incentives.”
Congress is also scheduled to take up a multibillion-dollar farm bill in 2011 that includes expensive subsidies for crops and farmers. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Senate candidate who was backed by the tea-party movement, has been critical of farm subsidies.
“We know that Mr. Paul has taken positions that are sometimes on the other side of the aisle of what we would support,” said Dan Smaldone, the director of public relations for the Kentucky Farm Bureau. “But we see this as an opportunity to work with him.”
Paul is absolutely right about farm subsidies. They are an outrageous giveaways to agribusiness, and they need to end. (Why don’t more conservatives complain about corporate welfare? I love this quote about whether they “understand the intricacies of the battle for free enterprise.” That’s just another way of saying, Big Business loves ’socialism’ as long as it benefits them.) I could muster a bit of enthusiasm for Paul’s campaign — despite his loony positions on many other issues — if I thought he would stick by his principled opposition to farm subsidies.
But I’m betting that he won’t. He has already begun re-shaping his platform and abandoning old policy positions so that he sounds much more like a conventional Republican. I don’t think Big Business has anything to worry about from most of the tea party candidates. They will dance to the tune of their business allies.
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298 comments Add your comment
Jack
September 17th, 2010
7:40 am
We really don’t want our big farms to move to Argentina.
Dave
September 17th, 2010
7:46 am
Cool story bro
Dave
September 17th, 2010
7:47 am
Copy pasta
T-Town
September 17th, 2010
7:51 am
The Tea Party movement tends to make people nervous and anytime these people include politicians its a good thing.
Beverly
September 17th, 2010
7:56 am
The progressive play book says the tea party is a threaat to the GOP. Reality says that real live elected democrats are running from Obama and his track record like chipmunks from the dog. Tucker is loyally doing her part but it’s a losing cause. In desperation the local democrats are gnawing off their arms in a frantic attempt to get away from Obama and his policies.
This is the real story that the playbook says not to cover.
quod erat demonstrandum
September 17th, 2010
8:08 am
This is what happens when the folks inside the beltway stop listening to the people, they get scared – I get a tingle up and down my leg when politicians start running scared.
Imagine what would happen if they did their job the way the Constitution says they should.
arnold
September 17th, 2010
8:08 am
Of course the Tea Party reps will change. They are mouthing what their followers want to hear. They will settle in and take the money and run. Just like many other politicians.
Bob
September 17th, 2010
8:09 am
Oh, now Cynthia is suggsting we elect people based on the wishes of the evil greedy thugs that are outsourcing jobs ? Should we put the Enron board back together so they can tell us who to vote for ?
I think big biz is more concerned about the guy that screwed the Chrysler bondholders to reward his union buddies.
Jimmy62
September 17th, 2010
8:11 am
Everyday I see more value in the Tea Party. And I hope Rand doesn’t start pandering to the GOP and instead continues as the man the people that elected him thought him to be.
Jethro
September 17th, 2010
8:15 am
They have no one to blame but themselves. Ignore the discontented rabble, and the rabble will be roused. Great for you, Ms. Tucker; controversy fuels the lifeblood of an opinion column. You can write about the implosion of the American government, maybe even write a Pulitzer column about it. All you’ve done, though, is through kerosene on the blaze.
Same with the Republican establishment. Ignore the masses, and the masses will revolt. Thanks in large part to a Democrat party that seems more intent on not listening to anybody but their own lobbyists and political groups.
You got what you wanted: controversy, headlines, political movement. A rule that all politicians (and most journalists) seem to have forgotten: the American people are very capable of deciding what it is that they want.
The shame is that only the Tea Party has provided a venue in which to speak their minds. Y’all had your chance. Now as ye reap, so shall ye sow.
Tony
September 17th, 2010
8:16 am
cool ajc headlines today:
Poverty surges in state
ga. 400 toll might linger (there is a shocker)
deal fails to report loans
the answer- more hope and change with bigger gov’t- close your eyes and hold your nose
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
8:18 am
Of course Tea Party candidates worry big business.
Take Ms. O’Donnell for example. That’s a Tea Party candidate
who is giving a senate seat to the Democrats.
I can see where that would tick of big business.
Ain’t it grand!
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
8:19 am
make that off….
Union
September 17th, 2010
8:19 am
here is a better title for this blog.. big / small businesses not hiring due to uncertantity of obama polices.. meanwhile.. average joe is the one to suffer..
Moderate Line
September 17th, 2010
8:21 am
The Tea Party and the Republicans are riding the wave of discontent with the government and the economy. All politicians compromise at some point and many say one thing and do another. I would not expect the Tea Party to be any different than the typical Democrat or Republican. I would expect them to be somewhat more inflexible since the extremes of both party are typically more inflexible than the middle.
I am confident that business people believe they will still get a better deal with Rep than Dem because the Dem get so much money from trial lawyers and unions.
No 1 contributor to Obama was Lawyers/Law Firms $43,154,642
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/indus.php?cycle=2008&cid=n00009638
TOP PAC committess giving to Dems.
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $2,513,723
American Assn for Justice $2,136,000
Operating Engineers Union $1,885,300
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees $1,860,500
Teamsters Union $1,692,910
American Federation of Teachers $1,674,750
Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union $1,613,500
Laborers Union $1,596,000
International Assn of Fire Fighters $1,533,500
Honeywell International $1,510,900
Plumbers/Pipefitters Union $1,488,075
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/index.php?party=D&cycle=2010
I am confident that Big Business is not going to turn to the Democrats. Being pragmatic they will still line the cofers of the Republicans to avoid the Dems.
Metro Coach
September 17th, 2010
8:23 am
I realize this is a bit off topic, but did you read the AP report that came out yesterday stating that the expiration of the “Bush” tax cuts will affect 100% of taxpayers? This is the 2nd AP report on this subject in the last 6 months. Since you were so torn up about the tax cuts in an earlier post, maybe you’d like to respond and let me know whay the AP is wrong…
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
8:30 am
Metro coach
affect positively or negatively?
98% positively, 2% negatively
100% affected
pretty simple stuff
Honest Broker
September 17th, 2010
8:30 am
Like big business is not concerned about the current administration…
JKL2
September 17th, 2010
8:31 am
New politicians mean that those evil big businesses have to start bribing politicians all over again. that will hurt the special interest groups who are already suffering because of the economy.
I thought you Demwits were all about punishing special interests and those evil giant corporations? This idea of new people in congress should appeal to you…
Nothing Is Free
September 17th, 2010
8:31 am
ctucker
When you promote the same outrage for the billions that will go to government employee pensions, perhaps your complaints will carry a little water.
Nothing Is Free
September 17th, 2010
8:33 am
granny godzilla
In order to vote in a primary in Delaware, a person needs to be a registered Republican or Democrat. The republican turnout was huge for both candidates.
Do you really think that the Republicans are now going to vote for the Democrat?
Dream on.
Jethro
September 17th, 2010
8:37 am
The people are the one special interest group that both the Dems and Repubs have consistently ignored. The parties have become too exclusive. And Nero fiddles away….
mystified
September 17th, 2010
8:40 am
CT’s right…….OUch that hurt just saying it. Business has no morals except the bottom line and would support whatever candidate enhances it. That’s why I think corporations and businesses should not be allowed to donate to campaigns.
I sure hope Paul sticks to his guns.
StJ
September 17th, 2010
8:44 am
It appears that there is a “candidate nominee disruption” in the party…
When you consistently favor Big Business over Average Joe, sooner or later this was bound to happen (hey, it only took 200 years). The shocker is that they did not expect that to happen in their own party.
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
8:44 am
NIF
Wherever to you get your info?
About 50,000 turned out to vote in DE. 28,000 voted for Ms. Chris.
Population of DE is 885,000 – 518,000 regsitered Voters
SO…. 5.4% of registered voters gave Ms. Chris the nod.
That sweetcakes, is a nightmare for the GOP.
Ragnar Danneskjöld
September 17th, 2010
8:44 am
Dear Cynthia, you err in the big picture. Capitalists love the tea partiers. Corporatists – those who feed off manipulation of government through corporate welfare and regulation that cripples competition – hate the tea partiers. By no coincidence, the corporatists are the big contributors to your party.
bill johnson
September 17th, 2010
8:47 am
You muster enthusiasm for Rand Paul! That is hilarious and downright intellectually dishonest of you. But you are a Democrat and that is what we come to expect from present day Obama/Pelosi/Reed Democrat.
ctucker
September 17th, 2010
8:47 am
Ragnar@8:44, I believe you err. The “corporatists” are giving much more to the GOP than to the party you have assigned to me.
ctucker
September 17th, 2010
8:48 am
Nothing is Free@8:31, Do you have a problem with police officers and fire fighters receiving pensions? how about school teachers? They are all “government employees”
Ragnar Danneskjöld
September 17th, 2010
8:48 am
Dear Cynthia, with all due respect, I did not say that Corporatists do not contribute to Republicans, especially RINOs, also. Those are the guys who try to manipulate the system, who build coalitions through money. And they are the only businessmen who contribute big bucks to your party.
Bob
September 17th, 2010
8:49 am
” said Eric Ueland, a lobbyist who represents companies including Pepsi Co., Time Warner Inc. and General Motors Corp.” So now we don’t like the tea party because a lobbyist for companies like GM don’t like them ? Gee Whiz Cynthia, GM, or Government Motors, does not like the tea party and that means something ? This guy is a lobbyist for PepsiCo also, So we are taking advice from a corporate lobbyist for a company that needed massive bailouts ? Bailouts they would not have received if more politicians thought like the tea party. What would Tom Coburn think about this ?
Shawny
September 17th, 2010
8:50 am
I am a conservative, and I complain about welfare, both at the corporate and individual level.
While you say big business fears the tea party, what they fear more is the current administration and all the uncertainty around new taxes, healthcare expense, etc. They are showing that fear by sitting on their cash, not knowing how radical the future will change for them. They aren’t hiring or expanding.
Jack
September 17th, 2010
8:51 am
When mystified goes into business, the bottom line will get attention regardless of the morals involved.
Union
September 17th, 2010
8:54 am
ctucker.. govt pensions are great.. i think its more than fair that someone can retire on more than they made their whoile life.. makes perfect sense.. and with education doing so well.. lets reward the all with bigger retirement packages.. more fisherman die in this country than fire or police officers.. maybe we should get them an even bigger retirement package than that of a police, firemen, etc.
JohnnyReb
September 17th, 2010
8:54 am
Bob @ 8:09 am – I think big biz is more concerned about the guy that screwed the Chrysler bondholders to reward his union buddies.
Right on Bob! I still don’t understand how that move stood up in court. And, the Lefties wonder why businesses/investors are hording their money. They like to position themselves as elite, this is just one example of how they don’t truly understand anything other than their fantasies.
Kamchak
September 17th, 2010
8:56 am
Oh, now Cynthia is suggsting[sic] we elect people based on the wishes of the evil greedy thugs that are outsourcing jobs ?
No.
ctucker
September 17th, 2010
9:01 am
bob@8:49, GM isn’t a business?
Keep up the good fight!
September 17th, 2010
9:07 am
Big business is about to learn you can’t control crazy. The Republicans could not get the crazies to lock step march with them, The irrational groundswell is rising. Big Biz is realizing that Obama is much better for them than an unelectable crazed O’Donnell and her other crazy friends….oh wait, let me correct that because O’Donnell is according to the Republicans a crock living off her campaign donations but she is “cute” and when she wears glasses, amazingly good stand in for the wannabe grizzly…Perhaps she’ll quit too.
When will the O’Donnell version of the Carrie Prejean tapes come out?
Kamchak
September 17th, 2010
9:15 am
When will the O’Donnell version of the Carrie Prejean tapes come out?
Snort!
From the Christine O'Donnell files
September 17th, 2010
9:17 am
Condoms are anti-human, and women don’t belong in the military.
Ragnar Danneskjöld
September 17th, 2010
9:19 am
I’m with Bob, GM is not a business – it is a union pension plan, funded by tax dollars.
Keep up the good fight!
September 17th, 2010
9:20 am
Uh Oh….I am worried now. O’Donnell has said Business is evil because it has cross bred humans with animals and now has Mice with tiny Human Brains…… So that is where the tea party came from?
AmVet
September 17th, 2010
9:21 am
Big Business loves ’socialism’ as long as it benefits them.
The line of the day, week and month! (And one that I will Joe Biden!)
Ms. Tucker, another superbly written article sure to inflame the welfare for the wealthy crowd who hide behind that silly moniker of “conservative”…
Remmington
September 17th, 2010
9:22 am
The Tea Party is America at its finest. This grass roots push back of liberalism reminds us of our historical birth. It is a rejection of the unwanted liberal agenda that goes against the moral fiber and sensible practices of this country. As time goes by, the momentum of this movement gains strength that cannot be ignored. Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and Ms Tucker know fully well the power of this ground swell. Each one of these dedicated left wing zealots see the hand writing on the November wall. The tempo of attack blogs from CT have become more desperate. How many times can she use the adjective, Big Business, in her anti-establishment rants? Ho-hum…
It is rather amusing to watch Ms Tucker feverishly applying tourniquets to her hemorrhaging cause of liberalism. Don’t worry Cynthia. The Tea Party and the Republican Party will do just fine with Big Business.
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
9:26 am
Remmington
The Koch Brothers bought and paid for the Tea Party.
Grass roots not so much.
Get Real.
Keep up the good fight!
September 17th, 2010
9:26 am
Yep…tiny human brains… and the Tea Mice support is not swelling or gaining strength….its popularity is diminishing…. but the mice are motivated in the primaries.
Tech man
September 17th, 2010
9:32 am
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
8:18 am
————————–
She has the same right to run for office as Hillary. Lets see if conservatives treat her as badly as the Democrats treated Hillary. Shame on them if they do.
Nothing Is Free
September 17th, 2010
9:33 am
ctucker
- -Do you have a problem with police officers and fire fighters receiving pensions? how about school teachers? They are all “government employees”- -
Don’t you think that is a bit disingenuous? The police and the teachers are always the bureaucrat’s first line of defense. For every policeman on the beat and for every teacher in front of the classroom, there are dozens of 6 figure bureaucrats who got their job, not on their ability but by being the first cousin of another 6 figure paper pusher.
How do you feel about those pensions, Ms Tucker? Will the AJC make it possible for you to draw the kind of money that these incompetant bueracrats will be getting?
There’s not many front line government employees. And the sad thing is that the better the government is ran, the less bureaucrats are needed so it’s not like they are trying to put themselves out of business.
The greatest improvement in any government service that I’ve seen is the DeKalb Country tag and Vehicle registration office. What used to take hours, now takes five minutes. But the problem is now that you walk into that huge room full of tellers and NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING!!!! They could still have an efficient system with 1/10th the number of tellers. But did they let those people go and save the taxpayer loads of money?
No. Now we pay yet more paper pushers to set on their butts, but now they are not even pushing papers.
Government is one huge giant sucking machine.
Tech man
September 17th, 2010
9:34 am
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
9:26 am
If so, where is my walking around money? Can you get us a copy of the Dems walking around money process so we can implement it.
If you ain’t copying and pasting you ain’t in politics.
granny godzilla
September 17th, 2010
9:41 am
Tech Man
The Democrats treated Hillary Clinton badly?
On what planet?