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Has Chamber become a Chamber of Horrors for its members?

There's an essay coming out in one of those MSM pubs that wll stir even more anger and argument over the U.S.
Written by Harry Fuller, Contributor

There's an essay coming out in one of those MSM pubs that wll stir even more anger and argument over the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's political stance via-a-vis federal action or inaction on global warming. I've blogged about this before, most recently when Apple left the Chamber over its "leave us alone" stance on possible federal legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Apple's move was not the first, but Apple is a high profile Wall Street darling that has a global brand and serious cachet as a smartly-run company. This article was likely in the works already but Apple's opting out gives it much more relevance. And Apple is, of course, the lead to this piece.

Entitled "Exit Through Lobby" this piece in the "New Yorker" maintains the Chamber's stance is actually hurting American business. As the piece explains the Chamber has become a strong defendent of corporate freedoms and regularly opposes any government regulation of American business from pollution to consumer rights, from taxation to pro-union regulations. here is a crucial line in the piece, "The recent resignations, and public dissent from companies that are still members, like Johnson & Johnson and G.E., suggest that, when it comes to global warming, companies are unwilling to sit quietly by."

So will dissent from normally compliant companies force the Chamber to re-examine its stance on global warming and greenhouse gas regulation? I'm betting not. The chamber still has 3-million members, mostly small business. And isn't it the heart of a conservative outlook not to change just to become popular?

The pressure on the Chamber may have some visible effect in how it lobbies Congress. Here is an editorial in a decidedly non-liberal publication saying the Chamber is taking a stance to let the damage happen and then we'll pay for it later. But isn't foisting off our environmental problems on the next generation always been the dominant American way of business?

[poll id="186"] One defector from the Chamber is Exelon, a large utility. Today their CEO says the chances of a global warming bill passing Congress is improving. He specifically cites the announcement by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) that he will support energy and climate change legislation. Of course, what Sen. Graham wants in the bill: more offshore drilling, more nuclear power plants and more money spent on "clean coal." [poll id="188"]

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