More closely with business? What's President Obama going to do, give them the keys to the Oval Office? BBI
Obama wants a detente with business leaders
Insiders say administration wants to work more closely following midterms
By Julianna Goldman, Hans Nichols, Mark Drajem and Lizzie O'Leary
Business Week
October 10, 2010
Democrats close to the Administration say
the White House wants to make amends and will make its relationship with business a priority after the midterm elections. "I have every expectation as we go through the next several months that we are going to see a greater involvement with business than we have seen in some time," says Tom Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader and an Obama ally.The changes could include Obama's backing of proposals to cut payroll taxes temporarily, which could save companies billions, according to company executives, economic advisers, and White House aides. If his deficit commission in December recommends a debt-shrinking package of spending cuts and tax code changes, including corporate tax reform, Obama may support it, the people say. The White House may also consider naming a CEO to a Cabinet job if one opens up or may give someone business finds credible the role of counselor, with a wide-ranging portfolio, they say.
Daschle says Peter M. Rouse, Obama's new chief of staff, who has few business connections after spending most of his career managing the staffs of Democratic lawmakers, plans to be more accessible to corporate executives.
"I don't think there's any question that he's aware of that criticism and aware of the need to be more interactive and engaged with the business community," says Daschle, Rouse's former boss. "I would not be surprised at all if you saw evidence of that quite soon." Austan Goolsbee, the President's top economist, will try patching up relations in an Oct. 13 meeting in New York with business leaders. A rapprochement, however, will not occur until after the midterm elections, when the Administration will know the strength of the Republican opposition in Congress. That timing also will help Obama avoid looking like he's giving Wall Street a pass just when he's trying to turn the Democratic base out to vote. At an Oct. 4 meeting of Obama's economic advisory board, Laura D. Tyson, a former Clinton Administration economist, suggested not renewing the Bush tax cuts for top earners and using the savings to pay for a temporary cut in Social Security taxes. At the same meeting, Obama said he'd be "very interested" in lowering the top corporate tax rate, now 35 percent, so U.S. companies aren't at a disadvantage against overseas rivals.
Read the full article at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39603656/ns/business-bloomberg_businessweek-------------------------------------------
Good advice and words of wisdom from President Obama's ally and friend of working people, Thomas Daschle?
Let's just check that out.
Thomas Daschle is currently employed as a "Senior Policy Advisor" by DLA Piper, one of the biggest corporate law firms. They have an entire department that specializes in helping corporations "outsource" jobs and another department to help corporations maintain "a union-free environment" and assist unionized employers in their efforts to defeat labor strikes and undermine union contracts!
I don't think any former politician who supports working people and organized labor could accept any position with a law firm that engages in those types of anti-worker activities. But an "insider" like Thomas Daschle has no problem with serving Wall Street and corporate America's war on working people.
Here's what Thomas Daschle's law firm brags about on their website:
DLA Piper became one of the largest legal service providers in the world in 2005 through a merger of unprecedented scope in the legal sector. While large in scale, the merger strategy was simple – to create an international legal practice capable of taking care of the most important legal needs of clients wherever they do business. We wanted our clients to rely on receiving the right service for their particular matter, whether requiring seamless coordination across multiple jurisdictions or delivery in a single location.
Building strong and substantial client relationships was and remains the compass for DLA Piper's business strategy and future development. With Frank Burch as Chairman of our Global Board, DLA Piper today has 3,500 lawyers in offices throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. We represent more clients in a broader range of geographies and practice disciplines than virtually any other law firm in the world. Our client commitment is also our brand – everything matters when it comes to the way we serve and interact with our clients. If it matters to them, it matters to us.
Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies. They include more than half of the Fortune 250 and nearly half of the FTSE 350 or their subsidiaries. As we build our global practices, we remain committed to maintaining regional practices around the world where we already do great work for longstanding clients.
Need more information DLA Piper's anti-worker activity? Check this out:
Labor-Management RelationsFor our clients that are non-union, we provide advice and counseling on methods for improving employer-employee relations and maintaining a union-free environment. When union activity arises, we work closely with the company to combat organizing efforts and the election campaign. This may cover the entire spectrum from advice on strategies, methods, and techniques, to representation before the NLRB in unfair labor practice charges.
For our clients that are unionized, we provide assistance in all aspects of the management-union relationship, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, contract administration, grievances and arbitrations, representation before the NLRB and the courts, and union decertification. Our attorneys have extensive experience in obtaining injunctions in cases involving wildcat and mass picketing strikes, as well as persuading the NLRB to seek relief for illegal secondary boycotts. We have defended employers in virtually every type of unfair labor practice case under the NLRA and similar state statutes such as California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)We help our clients implement preventive measures, as well as representing them in administrative and court proceedings arising out of the various federal, state, and local laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in employment based on race, sex, age, religion, national origin, and handicap, and those pertaining to equal pay. We have found that early representation helps avoid later problems and minimizes exposure. Most administrative charges of discrimination can be handled quickly and economically.
Litigation is an important aspect of EEO law. Our lawyers have represented companies in the defense of EEO charges and lawsuits throughout the United States, in both major class actions brought by the government or private parties and individual charges and suits.
Occupational Safety and HealthWe have provided counsel and handled litigation pertaining to OSHA standards and citations. Our lawyers have represented corporations that have been cited by OSHA in some of the most serious fatality cases in the past 10 years, including a successful defense of one of the first criminal MOSH cases.
http://www.dlapiper.com/us/services/detail.aspx?service=3 As you can see, Daschle's law firm doesn't confine itself to old fashioned union busting and strike breaking. They also help companies defend themselves from Equal Employment Opportunity and OSHA lawsuits.
The embrace (grip) of Wall Street and big business in Washington tightens.
Nice. BBI
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