Thread: Ron Paul gets lowest GOP score from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Once again, Ron Paul gets the lowest GOP score from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued its 2009 congressional scorecard, and once again, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex. — certainly one of the two most free-market politicians in Washington — gets the lowest score of any Republican.



Paul was one of a handful of GOP lawmakers not to win the Chamber’s “Spirit of Enterprise Award.” He scored only a 67%, bucking the Chamber on five votes, including:



* Paul opposed the “Solar Technology Roadmap Act,” which boosted subsidies for unprofitable solar energy technology.

* Paul opposed the “Travel Promotion Act,” which subsidizes the tourism industry with a new fee on international visitors.

* Paul opposed the largest spending bill in history, Obama’s $787 billion stimulus bill.



(Rep John Duncan, R-Tenn., tied Ron Paul with 67%. John McHugh, R-N.Y., scored a 40%, but he missed most of the year because he went off to the Obama administration.)



I wrote about this phenomenon last year, when the divergence was even greater between the Chamber’s agenda and the free-market agenda:



Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., had the most conservative voting record in 2008 according to the American Conservative Union (ACU), and was a “taxpayer hero” according to the National Taxpayer’s Union (NTU), but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says his 2008 record was less pro-business than Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton.

Similarly, Texas libertarian GOPer Rep. Ron Paul—the most steadfast congressional opponent of regulation, taxation, and any sort of government intervention in business—scored lower than 90% of Democrats last year on the Chamber’s scorecard.



This year’s picture was less glaring, but it’s still more evidence that “pro-business” is not the same as “pro-freedom.” The U.S. Chamber is the former. Ron Paul, and the libertarian position, is the latter.

Remind me to laugh out loud the next time someone pretends that the Chamber of Commerce and big business in the U.S. are some sort of stalwart defenders of free market capitalism and economic freedom.

No surprise here. This is the inevitable product of capitalism. Business uses state power to bolster capitalist power, and it will always be this way until we rid ourselves of capitalism and the state.

[quote name='Bourne' date='30 April 2010 - 11:56 PM' timestamp='1272686211' post='146216']

Another entry in the ever increasing list of why Ron Paul is a political failure. Muchos gracias Defensor!

[/quote]





Ah, Bourne, are you a CEO of a corporation now? I can never keep up with your many varied occupations.

[quote name='Bourne' date='30 April 2010 - 11:56 PM' timestamp='1272686211' post='146216']

Another entry in the ever increasing list of why Ron Paul is a political failure. Muchos gracias Defensor!

[/quote]







•Paul opposed the “Solar Technology Roadmap Act,” which boosted subsidies for unprofitable solar energy technology.

•Paul opposed the “Travel Promotion Act,” which subsidizes the tourism industry with a new fee on international visitors.

•Paul opposed the largest spending bill in history, Obama’s $787 billion stimulus bill.





You think the above list represents things he should have supported? The stimulus can be argued back and forth, but the other two, I'm not seeing why not supporting them would lead to political failure.

[quote name='Bourne' date='01 May 2010 - 12:05 AM' timestamp='1272686751' post='146224']

Yes, I believe that Paul should have supported the cited legislation and that his lack of support from the US Chamber of Commerce only contributes to his political failure.

[/quote]



Oh....well I would agree that the CoC carries some clout with their endorsement, but what I am asking is do you just endorse what they do? The list I asked about above included an unhprofitable alternative energy source they support and a fee on international air travelers. Both of these are questionable policies, yet you implied that someone that doesn't support these policies that is not right. I just wonder if maybe I misunderstood you, or what your overwhelming support for those programs is for?

[quote name='Bourne' date='01 May 2010 - 12:05 AM' timestamp='1272686751' post='146224']

Yes, I believe that Paul should have supported the cited legislation and that his lack of support from the US Chamber of Commerce only contributes to his political failure.

[/quote]





well so much for beliefs.