More on business versus the GOP

A National Journal article by Jill Lawrence last month makes a number of points related to those in the New York Times piece I mentioned yesterday.

While a lot of business owners and managers obviously tend to be pro-Republican, they’re frustrated with the Tea Party extremism exhibited by far-right members of Congress, especially in the House of Representatives. Quoting Lawrence’s article:

“You don’t really know what they’re going to do or why,” says NSBA [National Small Business Association] President Todd McCracken, a 20-year Washington veteran. “It used to be there were not many rewards for obstruction. Now there are no consequences.”

Susan Eckerly, senior vice president of federal public policy at the NFIB [National Federation of Independent Business], says House Speaker John Boehner “has his hands full” with some 60 rebellious tea-party Republicans. “They are really bucking Boehner,” she says. “It’s going to be really hard for him to control them. That’s a new phenomenon in Congress.” […]

Some seasoned business lobbyists say most lawmakers who arrive clutching pitchforks phase out of firebrand mode over time. But that shift could take a while, especially among Republicans, because dozens of House districts remain overwhelmingly conservative, and more than a few senators fear primary challenges from the right. For now, Josten says, “you’ve got a bunch of people who don’t even know what a conference committee is.” In some cases, that’s because they are blocking those committees, where House and Senate differences are hashed out.



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