Donohue challenges Obama, McCain to work with Chamber

DENVER — The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is in Denver for the Democrats’ summer gathering but has thrown down the gauntlet to both presidential candidates. 

Tom Donohue said that whether Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) or Republican candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) wins the White House, the victor will have to work closely with the Chamber. 

{mosads}The Chamber represents about 3 million companies and has traditionally endorsed more Republicans than Democrats. The group typically endorses in congressional races but not the presidential contest.

Donohue made it clear that his organization can wield a lot of power to protect business interests.

"I do not want to sound arrogant and I do not feel arrogant about this," Donohue said at a press conference on Tuesday. But, "We can raise a lot of hell," he said. 

Donohue has made a concerted effort to show that the Chamber is a bipartisan organization. The Chamber has two tour buses, one that has arrived in Denver and one that will be going to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Republican convention.

"We are bipartisan," said Donohue. "We are clearly endorsing more Republicans than Democrats. We are a business organization." 

He also stressed that the Chamber wants to keep enough people in the Senate to protect the power of the filibuster. That means pressing for the Republican incumbents but also endorsing Democrats that may vote with the Republicans. One such Democrat is former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, who is running for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. John Warner (Va).

Donohue did express concern about the possibility that both congressional chambers and the White House will be Democratic. He argues the vigorous debate and the checks and balances that come with the different parties will be lost. As far as legislation is concerned, "There is nobody to stop it," he said.

The same happened with a Republican Congress and White House, he added. Donohue predicted that the Colombia Free Trade Agreement will pass this year, most likely in a lame-duck session. He predicts the newly elected president would want to press Congress to pass it before he takes office.

As far as the North American Free Trade Agreement is concerned, "We will not screw (it) up," he said. "I told that to both candidates personally."

The Chamber is also running a massive campaign against an effort to do away with the secret ballot in union voting known as “card check.” The Chamber and other groups have been lobbying against this issue for months.

The Chamber is spending to the tune of "seven figures and over" on a grassroots campaign to thwart the effort, said Donohue.