Did you know the freaking U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been allowed to influence the bill?

[brentspeak]

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is every working person's worst nightmare. Its lobbyists have been working around the clock for years to screw the average working person. And it just so happens that its sleazeball lobbyists have actually been consulting with the White House and Paulson over how to craft the bailout bill:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aihGl_Boz2eM&refer=home

Lobbyists Sprint in Round-the-Clock Race to Shape Rescue Plan

Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- (snip)

``I'm doing Blackberry or on the phone until 11:30 p.m. or midnight,'' said Bruce Josten, top lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. ``This has got to be the single biggest seat-of- the-pants exercise I've ever been in.''

(snip)

The starting gun fired the afternoon of Sept. 19. In a conference call with White House officials, business lobbyists were briefed on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's proposal to spend as much as $700 billion to relieve financial companies of bad debt, Josten said. On the call, Josten raised objections to provisions rumored to be in the package, such as changing bankruptcy laws to help homeowners who can't afford their mortgage payments.

Tell me again why it was a tragedy the bill failed today?

[texastoast]

1. Exactly.

How many people's representatives were in on the drafting? Any guess?

[texastoast]

2. Delete/dupe

[Eric J in MN]

3. Legislation shouldn't be rushed.

Congress should have hearings for the next few months, listen to a wide variety of economists, and send an economic stimulus bill to President Obama.

[Canuckistanian]

4. What's the purpose of a "Chamber of Commerce", anyways

Every town has one. Every state has one. Even the fed has one.

But what do they do? What major accomplishment can they claim? What good do they do for mankind?

From what I've seen of "Chambers of Commerce", they're insular groups of businesspeople who band together to sue people to maintain the right to keep monopolies in power.

Anyone? Anyone?

[jwirr]

5. The Chamber is one of the biggest economic lobbyists in the country. nt