With friends like the U.S. Chamber chief ...

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce chief, Tom Donohue, touts himself as a capitalist and has, admittedly, said some bad things about Obama Dead Eyes, but a recent column in the Wall Street Journal showed his real colors. The WSJ printed a letter from me on the column on Nov. 2. Here it is:

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With all the mealy-mouthed CEOs and politicians at large today, it was refreshing to read the spirited language of U.S. Chamber chief Tom Donohue in Kimberley Strassel’s interview. But, oh, how I wish he were a true capitalist.

Having not followed all of the Chamber’s actions closely over the last two years, I was unaware that it had backed the so-called “stimulus,” the “bailout” funds, the auto “bailouts,” and the Cash for Clunkers debacle. Moreover, Mr. Donohue says the Chamber supports cap-and-trade legislation.

Consider me horrified. As a business owner and proponent of laissez-faire capitalism, I’m frankly stunned that an organization which purportedly represents the interests of 3 million businesses across America would favor massive redistributionist schemes aimed at stealing money from individual citizens and small businesses and handing the loot over to the biggest businesses and politicians!

And then Mr. Donohue has the temerity to say, “We want to encourage and promote … the free enterprise system with free capital markets and free trade and the ability to fail and fall right on your ass and get up and do it again!” (italics added)

Uhuh. Got any ocean-front property in Kansas, Mr. Donohue?

David Elmore

Roswell, GA