U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Does Not Have Three Million Members

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has long claimed "an underlying membership of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region."

But after Mother Jones investigated that claim, the Chamber apparently backed off the inflated number and claimed only 300,000 members in a press conference.

Subsequent press releases, however, have carried the usual boilerplate statement that "The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region."

LobbyBlog asked Chamber spokesman J.P. Fielder for clarification. He explained that the Chamber makes a distinction between its actual members and a broader business constituency.

"The Chamber represents more than 3 million businesses and organizations," wrote Fielder. "We have more than 300,000 members."

This is exactly the distinction New Yorker biz columnist James Surowiecki suggested the Chamber might make after MoJo popped its bubble.

"The Chamber might conceivably try to wiggle out of this by saying that it does 'represent' these businesses even if they aren't official members," Surowiecki wrote in a column titled "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Now 90% Smaller."

The distinction so far is lost on the Associated Press, which called the Chamber a "3 million-member business federation" in a Monday story.

Comments

[sloreader]

These guys take a page right from the GOP recipe book. Parse and chop facts into tiny bits, blend with a few nuts and serve to the American public on a silver platter.

[Democratuser]

hat tip to http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com

lets get unemployment benefit extension passed

[PhilipTaylor]

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[sueinmn]

We know the Chamber represents, union busting, drilling in ANWAR, All coastal drilling, they represent everything that will further damage the enviroment, they represent cheap labor so bring Mexico, India and China here. They represent lawlessness for personal gains. They represent stripping all labor laws, OSHA and anything that allows safety and fairness to workers! Much more, but short on time!

[BabblingBrooks]

Actually they are representing about 300,000,000 people: The entire USA depends upon BUSINESS.

[sueinmn]

Not what they representent. You need to research this before you speak.

[VoteDemocrat]

How do we hold wall street accountable? NO matter what Obama & his team tires to do the bankers always find a way to evade it.

as stated by http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com it is time to create economic growth that we can all benefit from; not the top 1% of earners. An equitable economy is a better one.

A second stimulus centered around job creation is needed since the first one didn't contain enough shovel ready or green jobs provisions.

[DRaymond]

So if I get this right the Chamber claims that it 'represents' every business entity in the country whether or not they are a member.or even if they agree with them or not!

The presumption is that all companies want the same things and that is what the CoC is representing.

Really? The big three want the same thing that the foreign auto companies want? Health providers want the same thing as insurers? Not every business is against cap-and-trade. The ones in a position to be suppliers in the trading or the technology go go from being a buyer to seller of carbon credits stand to make fistfulls of dollars.

[roudy]

Most of what the chamber of commerce supports is actually detrimental to American small business. This group of thugs is solely a lobbyist for huge multinational corporations.

[dadw5boys]

Chamber includes a lot of lawyers !!!!!

Corporation pay for Lawyer to get the Chambers Mag. !

[openhand]

So the chamber has lost 2.7million members in a week!
Either they can't count or they are deceitful. I think we should at least let them decide.

Here though are a list of groups who have decided to take a stand against the Chamber.

Apple, Exelon, PNM Resources, PG&E, PSEG, Levi Strauss & Co.
Johnson&Johnson, General Electric, Alcoa, Duke, Entergy, Microsoft,
BusinessWeek, PRWeek, Fortune Magazine's Marc Gunther, Newsweek, LA Times.
San Jose Chamber of Commerce, Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

pesky socialists?

[TRUTHDUTELL]

no, arsekissing bamafreaks

[openhand]

Overlooking your petulant gesticulations, what would you then say of Fox News?

[Social Construct]

Pesky fact checkers. We see the truth as what we sell you, not what the facts show you. - US Chamber of Commerce.

[maxfax]

"chamber of horror" that is.

[maxfax]

The "chamer of horror" is at it again, spreading lies.

[Fremon]

Shocked, I am shocked...­.Gambling in the back room (Casablanca). Of course they lie just as most people, organizations, Fox "news", media, governments, and religion/religious leaders. Why should we be shocked at any and all the lies provided to us? Most of these listed (with probably more) has found that lying works and pays off. We accept it as a non critical and undereducated society. Remember Diogenes who searched for an honest man? Lying goes back a long time.

[gs-425]

Would it be fair then to say that POTUS represents 65 million and not 300 million??

[TRUTHDUTELL]

65 million only - and falling!

[Leigh49]

How many do the 20% of Repubs represent?

[gs-425]

That is not the point.

[hdohighdesertobserver]

Are you saying non-voters are not citizens? That non-Democrats are not citizens? That the president doesn't represent non-voting non-Democrats? That Republicans aren't citizens because a Democrat won?

Obama represents all Americans and your logic is weak.

[gs-425]

"Obama represents all Americans and your logic is weak."

The first part is exactly what I am saying. Just because me and millions of others are not "members" of the Democratic party and may not even have voted for President Obama, he still represents us. All policy decisions made by our President effect EVERYBODY, not just those who voted for him.

This is no different than the CoC saying: ""The Chamber represents more than 3 million businesses and organizati­ons...We have more than 300,000 members." Just because there are millions who are not "members" of the CoC, the regulations regarding buisness effect ALL buisness, not just members.

NRA...they represent the 80 million gun owners across the country even though their membership is just over 4 million the rights they fight for effect EVERYONE of the non members, not just members.

The only "logic" here that is weak, are those bashing that statement.