On NFIB Conference Call, Romney Urges Employers to Tell Employees How to Vote, Just Like the Kochs

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney suggested to business owners they tell their employees how to vote on a June conference call organized by the National Federation for Independent Business (NFIB), an organization the Center for Media and Democracy has recently exposed as a partisan lobbying group advancing big business interests.

The audio, obtained by Mike Elk at In These Times, shows Romney telling participants in the conference call to "pass... along to your employees" their opinions on the November presidential election:

"I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections. And whether you agree with me or you agree with President Obama, or whatever your political view, I hope -- I hope you pass those along to your employees. Nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your kids as well" (listen starting at 26:44 in the recording).

Citizens United Opened Door to Business Telling Employees How to Vote

The reason it is no longer illegal for corporations to make direct partisan political communications to their employees is because the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Citizens United v. FEC that the government could not limit corporate political speech, at least as long as that speech is not coordinated with a candidate.

In the wake of that decision, a growing number of business owners have apparently been taking advantage of this newfound "freedom" to dictate to their employees how to vote. For example, Elk reported at In These Times this week that Charles and David Koch had sent around 45,000 employees a packet instructing them to support Romney and other Republicans, and warning that employees "may suffer the consequences" if the Kochs' preferred candidates are not elected. Westgate Resorts CEO David Siegel sent a similar email suggesting an Obama victory would lead to layoffs, and ASG Software Solutions CEO Arthur Allen warned employees that electing Obama would cause job losses.

On the June NFIB call, Romney not only reminded business owners that there was "nothing illegal" about telling employees how to vote, but he also acknowledged the power of coercion inherent in the employer-employee relationship. He encouraged business owners to tell their employees "about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision." These types of communications were largely prohibited pre-Citizens United.

NFIB Bankrolled by Big Money

The conference call was hosted by the National Federation of Independent Business, or NFIB, a group that purports to represent small business but receives its funding from deep-pocketed interest groups and appears to advance a partisan big business agenda, which the Center for Media and Democracy has recently documented in its NFIBexposed project.

NFIB ExposedThe NFIB gained notoriety in recent years as the plaintiff in the challenge to President Obama's health care reform law, despite polls showing many small business owners supporting "Obamacare." It has partnered with groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in opposing mandatory paid sick leave laws, minimum wage increases, and collective bargaining rights, and in the last two years, has received a $3.7 million donation from Karl Rove's dark money group Crossroads GPS and millions in six figure donations -- suggesting the group's political activities are bankrolled by big business or special interests, not the small businesses it claims to represent. Its leadership is populated by right-wing veterans and big business lobbyists (rather than individuals with a small business background), and all of its spending on political ads this year has gone to benefit Republicans, as have almost all of its campaign contributions. It is also a longtime member and sponsor of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.

Romney Cited NFIB Study in First Debate

Romney's comments on the NFIB conference call were not the only time he has tied himself to the innocuous-sounding group. At the first presidential debate, he attacked President Obama's tax plan by citing an NFIB study, twice, purporting to show the plan would cost American jobs. The study has been sharply criticized for, among other things, ignoring the fact that Obama's plan would use the money saved from letting the Bush tax cuts expire for deficit reduction, reaching conclusions contradicted by analysts at the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Romney apparently intended to suggest the NFIB is a neutral or nonpartisan source but the facts suggest otherwise.

Comments

I have to laugh...I'm sure no one else "encourages" folks to vote one way or the other. Take a trip on the Internet if you don't believe it. Don't be naive and think this doesn't happen on both sides of the fence. This site is only another biased and rather hateful display of one-sided information.

while you are laughing, perhaps you can provide a link to anyone other than a republican telling their employees how to vote. Can't find one on the net.

Oh please - you don't think all of the people who don't work and get government handouts - and live in public housing don't tell each other how to vote? You don't think they understand how to work the system at times so they are able to get as much as they can? You don't think at least one of them has encouraged others also living on government benefits to vote to continue this life support system so they don't have to go and get a job? You don't think that people with government jobs don't promote others to vote in a way that best ensures their government job? How is this any different?

You've got that right! It is appalling how the acolytes of the original ideology of lies are pointing fingers at conservatives. Every single day, one or more Democrat politicians are caught in bald-faced lies for which the MSM provides less and less effective interference. Every major leftist "cause" is based on lies. Conservatives find themselves conceding some of the lies just to keep the debate moving, otherwise liberals would naval-gaze, contemplating their cleverness until Rome burns.

Lies,lies you say. But the right wing all around world live on lies. Proven time, time, again.But one thing we have in America is a place that will I say will bring out the truth. ( 1 )FACT CHECK .ORG ( 2 ) SNOOPS ( 3 ) MOTHER JONES, and many more. I have looked at them all. I count 30 to 1. 30 lies out and out, buy the right wing that is out to destroy America and it's great Constitution. We must end this party. The new man will be Ron Paul.

Telling people how to think/vote and threatening they will lose their jobs if they don't is corporate bullying and illustrating Romney's political philosophy of government: oligarchy.

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