U.S. Chamber president and CEO on The Charlie Rose Show

Watch U.S. Chamber president and CEO Tom Donohue's interview on The Charlie Rose Show. Donohue discusses how he built the Chamber into a lobbying and political powerhouse, his views on President Obama's America, how we can start creating jobs now, and more.

Watch the interview online, and share your thoughts with Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

I would have liked to know how the chamber is going to follow througj with the things that were said on the interview.
The idea orf so many increased jobs is so good, but how do we accomplish getting to the point that the other countries
are not looking down their nose at us because we have lost so much favor in their eyes?
How do you proprose to change the medicare? This does so concern me so it is a huge queston. Are they going
to change it so much that lower income will not have anything?
Sincerely,
Helen Wisdom

I did agree with most of what Mr. Donohue said except his views of the president which I think he was surgar coating. He did however seem to indicate that the president was not presidential material and basically trying to keep his different groups happy (the ones who helped him get elected) special interest etc... as though he was just there and really looked to others politically of what his next move might be popular at the moment. He appeared to be for capitalism but really didn't drive it home (I think trying to be too politically correct in his responses). I do not understand why these people feel the need to choose their words so carefully so as not to offend anyone. At least he didn't blame Bush.

I understand the need to be diplomatic so to speak but this was an opportunity missed in my opinion.
Mr. Donahue should have laid out the facts that BO is a marxist/communistand his decisions are ruining this nation.
The health care bill is nothing more than a power grab and would in time end all private insurance and would not really address the causes of the increases in insurance premiums and health care; ie. tort reform, covering of illegal aliens and rediculous regulations like forcing insurance companies to provide translators to anyone not speaking English and also providing documents in dozens of languages, just one exampe that costs millions.
He should have slammed cap and trade and the whole global warming lie!!! There is no man made global warming and the regulations that result from adherence to this false belief are causing costs of production to go through the roof and is forcing many companies to move outside the USA to do business. They must either move their manufacturing outside the USA or go out of business. A perfect example is the ban on incandescent light bulbs. Not one mini-flourescent bulb is made in the USA, all are made in China and elsewhere yet we will all be forced to buy these mini-flourescents which are by far more harmful to the environment due the mercury used in their manufacture. Flourescents are nasty things and our land fills will be filled with them. They cost much more and really do not last as long because no one really follows the correct operating procedure of these bulbs, thus they burn out far before the sytated life expectency.
He should have pointed out the horrendous appoinments by BO and the czars that are basically a shadow government running things behind the scenes and fact that our debt is due to the expansion of government debt larger than all presidents before him combined and not one job has been created outside of government. We need private sector jobs not government jobs.
He also neglected to hammer the administartion on energy policy which if let loose could create tens of thousands of jobs and reduce the cost of energy thus freeing money for investment. Subsidizing silly super expensive "green energy" projects is not going to create the jobs we need and will cost us much more than any benefit we mght gleen from them.
He really needs to take up the fight against the global warming nuts and stop the regulations resulting from this lie before it ruins our economy!
There was so much he should have said and I am very disapponinted in his tip toeing through the tulips!!!

It's hard to know where to start with the vast quantity of idealogically far-out drivel posted by phildad:

phildad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The health care bill is nothing more than a power
> grab and would in time end all private insurance
> and would not really address the causes of the
> increases in insurance premiums and health care

I sure hope you never need serious and/or extensive healthcare because whatever you say about the proposed reforms, it is clear to any rational assessment of healthcare as it stands that the system is BROKEN and steps must be taken to fix it. Why is it so wrong to question the role and power of private insurance and its profit-driven bottom line? Just in case you missed it - healthcare companies have received RECORD PROFITS and yet they are now attempting to raise premiums by fraudulent amounts (40+ % etc.). In NO OTHER developed, Western style democracy do citizens go bankrupt due to healthcare costs nor do they allow a healthcare system to be perpetuated that sees
greater than 13% of its citizens with NO INSURANCE. Common denominator in those healthcare systems which cover ALL of their citizens in one way or another? Government run (in part or whole) healthcare. Perfect system? No but much more ethical and moral for ALL of their citizens. Healthcare for profit is a FLAWED concept - of course it costs more as it has to meet the profit motive of these greedy corporations who can dump members and deny coverage when they become too "expensive!!"

> He should have slammed cap and trade and the whole
> global warming lie!!!

Yes, there is a *small* minority of scientists that question climate change & global warming - the VAST MAJORITY all agree that this is real and a major threat to the planet that must be addressed or we face dire consequences. Keep your head in the sand if you like but it seems that the prudent thing to do is take the threat seriously even if *some* doubt!

I think you need to stop watching and listening to the far right propagandists (Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, FOX "news" and others, sadly too numerous to mention...) and try and get a more factual basis for your arguments.

Cheers,

K

Dear Wisdom,

Thanks for tuning in and for your comments. As you heard during the interview, job creation is a major priority for the Chamber. We're working hard to put America back to work with our American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign. We encourage you to read more about the campaign and the Chamber's Strategy for New American Jobs.

To your questions about health care, the Chamber believes we need reform and has set forth a 3-pronged approach on how to move forward. This approach advocates an all of the above cost containment strategy through things like medical liability reform and pay-for-performance reform; reforming the insurance system by doing things like eliminating the use of pre-existing conditions and creating an individual obligation to obtain coverage; and lastly creating a vibrant market place by creating a national all-inclusive connector/exchange that removes fragmentation, allowing individuals and businesses from anywhere in the country to enroll in the system, and facilitating improved pooling mechanisms, choice, and competition. The Chamber believes that taking these three steps could make the insurance system work for everyone.

I am an electrician, and live in arizona, there are no jobs here for me or any other construction trades person, I have been out of work for 6 months, and cannot find work anywhere......MY QUESTION TO ALL OF THESE SO CALLED POLITICIANS, WHERE ARE THE JOBS HERE IN ARIZONA

OBAMA WANTS MORE TAXES AND HEALTH CARE I CANNOT EVEN FEED MY FAMILY ON UNEMPLOYMENT, I WANT A JOB CAN THEY GIVE ME A JOB........................................................