The secret Tom Cotton news conference from which he tried — but failed — to exclude the Arkansas Times was for his endorsement by the National Federation of Independent Business. This bunch makes the Chamber of Commerce look liberal and don’t be misled when they claim they represent small business.
The NFIB claims to represent small business. But it fronts for corporate interests, which puts them right in Tom Cotton’s Club for Growth wheelhouse. It has accepted major contributions in the past from Karl Rove’s Crossroads PAC and from the Koch-related Donors Trust, another conduit set up in secrecy behind tax laws.
In June 2012, Congress launched an inquiry into NFIB’s hidden sources of funding, which include large individual donations of over $1 million. However, NFIB has refused to disclose its donors.
A 2006 report quoted NFIB members who said the group was inflating its membership size of 650,000. NFIB now claims 350,000 members.
While the average small business owner makes slightly over $100,000, NFIB filings with the IRS show that CEO Dan Danner’s salary in 2011 was $743,676.
PS — Roby Brock at Talk Business reports that Cotton is still dodging revealing how he’d vote on the proposed ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas. Some courage. Dodges minimum wage. Afraid to have Arkansas Times at his news conference. And David Ramsey, who’ll have more, says Cotton also continues to dodge answering questions on the private option.
PPS — Event was held at a small business, Sufficient Grounds. Its owner, Eric Tinner, fought food trucks downtown as unfair competition to brick-and-mortar busineses like his. He felt the Downtown Partnership, which administers a downtown improvement district, and city government should help, not hurt him.