President Obama: Pro-business? Anti-business?

Crain's Chicago Business has an analyis of Sen. Barack Obama's business votes, both in Springfield and Washington. Like the Wall Street Journal, Crain's is typically not friendly to Democrats. Some excerpts:

His recent voting record in Washington contrasts with the surprisingly pro-business reputation he carved out as a state senator in Springfield.

Between 1997 and 2002, he voted at least half the time in favor of the Illinois Manufacturers' Assn.'s (IMA) stance on issues.

For the final two years of his Illinois Senate tenure, Obama's record on business issues was mixed, Crain's reports.

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But the group says Sen. Obama voted with business only four times in 30 key votes over the last two years (in Washington), and two of those were votes for widely supported energy and highway legislation.

While he voted for a trade deal with Oman, he voted against a much larger one with Central America, as well as against bankruptcy and asbestos liability reforms, to name a few of the most important business issues he opposed.

The much larger bill was CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Act, a bill reviled by organized labor.

Business will probably be nervous about a President Obama, or any other Democrat.

Related posts:

Obama and Wal-Mart

Obama and the Laborers' Union Ed Smith

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