More and more businesses seem to be jumping in the game, hoping to score future favors from other lawmakers, even presidents. And they have help.
The firm that helped develop Koch Industries' pro-Romney employee advocacy effort is called DDC Advocacy. The firm is led in part by Sara Fagen, Karl Rove's former deputy known for her innovative uses of consumer data in the 2004 Bush reelection effort. DDC Advocacy is part of a cottage industry of Beltway consultants who specialize in helping businesses activate their employees and customers into-mini lobbyists. Currently, DDC is working for Boeing, Aetna, Altria, Humana, Ernst & Young, and other Fortune 500 corporations.
Its not clear if DDC Advocacy is replicating the type of explicit candidate endorsements pioneered by Koch for these other companies.
Though the extent to which businesses will fully embrace employee coercion is yet to be seen, there could be wide ranging consequences up and down the ballot.
In Washington State, a lobbying association for the homebuilding industry recently distributed a sample letter for its member companies to give to employees. The sample letter was sent along with a voter guide instructing workers to support Rob McKenna, the Republican candidate for governor. Government is pushing "businesses like ours closer to shutting our doors," the letter warns.
The letter also states that employees should review the voting guide "when filling out your ballot." It sternly reminds them to use the guide "as you cast your vote in November."
For more on the expanding effort to coerce employee political participation, read reporter George Zornick's piece on how Herman Cain is training business owners to get active this fall.
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