Stabenow manages high-profile meeting in DC

Michigan’s very own Senator Debbie Stabenow managed a recent meeting in Washington DC between Democratic leadership and 17 CEOs of large trade groups. Below are some highlights from the Politico article:

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who managed the meeting for the leadership, called in the CEOs of the city’s most powerful trade associations to circumvent what Democrats consider their more partisan lobbyists — many of whom are Republicans with long-standing ties to the power structure that got toppled in 2006.

…

One of the business leaders said that Reid and Stabenow were explicit in expressing the importance of dialogue with the business community. He said the Democrats then let their guests do most of the talking.

“People left the meeting with a very positive sense that the Democrats are interested in engaging with the business community in a more broad-minded way than has been in the past,” he said.

The Democrats delivered their message through compliments rather than direct threats. A Democratic aide who attended the meeting said the senators “were thanking people for having broken [from Republicans] on certain things.”

The biotech lobby was thanked for its help with tax extenders and stem cells. PhRMA, which didn’t make the meeting because its leader was ill, was called out for its help with the Medicare push.

I would strongly suggest reading the entire article as it is certainly worth the read.  It is nice to know that my Senator is working to bring everyone into the fold and is doing her part to stop partisan gridlock.  Especially when you consider how much Republicans and big-business like to brand Senator Stabenow as a ‘protectionist’ and ‘anti-growth’, etc, it is nice to see her taking such a pro-business step!