Don't Forget-- The T Stands For Tax... Oops, I Thought It Stood For Trump

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association and includes department stores, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, and independent retailers, chain restaurants, and grocery stores. Members also include businesses that provide goods and services to retailers, such as vendors and technology providers. The Federation represents an industry that contains over 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments with more than 24 million employees and (2005) sales of $4.4 trillion. And, of course it has a political action committee which works against things like increasing the minimum wage and the Affordable Care Act. Big company's that controlbute to the PAC include McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Beall's, JC Penney, Brooks Brothers, PETCO, Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Sport Chalet, IBM, Disney...

The National Retail Federation PAC gives to politicians in both parties-- most mostly to Republicans-- and by a wide margin. Last year their biggest contributions went to Paul Ryan's PAC ($35,000), National Republican Congressional Committee ($30,000), and the National Republican Senatorial Committee ($30,000). The closest thing to a Democratic contribution was $10,000 to the New Dems, the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. During the 2016 cycle they handed out $227,531 in contributions to congressional candidates-- $121,281 to Republicans (82%) and 32,000 to Democrats (18%). The Democrats they gave to were primarily corrupt conservatives who vote with the GOP, like Ami Bera (New Dem-CA), Gwen Graham (Blue Dog-FL), Isadore Hall (CA), Ron Kind (New Dem-WI), Dan Lipinski (Blue Dog-IL), Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN), Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR).

It was the same in 2014-- $256,605 to congressional candidates of which 77% went to Republicans and 23% went to (mostly very, very conservative) Democrats.

So when Republicans awoke yesterday and saw the new National Retail Federation website and TV ad (above) mobilizing against Trump's and Ryan's Border Adjustment Tax, it must have sent a chill down their spines. "House Republicans in Congress," they used in introducing the ad on YouTube, "have proposed the Border Adjustment Tax, also known as the B.A.T. This would be a new, additional tax on the products Americans use every day. This destructive tax increase is a 'job-killing formula' that's bad for consumers and bad for retailers. NRF's new 'As Seen on TV' campaign is placing this message front and center." The National Retail Federation knows how to advertise effectively-- far more effectively than any political ad firms. And congressional Republicans have enough Trump-related problems without turning a major ally into a deadly enemy.

The ad ran yesterday on Fox and Friends and is scheduled to run this weekend on... Saturday Night Live. The Republican Border Adjustment Tax is needed by the GOP to make up for the gigantic tax cuts they promised to the millionaires and billionaires who financed their campaigns. And Trump-- who never really studied anything at Wharton other than real estate-- doesn't understand that regressive taxes like this are paid by American consumers-- in the form of higher prices-- not by the foreign exporters Trump wants to soak. If only he had taken Economics 101!

The National Retail Federation's chief lobbyist, David French, is used to coddling Republicans and working closely with them on their agenda. Yesterday he thundered that "American consumers are being asked to foot the bill for a new $1 trillion tax giveaway for multinational companies, and this campaign will make sure those paying for it know it," a direct threat to the Republicans in Congress the National Retail Federation PAC had been underwriting for years. “We need tax reform that rewards entrepreneurs and allows businesses to grow and create good-paying jobs that lift working families up. The BAT does just the opposite, penalizing Americans by adding a tax on clothing, food, gas and other necessities while threatening the very industry that 42 million hardworking men and women rely upon for their livelihoods.”

And the National Retail Federation isn't the only nominally Republican group out for blood. The Club for Growth is going after House Ways and Means Committee member Kristi Noem (R-SC) in TV ads in her state that paint her as a tax and spend phony. It's a shot over the bow of other Republicans who are supporting this Trump scheme. The ads started running all over South Dakota last week and the Club for Growth has 9 other Republicans across the country in mind for similar ads. If they're really serious they'll do them in districts where Democrats are targeting vulnerable Republicans like Darrell Issa (CA), John Culberson (TX), Steve Knight (CA), David Valadao (CA), Pat Meehan (PA), John Katko (NY), Peter Roskam (IL), Erik Paulsen (MN), Peter King (NY)... Or maybe they could send a real message by running ads in Kenosha, Racine and Janesville in Paul Ryan's Wisconsin district.