Business leaders slam U.S. Chamber over anti-Senn ads

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

By CHRIS McGANN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT

A $1.4 million political haymaker slung to knock out Democratic attorney general candidate Deborah Senn in the primary has become a black eye for Washington business leaders.

With Senn still standing, the state's largest business groups yesterday condemned the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's negative advertisements as unwise and unwanted.

The U.S. chamber spent $1.4 million on a TV campaign critical of Senn's record as insurance commissioner less than two weeks before the Sept. 14 primary.

The national group initiated the negative-ad campaign without first filing its contributions with the state. Representatives for Voters Education Committee, the group that orchestrated the ads and accepted a single, $1.5 million contribution from the chamber, maintained that they were promoting an issue and therefore not subject to state election finance law.

According to local chamber leaders, the U.S. chamber also failed to notify or consult them or representatives of the Association of Washington Business.

Yesterday, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce President Steve Leahy told members that chamber leaders around the state and the Association of Washington Business had teamed up to express their dismay and demand answers.

Leahy has requested a meeting with U.S. Chamber President Thomas Donahue.

"Washingtonians don't like surprises or what they perceive as outside interference," Leahy said in a letter signed by several of the state's top business organizations.

"Unfortunately, that is what has happened with this ill-advised ad campaign.

"The events of last weekend, when disclosure of the ad funding source was made public, presented serious credibility problems for those of us who have tried to be good partners with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"We believe business has an important and legitimate role to play in the formulation of public policy. It should be done in a forthright, public and transparent manner that enhances rather than undermines the legitimacy of our democratic process."

Leahy said the recent revelations jeopardized the local chamber's good working relationship with the national group.

Association of Washington Business President Don Brunell said yesterday that he and others were initially shocked when the ads came out. In the heat of the controversy, there were widespread assumptions that his group was somehow backing the ads.

"This was kind of done without our knowledge and approval," he said. "We operate differently here. We are very transparent about what we do."

Brunell said that if he had been asked, he would have discouraged such a secretive campaign.

"Things have a way of backfiring," he said. "Sometimes what seems like a good idea from afar might not seem like such a good idea up close."

The AWB endorsed Senn's opponent Mark Sidran and Republican candidate for attorney general Rob McKenna in the primary. Senn narrowly defeated Sidran in the primary and will face McKenna in the November election.

P-I reporter Chris McGann can be reached at 360-943-3990 or chrismcgann@seattlepi.com

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