WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a new twist to politicking, companies are stuffing the paycheck envelopes of tens of thousands of employees with fliers urging them to vote for pro-business candidates.þþThe strategy organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is just one example of the efforts interest groups are making as they spend tens of millions of dollars trying to sway an election that will decide control of Congress.þþUnions are calling, e-mailing and leafletting their members to urge them to vote. The gun lobby is combing state hunter license records for voters who might be open to their political pitch. Many groups are filling the airwaves with ads promoting or attacking candidates and their parties.þþ``We're employing as many tactical devices and tools as we can,'' said Bill Miller, the Chamber's political director, who is overseeing the flier distribution.þþThe business lobby has printed tens of thousands of ``paycheck stuffers'' in English and Spanish and is sending them to over 14,000 companies and business organizations in states with key Senate and House races.þþThe ``Vote! It's Your Business'' fliers stop short of endorsing candidates, instead urging workers to vote and directing them to a Web site where they can get help registering to vote and find out which candidates have voting records considered pro-business.þþThe Web site has had more than 190,000 hits since it went up in late July, Miller said.þþ``It's a question of making sure employees know there are ramifications to who sits in particular congressional seats,'' he said, mentioning health-care costs and trade as among key election issues workers should consider when voting.þþThe technique is part of Republican-leaning business groups' efforts to rival the Democratic-aligned AFL-CIO's longtime grass-roots program.þþ``It will be interesting to see if it works,'' said Steve Rosenthal, the AFL-CIO's political director.þþWorkers interviewed Thursday by The Associated Press gave the tactic mixed reviews.þþSharon Paetzold, a commercial loan assistant for First Federal Savings Bank in Wausau, Wis., said, ``There are a lot of young people that probably don't pay attention to those ads on TV that much or know that an election is coming up.''þþSteering workers to a political Web site is fine, she said, but ``a fair chance should be given to every candidate so you can make a choice.''þþJerome Gitelson, an administrative assistant at a Los Angeles financial services company, felt differently.þþ``I don't like the idea of being directed to a specific (Web) site by my job,'' Gitelson said.þþThe AFL-CIO plans to contact every union member at least four times before Election Day. It will hand out 15 million leaflets over the next few weeks and reach union members through Internet, door-to-door, telephone, mail and workplace contact, Rosenthal said.þþIts massive organization includes 750 paid staffers and about 4,000 local union coordinators, with tens of thousands of volunteers working below them.þþThe Chamber's Miller said business groups have a long way to go to compete.þþIn addition to the paycheck fliers, the Chamber is encouraging candidate factory tours; urging business executives who will be on the road on Election Day to vote by absentee ballot; sending get-out-the-vote mailings; holding endorsement events with candidates and meetings with newspaper editorial boards; and schooling CEOs in how to become politically active.þþ``The unions have been in this game for 40, 50, 60 years,'' Miller said. ``The business community, at least at the Chamber's level, has just gotten involved in the last three years.''þþThe AFL-CIO can ask its members to vote for specific candidates. The Chamber, on the other hand, can urge member CEOs to vote for candidates but must stay away from explicit endorsements in communications with company workers.þþBoth groups' election efforts are well-financed.þþThe AFL-CIO expects to spend about the same on its election activities as in the 1999-2000 cycle, when it spent about $34 million.þþThe Chamber and its political action committee spent about $15 million in 2000, with about $9 of every $10 spent in key House and Senate races. It will top that total this election, Miller said.þþIt's not alone in its efforts: the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Business Industry Political Action Committee are among the pro-business groups trying to get out the vote.þþOther groups competing for voters' ears and efforts include the National Rifle Association, the Sierra Club, the Christian Coalition and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.þþ
Source: NY Times
