| By ThinkProgress War Room

What Small Businesses Really Think About the Issues

Republicans talk a lot about small businesses out on the campaign trail, but often times the “small businesses” they talk about are anything but. According to Republicans, Donald Trump, Oprah, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and construction giant Becthel, the largest construction company in America, are all small businesses.

In order to clear the air, the Center for American Progress and Small Business Majority, an advocacy group for actual small businesses, talked to the owners of small businesses across the country about a range of issues, including taxes and Obamacare.

Here’s a couple examples of what we heard.

Small Businesses Aren’t Impacted by Expiration of Bush Tax Cuts

Mike Brey, owner of Hobby Works in Fairfax, Va., wants to set the record straight on the Bush tax cuts—cuts on those with income above $250,000. Despite some saying that allowing the cuts to expire will hurt small businesses, the vast majority of small business owners like him simply won’t be affected. Allowing the tax rates to go back to where they were will help bolster the economy and with it, Mike’s customer base—the middle class.

Affordable Care Act Makes Portland Business More Competitive

For Mike Roach, owner of Paloma Clothing in Portland, Oregon, providing health insurance for his employees is not just the right thing to do—it makes his business more competitive and helps him retain valuable employees. Mike explains how the Affordable Care Act has allowed him to pick up more of the tab of his employees’ healthcare premiums, a key benefit that keeps his small store competitive with the big chains.

Check out our entire series of small business voices HERE, which includes small business owners weighing in on taxes, Obamacare, public lands, clean energy, and more.

These are the real voices of small business, unlike the National Federation of Independent Business. Though the group purports to represent the interests of small businesses, it often advocates against their interests, is funded by millions of dollars from Karl Rove’s secret money group Crossroads GPS, and spends most of its time attacking the Obama administration and running campaign attack ads targeting Democrats. NFIB was also the lead plaintiff in the partisan legal attacks on Obamacare, though thankfully its efforts failed at the Supreme Court.

NFIB is in the news today because it recently hosted a conference call with Mitt Romney, the audio of which leaked yesterday. On the call Romney urges employers to tell their employees who to vote, something the Koch brothers and other CEOs have been caught doing in recent weeks. You can listen to the shocking audio of the leaked call HERE.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

The Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by a federal appeals court — in an opinion written by an extremely conservative judge.

Despite court order, Ohio’s GOP Secretary of State is still cutting back on early voting.

Romney’s economic policy director was lobbying for Wall Street just three months ago.

Virginia health commissioner resigns in protest of new politically-motivated, restrictive regulations on abortion providers.

No, Mitt Romney’s sketchy tax plan still doesn’t add up.

Maryland voters appear set to approve both marriage equality and a DREAM Act.

Why won’t the Romney campaign say where he stands on equal pay laws?

A tale of two Romneys.

Romney’s bizarro version of equal rights.