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Republicans and Democrats are fighting over who loves Uber more

Republicans and Democrats are fighting over who loves Uber more

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After big Democrat hired, Republican Chairman tweets support

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You may not recognize the name David Plouffe offhand, but as President Obama's former campaign manager, he was instrumental in winning control of the White House twice in the 2008 and 2012 elections, respectively. As of last week, Plouffe, a longtime Democratic Party operative, aligned himself with a very different powerhouse: Uber, the disruptive transportation company that's clashed with local governments and cab drivers over the past few years as its spread around the world and racked up a reported $17 billion valuation. Uber hired Plouffe as its senior vice president of policy and strategy, a clear sign the company is getting more serious about political battles in Washington and beyond.

But that's why it's funny that today, Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republic National Committee (the organizing body of the Republican Party across the country), tweeted about his continuing support for Uber. "Even top Dems admit that ride-sharing can benefit all Americans," Priebus wrote, including a link to a petition calling upon people to "stand-up" for "free market principles" and support Uber in its battle against "taxi unions and liberal government bureaucrats."

Indeed, Uber's CEO Travis Kalanick is an outspoken libertarian and fan of objectivist author Ayn Rand, which would seem to place his views more comfortably in line with some politicians in the Republican Party (which has lately been more hospitable to libertarians). Yet, as The Hill notes, after Plouffe joined the company, Uber posted a list of quotes from top Democrats praising the hire. Who loves Uber more now? It seems that politicians on both sides of the aisle can at least agree in their support for a convenient car service app, a heartening development for Uber, and perhaps less so for some of the other pressing issues facing the country.