The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the AARP, the Business Roundtable, and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) have joined together in a campaign called "Divided We Fail" to show that employers, employees, and labor unions all place a high priority on health and employee benefit reform.

While the four groups may seem to have common problems and even goals, they will find it very difficult to reconcile their principles when they get down to the task of actually talking about solutions. Regardless of the business community's wishes, legislators inevitably would require employers to contribute.

Indeed, every recent push for universal coverage has included a "play or pay" mandate requiring businesses to either provide insurance to their employees or pay a fine or a fee toward a public insurance pool.

It's understandable that businesses want urgent action on health issues, but bringing competition and choice into our health sector to get prices down would be a much more powerful force than more government control and expensive new mandates on employers.

In its unorthodox attempt at unity, the business community could unwittingly provide political cover to special interests with a decidedly anti-business agenda.