Chamber of Commerce Flexes Muscles, Goes Grassroots

The US Chamber of Commerce has become so powerful it almost rivals the major parties, thanks in part to recent Supreme Court rulings that have given its fundraising operations a shot in the arm. Flush with cash, the group has launched a concerted grass-roots operation, signing up 6 million individuals who aren’t Chamber members, the LA Times reports.

That network has sent more than a million letters and e-mails to Congress, 700,000 of them in opposition to health care reform, and will be involved in get-out-the-vote efforts this year. The chamber now has political ground operations in 22 states, including Senate battlegrounds like Colorado, Arkansas and Ohio. Overall, the chamber spent $144 million on politics last year, a 60% increase from 2008—and it’s expected to easily top that this year. (More US Chamber of Commerce stories.)