The U.S. Chamber in the news - October 4

Calif. State Sen. Lowenthal answers U.S. Chamber attack
Lashing back after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched an ad campaign against him, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) gathered some local business owners to rebut the chamber's attack.  [Los Angeles Times]

Chamber Expands Ads Into New York, Utah And Georgia
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will launch a new round of advertisements in nine House districts beginning tomorrow, including on behalf of six New York Republicans and two conservative Democrats seeking re-election this year. The Chamber's new advertising will focus on President Obama's health care law. Advertisements are running against Reps. Tim Bishop, Bill Owens and Louise Slaughter and ex-Rep. Dan Maffei, four New York Democrats who voted for the law; Rep. Kathy Hochul, who entered Congress after the law passed; and Democratic candidate Sean Patrick Maloney, who is running against Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth.  [National Journal (blog)]

Ad Watch: Republican ads mislead voters on changes to Medicare
The National Republican Congressional Committee and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have released new television ads attacking Ami Bera, the Democrat challenging Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, in the 7th Congressional District. Both ads emphasize a provision of the federal health care overhaul involving Medicare. The ad is misleading on several counts, and is part of a cookie-cutter ad campaign Republican groups are using against Democratic congressional candidates. [Sacramento Bee]   

Outside spending floods Senate battles in conservative states, swamps airwaves
Campaign cash from outside political groups is flooding into conservative states with close Senate races like Indiana, Arizona and Montana, where residents are more accustomed to local news promos between football games than the relentless, often snarky attack ads….In addition to money from big outside groups like Crossroads and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, buys are being made by lesser-known groups like the 60 Plus Association, a conservative alternative to the AARP, and Majority PAC, Senate Democrats’ super PAC.  [Washington Post]

Big names, big money, big stakes in Collins-Hochul race
Any skeptic doubting just how important the congressional race between Chris Collins and Rep. Kathleen C. Hochul looms in national politics ought to check out the fundraising schedule for both campaigns over the next few days… House Speaker John A. Boehner’s  latest appearance comes after a new anti-Hochul ad sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that attacks her support of “Obamacare.” The spot is slated to run in Rochester and Buffalo. Local sources estimate the buy at about $200,000. The Chamber sponsored an earlier series of anti-Hochul ads in May. [Buffalo News]

Baldwin edges into the lead
After trailing a popular former governor for weeks, U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin has now edged into the lead for the U.S. Senate seat from Wisconsin. Pro-Thompson television ads label Baldwin as “extreme” –“too extreme for Wisconsin.” The Karl Rove group called Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies is pouring millions of dollars into the campaign to air television ads that also label Baldwin as “extreme” and show her angrily saying “You’re damn right we’re making a difference” about something.  Other big spenders opposing Baldwin include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Club for Growth Action, according to Federal Elections Commission records.  [Keene News Service]

'Parent power' film stirs hopes among education reform activists
Private foundations, nonprofit advocacy groups and the US Chamber of Commerce have pumped more than $2 million into advocacy efforts tied to "Won't Back Down," including 30-second ads, promotional bookmarks, websites, private screenings, and a six-month, cross-country discussion tour that will keep the film in circulation long after it leaves theaters. Their goal: Attract new foot soldiers who will help them fight for legislation that allows parents to seize control of local schools, as dramatized in the film; eliminates tenure protections for veteran teachers; and opens the door for more competition to neighborhood schools in the form of charters, which are publicly funded but privately run.  [Christian Science Monitor]

Shale gas a game changer for U.S. energy economy
"It looks like we have a couple of hundred years' natural gas supply liberated by the fracking process," said Robert P. Powers, executive vice president and chief operating officer of American Electric Power. "Who knew we were entering an era of energy abundance?" said Karen A. Harbert, president and chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy. [equities.com]