Chamber of Commerce pledges100 million to obstruct Obama regulatory effort

The Wall Street Journal reported on June 11 that the wealthy U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a reactionary association of anti-consumer business interests, announced that it would spend $100 million dollars to counter the "Obama administration's regulatory agenda."  Business Week explained that the Chamber plans a massive propaganda campaign intended to convince voters that its political aims were not anti-consumer.  The National Journal offered the suggestion that the Chamber has concluded it is wiser to obstruct Democrats than to work with them.  Among the Chamber goals, apparently, are defeat of new banking regulations, defeat of proposals to make mandatory arbitration a more level playing field for consumers, preservation of anti-victim tort "reforms," and greater influence in judicial elections.   The Chamber last week objected to a Democratic proposal for food supply regulations that would have required all food to be labeled with the country of origin:  the Chamber claims this requirement is unduly burdensome; health experts say it is necessary to assist in tracing and containing outbreaks of contamination.