The Los Angeles Times   likens the Chamber of Commerce to a political party, noting that the lobbying firm has expanded its grassroots arm to more than 6 million people:

The network, called Friends of the U.S. Chamber, has been used to generate more than a million letters and e-mails to members of Congress, 700,000 of them in opposition to the Democratic healthcare plan. That is an increase from 40,000 congressional contacts generated in 2008.

What makes the initiative possible is a swelling tide of money. The chamber spent more than $144 million on lobbying and grass-roots organizing last year, a 60% increase over 2008, and well beyond the spending of individual labor unions or the Democratic or Republican national committees.

The chamber is expected to substantially exceed that spending level in 2010.

Earlier, Congress.org also wrote   about the Friends of the U.S. Chamber program, which Miller tells us has been in the works for several years. The firm has used that grassroots force to put pressure on lawmakers as they make decisions on issues like the health care overhaul, which the Chamber opposes.

The article adds that business leaders have become increasingly worried about regulation since President Obama was elected. In turn, the Obama administration has expressed concern about the Chamber's growing influence.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org