WSJ:Chamber of Commerce irks Democrats with big push for GOP

The nation's largest business lobby, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has raised ire among Democratic leaders for pouring millions of dollars into an advertising push to prevent the party from winning dominance in the Senate next year.

The Chamber says it has raised enough money this year from corporations to spend about $35 million on the election, double its budget for House and Senate races in the 2006 election. The group is supporting pro-business candidates, almost exclusively Republicans in contested Senate races.

Business executives fear that Democrats, bouyed by heavy spending from organized labor, could gain enough muscle in the Senate to spark policies favoring increased unionization, higher taxes, more restrictions on trade and more regulation on the financial-services and housing sectors.

Democrats currently control 51 Senate seats and are expected to add more. Should U.S. voters give Democrats a 60-seat majority in the Senate and elect Sen. Barack Obama president, the party would be able to thwart Republican filibusters and other procedural motions to enact sweeping policy changes.