Report: Chamber aims to spend $75 million in 2010

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a new fundraising goal for 2010--$75 million dollars in contributions, according to a report from the Center for Public Integrity. The Chamber had previously pledged to raise and spend some $50 million this election year.  

The news came from Chamber President Tom Donohue during a meeting of members in California late last week:

If it can haul in the $75 million, which is expected to go heavily into issue ads and get out the vote efforts in a few dozen key House and Senate races, the Chamber would likely be the biggest spender among outside groups helping the GOP … The Chamber’s ambitious $75 million goal would be more than double the $36 million that it spent in 2008, the group’s previous high.

Donohue’s speech was delivered at the Chamber’s semi-annual meeting of its elite “Committee of 100” at a resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. He urged the business community to work together to “change the composition” of the Congress, the source said.

The Donohue talk also was laced with criticism of President Barack Obama “for his lack of leadership on the economy and in creating jobs and the right atmosphere,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Chamber was heavily involved in lobbying efforts against last year's health care bill and has been engaged in the legislative fights over campaign finance and financial reform.