UPDATE

I spoke too soon. The Times has carried the story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02…

The Chamber of Commerce holds itself out as the voice of business in the United States. But they’re not all crazy; they’re responsible businesses. That’s why they were happy to have Obama speak to them this week, even though there are lots of things they disagree on.

President Obama urged American businesses on Monday to “get in the game” by letting loose trillions of dollars being held in reserves, saying that they can help create a “virtuous cycle” of more sales, higher demand and greater profits that will put people back to work and turn around the sluggish economy.

. . .

But the chamber, too, is eager to tone down the rhetoric, according to senior officials there. At the height of the high-profile fight with the White House, several big-name companies left its board, citing concern about the chamber’s opposition to the administration’s efforts.

And how do they show their commitment to tone down the rhetoric and work constructively?

ThinkProgress has learned that a law firm representing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the big business trade association representing ExxonMobil, AIG, and other major international corporations, is working with set of “private security” companies and lobbying firms to undermine their political opponents, including ThinkProgress, with a surreptitious sabotage campaign.

Yup, American business at its finest.

Two questions:

1. What are the odds of reading about this in the Times or the Wall Street Journal?

2. How quickly will the Vermont Chamber criticize this bit of shady and unethical practise?