Just in time for Halloween...

...the U.S. Chamber of Horror...err...Commerce tries another trick on Upper Left voters, but this time there may be a treat in store for Don Barbieri, the Democratic contender in the 5th Congressional District.

Washington voters will remember the U.S. Chamber's last attempt to influence a race in these parts. They dove into the Democratic primary for Attorney General with a million and a half bucks to smear Deborah Senn, hiding behind a psuedonym. When their scheme was exposed, the outrage was considered to be a major factor in the scrappy consumer advocate's victory over her primary opponent, Mark Sidran. That's right - the U.S. Chamber's best efforts produced their worst nightmare.

And they're back. Preemptive Karma points to an article in the Lewiston Morning Tribune that reports...

The U.S. Chamber has sent an endorsement of George Nethercutt, GOP challenger to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, using the mailing list of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce. And it may have used the same list for a mailing supporting Republican Cathy McMorris over Democrat Don Barbieri for the 5th District seat in the U.S. House.

That latter mailing has angered many members of the Spokane Chamber, of which Barbieri is a former chairman, reports Bert Caldwell, business columnist for the Spokesman-Review in Spokane. The organization's executive committee voted last week to send a letter objecting to the national group's rejection of a previous request for cooperation with local chambers.

Local chambers tend to be collections of mainstreet businessmen and others who have fairly few interests in common with the multi-nationals and mega-corporations that form the backbone of the U.S. Chamber. They're typically community oriented folks who appreciate the kind of contribution made by people like Don Barbieri, whose solid business experience and record of participation in the civic life of 5th District communities is the foundation of his Congressional campaign. All the U.S. Chamber seems to have accomplished is to put the focus on Barbieri's strengths and get his friends in the Eastern Washington business establishment (not generally viewed as a bastion of Democratic Party fervor) to rally behind him.

Still, the U.S. Chamber is trying to do to Don Barbieri what they did to Deborah Senn.

Here's hoping they have similar success.