Every political drama needs a villain. As the White House and Congress face a series of major public policy debates, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - fairly or unfairly - has become this week's bad guy.

Ever since Apple, PG&E and several other companies dropped their memberships over the climate change issue, there has been a frenzy of negative media coverage about the Chamber. The most brutal article was last Friday's column by Washington Post writer Steven Pearlstein, who called the nation's largest business association "desperate" and "disingenuous."

On Monday, word came that the Chamber had spent a record $34.7 million on lobbying during the third quarter of 2009, which created a second cycle of news, including this article in Politico. The narrative focused on "the high stakes battle between the White House and Republican-leaning business groups."

Then, later the same day, the Chamber was the victim of a hoax perpetrated by a group called The Yes Men, who draw attention to their various causes -- and their upcoming movie -- by posing as business executives. The imposters, pretending to represent the Chamber, held a press conference announcing an about-face in the Chamber's position on climate change legislation.  You can watch the surreal video of the fake press conference here. It includes footage of a real Chamber spokesperson breaking up the masquerade. 

Finally, on Tuesday, the Washington Post reported the White House has launched a strategy to work around the Chamber by having Obama meet directly with small groups of CEOs. He's also sent top aides to visit corporate headquarters to talk about issues such as healthcare. "The question we have is: Does the Chamber really represent the business community the way they used to?" Valerie Jarrett, the president's chief business liaison, told the Post.

So, what can we learn from all this?

1. Powerful opponents attract attention. That the White House has relegated the Chamber to FoxNews status isn't a sign of the Chamber's weakness; it's a sign that the administration takes the group seriously. The president may not want to work through the Chamber, but he can't ignore its size and influence. The Chamber's success at fundraising means it will continue to be a strong voice on mega-issues affecting business, including healthcare, climate change and financial regulation.

2. On the other hand, living at the center of a media firestorm requires diplomacy, which the Chamber hasn't always shown. This summer, it called for a hearing on climate change that would serve as the "Scopes Monkey Trial of the 21st century." Though the Chamber later tried to take back that remark, the reputational damage had already been done.

3. Companies are being defined by the organizations where they hold memberships. The Chamber may have effective programs supporting community investment, disaster relief, fair trade, job creation and other subjects of interest to business, but you'd never know it. Groups such as MoveOn.org are launching grassroots campaigns targeting Chamber members who haven't dropped their memberships because of the climate change issue.

4. Some reporters will believe anything. On Monday, when the fake Chamber "spokesman" announced an abrupt change in policy regarding climate change legislation, Reuters, Fox and CNBC, among others, reported it as breaking news. Despite some pretty good clues, nobody checked to see if this announcement was on the level. "In the current media environment, where it's more important to have it first than to get it right," opines Post columnist Dana Milbank, "it won't be long until the next mix-up."

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