The U.S. Chamber of Commerce — which spent nearly $33 million in 2010 to elect a Republican Congress — strongly backed the 2011 Budget Control Act which averted a national debt default and instituted automatic cuts that will go into effect unless Congress reduces federal spending. But while the Chamber’s CEO Tom Donohue reportedly warned Congressional Republicans at the time “we’ll get rid of you,” if they did not agree to a debt ceiling increase, the group has spent millions supporting Republicans who voted against the bipartisan agreement:

1. Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO). The Chamber spent more than $692,000 on “independent expenditures” helping Akin in his challenge to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D), with ads attacking both McCaskill and his primary opponent former Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman (R). The group has not spent any money in support of Akin since his comments that victims of “legitimate rape” are unlikely to become pregnant. Akin explained his opposition to the deal, saying it “fails to address the problem at hand, and it threatens to severely degrade our national defense with a trillion dollars in cuts to our military.”

2. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY). The Chamber has spent at least $185,000 in “independent expenditures” attacking her opponent, former Rep. Dan Maffei (D), and praising Buerkle. The freshman Congresswoman explained her vote against the deal in a statement, saying “There were some good aspects to the bill, but this version also creates several new problems. At the end of the day, I was not satisfied that all my questions and concerns had been answered as to potential negative effects of this bill on the people in my district.”

3. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV). The Chamber spent more than $489,000 on “independent expenditures” helping Heller in his re-election bid against Rep. Shelley Berkley (D), with ads endorsing his re-election and attacking her record. Heller said he saw “no strategy” in the compromise and would have preferred a “big deal.”

4. Rep. Connie Mack IV (R-FL). The Chamber spent over $3.8 million on “independent expenditures” helping Mack in his challenge to Sen. Bill Nelson (D), with ads attacking Nelson and urging voters to defeat him. Mack said he didn’t think the American people wanted a deal or “gimmicks.”

5. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT). The Chamber has spent more than $1.3 million on “independent expenditures” helping Rehberg in his challenge to Sen. Jon Tester (D), with ads attacking Tester and encouraging voters to defeat him. Rehberg called the deal “little more than business as usual for Washington.”

The Chamber has also spent at least $3.3 million on “independent expenditures” helping Mitt Romney by attacking Barack Obama. While Obama signed the compromise, Romney said he “thought it was a mistake on the part of the White House to propose it” and “a mistake for Republicans to go along with it.”

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson is spending tens of millions of dollars on Republicans this election cycle — and now he’s adding Senate candidate George Allen (R-VA) to his list of beneficiaries. The casino mogul has donated $1.5 million to pro-Allen PAC Independence Virginia, becoming its biggest donor by half a million dollars.

Allen’s PAC has spent about $2.3 million in an effort to defeat former governor Tim Kaine (D-VA), whose supporters have far less outside cash on hand. Adelson tops the list of campaign donors this election season, having pledged $100 million to Republicans.

If elected to the senate, Allen is likely to support Mitt Romney’s tax plan, which the Center for American Progress Action Fund estimated would save Adelson more than $2 billion in taxes. Allen has also advocated for a 20 percent corporate tax rate — even lower than Romney’s proposed 25 percent. During Allen’s last stint in the Senate, he proved to be very friendly to wealthy business owners and special interests, voting for the Bush tax cuts as well as tax cuts for oil and coal companies.

In 2006, Allen lost his Senate seat after he was caught on camera referring to an Indian American Democratic staffer by the racial slur “macaca.”

The National Federation of Independent Business is offering a seminar next week called “How to Speak With Your Employees About The Importance of the 2012 Elections,” for business owners who haven’t already tried to pressure employees into voting for their preferred candidate. The NFIB, officially nonpartisan, is a notoriously conservative organization that has donated millions to Karl Rove’s American Crossroads GPS Super PAC.

The 2-hour session will be held October 30 in Torrington, CT. The event description says:

Join other business owners and key personnel for an evening of networking and refreshments as part of NFIB’s continuing effort to ensure business owners have the resources to grow their business. Gather at West State Mechanical in Torrington and learn what you can do to prepare your employees for the crucial upcoming election.

Despite claims of nonpartisanship, the NFIB has spent nearly $2 million supporting Republicans and attacking Democrats this election cycle, even endorsing the embattled campaign of Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), ostracized by many conservatives after his “legitimate rape” debacle. NFIB also held a conference call earlier this year, during which Mitt Romney encouraged business owners to tell employees who to vote for based on “what you believe is best for the business.”

Before the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, employers were forbidden from speaking directly to employees about political preferences. However, the Supreme Court greatly expanded corporations’ and unions’ flexibility in political speech, setting the groundwork that allowed employers to compel employees to participate in political campaigns.

Conservatives are taking full advantage of these newfound abilities. Coal miners at Murray Energy in Ohio complained they were forced to attend a Romney rally, where they were filmed for a campaign ad. Murray Energy also apparently coerces employees into donating to Republicans. Another CEO, of ASG Software Solutions, told employees to donate up to $2500 each, explicitly saying “Please help ASG and yourself by contributing to the Romney/Ryan campaign.” Several other CEOs have threatened to fire employees if Obama wins the election.

The NFIB denies that the seminar is meant to show employers how to pressure their employees, telling the Huffington Post its political efforts are “driven strictly by the issues that impact small business — that’s the area where we really want our members to engage their employees in conversation.” Of course, the idea that Obama has an “anti-business” record is mythology; since he took office, corporate profits have soared, the Dow Jones industrial average has gained 67.9 percent, and small businesses have received several tax cuts.

After Senate nominee and U.S. Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-MO) August comments that victims of “legitimate rape” are unlikely to become pregnant, a wide array of leading Republicans called on him to withdraw from the race. When he refused, some outside groups cancelled their plans to run ads on Akin’s behalf. But, a ThinkProgress review of independent expenditures shows several groups have continued to spend in support of Akin.

Among those continuing to back Akin are:

1. Reinventing A New Direction PAC (Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) leadership PAC): This political action committee has spent at least $100,000 on its media efforts against incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D). The group’s ad attacks McCaskill for supporting foreign aid. Even Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) denounced the spots — which are also being run against other Senate Democrats.

2. Faith Family Freedom Fund (the super PAC affiliated with the Family Research Council, an anti-LGBT hate group): This super PAC has reported spending more than $15,000 on radio ads attacking McCaskill for her support for Obamacare and the 2009 stimulus law — though it does not mention the social issues the group tends to focus on. One speaker in the ads argues “everyone’s talking about this so-called war on women, and it seems to me that McCaskill is the problem,” because she “made the economy worse.” Family Research Council President Tony Perkins criticized the GOP’s abandonment as “suspect.”

3. Senate Conservatives Fund (Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-SC) leadership PAC): This political action committee has spent more than $90,000 backing Akin, including e-mail list rental and on-line processing. The PAC’s website is collecting online contributions for Akin and says it has already raised more than $444,000 for his campaign. DeMint and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) endorsed Akin in September, saying, “We support Todd Akin and hope freedom-loving Americans in Missouri and around the country will join us so we can save our country from fiscal collapse.”

4. National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund and its NRA Institute for Legislative Action: The political and lobbying arms of the pro-gun group
have combined to spent more than $140,000 on flyers and postcard mailings. The group’s endorsement praised Akin for his “proven record of defending the Second Amendment.”

5. National Right to Life PAC: This anti-abortion group spent more than $30,000 on mailings backing Akin.

6. Freedom’s Defense Fund: This PAC, tied to birther and Swift Boat conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi has spent over $150,000 running TV ads in support of Akin. While one recent ad attacked McCaskill for her support of “socialism” and “the liberal assault on free markets and traditional values,” the group made the odd decision to run a pro-Akin ad that actually reminds voters of Akin’s “legitimate rape” comments.

Watch the spot:

7. Missouri Farm Bureau Federation Statewide Farm PAC: The group, which claims to support candidates who are pro-agriculture, has spent about $20,000 on radio ads supporting Akin.

8. National Federation of Independent Business: This pro-GOP trade association spent more than $10,000 on mailings against McCaskill. The group, which calls itself “the voice of small business,” endorsed Akin this month, noting his opposition to Obamacare, tax increases, and “the regulatory bureaucracies in Washington.”

In recent weeks, Akin has come under additional fire for repeatedly comparing McCaskill to a dog, claiming there is no “science” behind evolution, and arguing against equal pay laws.