Fw: Money in Politics Alert -- July 17, 2001

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Marcus" <bill@jbsenergy.com<
To: "Rachel and Barry (E-mail)" <orlins_bergman@msn.com<; "Andrews Family
(E-mail)" <andrews4549@cs.com<; "V. John White (E-mail)"
<vjw@cleanpower.org<; "Sara Myers (E-mail)" <ssmyers@worldnet.att.net<;
"Mike Florio (E-mail)" <mflorio@turn.org<; "Michael Shames (E-mail)"
<mshames@ucan.org<; "Eric Woychik (E-mail)" <estrategy@mindspring.com<;
"Bill Spratley (E-mail)" <wspratley@aol.com<; "Jan McFarland (E-mail)"
<jmcfarland@worldnet.att.net<; "Jim Lazar (E-mail)" <jimlazar@cheerful.com<;
"Jim Caldwell (E-mail)" <tgaljhc@aol.com<; "Savannah Blackwell (E-mail)"
<savannah_blackwell@sfbg.com<; "JA Savage (E-mail)" <honest@compuserve.com<;
"Theresa Mueller (E-mail)" <theresa_mueller@ci.sf.ca.us<; "Matt Freedman
(E-mail)" <freedman@turn.org<; "Jan Hamrin (E-mail)"
<jhamrin@resource-solutions.org<; "Chris Bowman (E-mail)"
<cbowman@sacbee.com<; "Lenny Goldberg (E-mail)" <lga@mother.com<
Cc: <gayatri@jbsenergy.com<; <jim@jbsenergy.com<; <jeff@jbsenergy.com<
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 1:37 PM
Subject: FW: Money in Politics Alert -- July 17, 2001

< This is ugly. The generators who have been gouging us are now running ads
< blaming the energy crisis on Gray Davis and the Democratic Party. And
< Enron's working with folks who are talking about "enviro-leftist
< propaganda".
<
< -----Original Message-----
< From: Center for Responsive Politics [mailto:hbailey@crp.org]
< Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 9:18 AM
< To: Gene Coyle
< Subject: Money in Politics Alert -- July 17, 2001
<
<
< CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS
< MONEY IN POLITICS ALERT
< Vol. 6, #24 JULY 17, 2001
< tel: 202-857-0044, fax: 202-857-7809
< email: info@crp.org, web: www.opensecrets.org
< http://www.opensecrets.org/alerts/v6/alertv6_24.asp
<
<
< Power Struggle:
< The Campaign Behind the Bush Energy Plan
<
< By Holly Bailey
<
< As Congress this week moves to take up major elements of President
< Bush's embattled energy policy, members of the administration,
< including Vice President Dick Cheney and Environmental Protection
< Agency chief Gail Norton, fanned out across the country yesterday
< in hopes of increasing national support for the plan.
<
< But public officials aren't the only ones waging a public relations
< battle over what has been described as a policy key not only
< to Bush's success but also to that of congressional Republicans
< in the upcoming 2002 elections.
<
< Corporate America, namely energy companies and trade associations
< representing everything from manufacturing companies to timber
< interests, also have invested plenty of time and money in the
< push for Bush's energy plan.
<
< At least three separate coalitions have launched TV, radio and
< print ads in recent weeks pushing for a new national energy policy,
< one that emphasizes the need to expand domestic oil and gas production,
< pipelines and power grids. Few of the groups mention the White
< House or Bush by name, but their policy wish list includes all
< the major elements proposed by the president.
<
< Perhaps the most prominent group is the Alliance for Energy and
< Economic Growth, a coalition of more than 400 groups including
< chambers of commerce, trade associations, energy companies and
< various other interest groups. Formed in mid-May, the Alliance's
< founding members include the American Gas Association ($630,025
< in soft money, PAC and individual contributions during 1999-2000;
< 55 percent to Republicans); the Edison Electric Institute ($739,378;
< 60 percent to Republicans); the National Mining Association ($508,650;
< 83 percent to Republicans); the Nuclear Energy Institute ($334,716;
< 71 percent to Republicans) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ($515,499;
< 94 percent to Republicans).
<
< The group's ads, which feature soft-focus photography shots including
< young children standing with their parents and sailors saluting
< a waving American flag, emphasize that our national security
< could be at risk without a new energy policy. The price tag for
< the Alliance's current ad campaign: at least $1 million, according
< to the Washington Post.
<
< Former Bush campaign advisers are the principals behind two other
< groups. The American Taxpayers Alliance, headed by GOP consultant
< Scott Reed, spent a reported $2 million last month running ads
< pinning blame for the California energy crisis on the state's
< Democratic governor Gray Davis. Reed, who also chaired Bob Dole's
< 1996 presidential race, won't disclose the donors or members
< of his group, but, according to Time magazine, one donor is Reliant
< Energy ($584,606; 87 percent to Republicans). Reliant is one
< of the companies accused by California officials of price gouging.
<
< Meanwhile, Ed Gillespie, a Bush adviser and Washington lobbyist
< whose clients include the energy giant Enron, heads the 21st
< Century Energy Project, a coalition formed to counter "enviro-leftist
< propaganda," according to a press release. The group's nine members
< include mainly conservative groups, led by the American Conservative
< Union ($112,500; all to the GOP). This week, the group reportedly
< is spending at least $500,000 on TV ads promoting the Bush energy
< plan.
<
<