Message-ID: <8776866.1075851603705.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 01:19:00 -0700 (PDT) From: vjw@cleanpower.org To: jeff.dasovich@enron.com Subject: Fw: Money in Politics Alert -- July 17, 2001 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: V. John White X-To: Jeff.Dasovich@enron.com X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Dasovich, Jeff (Non-Privileged)\Dasovich, Jeff\Deleted Items X-Origin: DASOVICH-J X-FileName: Dasovich, Jeff (Non-Privileged).pst ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Marcus" To: "Rachel and Barry (E-mail)" ; "Andrews Family (E-mail)" ; "V. John White (E-mail)" ; "Sara Myers (E-mail)" ; "Mike Florio (E-mail)" ; "Michael Shames (E-mail)" ; "Eric Woychik (E-mail)" ; "Bill Spratley (E-mail)" ; "Jan McFarland (E-mail)" ; "Jim Lazar (E-mail)" ; "Jim Caldwell (E-mail)" ; "Savannah Blackwell (E-mail)" ; "JA Savage (E-mail)" ; "Theresa Mueller (E-mail)" ; "Matt Freedman (E-mail)" ; "Jan Hamrin (E-mail)" ; "Chris Bowman (E-mail)" ; "Lenny Goldberg (E-mail)" Cc: ; ; 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. > >