It may be heading to Greensboro, NC.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-grandia/leaked-memo---oil-lobbys_b_259149.html

Quote :

"Oil Lobby's 'Energy Citizens' Astroturf Campaign Exposed An internal memo obtained recently by Greenpeace USA details polluting interests’ plans to launch a nationwide astroturf campaign attacking climate legislation at public events scheduled throughout the final weeks of recess before the Senate returns to debate the issue in September. The email memo (download a PDF copy), which appears to come from the desk of American Petroleum Institute president Jack Gerard, asks API’s member companies to recruit employees, retirees, vendors and contractors to attend “Energy Citizen” rallies in key Congressional districts nationwide in the closing weeks of the August recess. The campaign plan places a special focus on 21 states picked by API for having “a significant industry presence” or “assets on the ground.” Taking a page from the playbook of astroturf campaigners currently crashing health care town hall events across the country, API hopes to similarly sully productive communications between Congress members and their actual constituents at public events scheduled for the coming weeks. Gerard states that API is ready to bus in company members and provide logistical support, and reveals that API has retained “a highly experienced events management company that has produced successful rallies for presidential campaigns, corporations and interest groups.” Gerard’s email states that API is partnering on the rally campaign with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, confirming that the groups are staging a coordinated effort to attack climate legislation despite the fact that several prominent members of these groups have stated support for strong Congressional action to combat climate change. Greenpeace sent a letter to Gerard yesterday asking him to verify the authenticity of the email, and pointing out that the plan “runs contrary to several prominent API members’ public support for climate action, namely Shell, BP America, ConocoPhillips, General Electric and Siemens.” The memo closes with a ‘for your eyes only’ plea: “Please treat this information as sensitive and ask those in your company to do so as well… we don’t want critics to know our game plan.” To which Greenpeace responded to Gerard in yesterday’s letter, “Game plan known.” Here is a list of the “tentative venues” where API plans to hold “Energy Citizen” rallies. If you live in one of the named cities, please email any news or tips you hear about the rallies to us at desmogblog@gmail.com. Houston TX Perry GA Detroit MI Roswell NM Greensboro NC Farmington NM Ohio (venue being finalized) Greeley CO Nashville TN Indiana (venue being finalized) Bismarck ND Tampa FL Sioux Falls SD Greenville SC Anchorage AK Joliet IL Charleston WV Fairfax VA Philadelphia PA Lincoln NE Missouri TBD Arkansas TBD "

I would like to see the authenticity verified before passing judgment, since I have a little trouble believing they'd really say a phrase like "Please treat this information as sensitive and ask those in your company to do so as well… we don’t want critics to know our game plan" but this is definitely something to be a look out for if it does head to Greensboro, NC as tentatively scheduled.

8/14/2009 11:52:08 AM

More coverage at:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/sensitive_oil_industry_memo_lays_out_plan_for_astr.php?ref=fpa

8/14/2009 12:44:20 PM

Quote :

"I have a little trouble believing they'd really say a phrase like "Please treat this information as sensitive and ask those in your company to do so as well… we don’t want critics to know our game plan""

my company has done very similar thing on a few occasions (minus the phrase "game plan").

admittedly, the information is related to developments concerning medical device industry, and not as politically volatile (or even interesting) for a wide cross-section of the population.

but sometimes a company has to get their employees on the same page, and the information is sensitive enough that they'd prefer it not be disseminated to the public at large.








[Edited on August 14, 2009 at 1:03 PM. Reason : ]

8/14/2009 12:59:13 PM

You know, Astroturf is getting thrown around a lot in situations where it really doesn't apply. A company involved in an industry asking its employees to attend a particular event about the industry and show their support isn't astroturfing anymore than the American Cancer Society asking its employees to attend a Race For The Cure. Believe it or not, employees of companies may actually support their own company.

Now, if the API or its members were PAYING employees to attend these events, that would be a different story.

8/14/2009 1:42:00 PM

^Does this count:

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/lobby_firm_sent_forged_climate_change_letter_to_c.php

Quote :

"Lobby Firm Sent Forged Climate Change Letter To Congressman By Zachary Roth - July 31, 2009, 12:24PM OK, this is a good one... Via The American Prospect: Freshman Democratic congressman Tom Perriello -- whose Virginia district leans Republican -- faced a tough decision last month over whether to support the climate change bill. As he was weighing the issue, he got a letter from a non-profit group in his district that focuses on issues of importance to Hispanics. The letter urged Perriello to oppose the bill because it could raise low-income members' utility bills. "Many of our members are on tight budgets and the sizes of their monthly utility bills are important expense items," it read in part. But, reports the Charlottesville Daily Progress, the letter was a fake: "They stole our name. They stole our logo. They created a position title and made up the name of someone to fill it. They forged a letter and sent it to our congressman without our authorization," said Tim Freilich, who sits on the executive committee of Creciendo Juntos, a nonprofit network that tackles issues related to Charlottesville's Hispanic community. "It's this type of activity that undermines Americans' faith in democracy." The faked letter from Creciendo Juntos was signed by "Marisse K. Acevado, Asst Member Coordinator," an identity and position at Creciendo Juntos that do not exist. The letter -- subsequently obtained by TPMmuckraker -- had actually been sent by someone at the D.C. lobbying firm Bonner and Associates -- a pioneer in "strategic grassroots/grasstops" lobbying whose clients have included Citicorp, Aetna, PhRMA, Dow Chemical, AT&T, and General Motors, among others. And Perriello staffers soon dug out five other forged letters -- also obtained by TPMmuckraker -- urging the congressman to oppose the bill -- all purportedly from the local branch of the NAACP, whose president says he's "appalled" at the scam. The paper adds: The fake NAACP letters were faxed to Perriello's office from the Arlington headquarters of a company called Professional Risk Management Services Inc. A representative of the company said she had no knowledge of why the fax would have been sent from her office, adding that at least 60 employees have access to the fax machine. But here's maybe the most infuriating thing. Bonner still isn't coming close to clean about the incident. A partner with the firm traveled to Charlottesville to apologize to Creciendo Juntos' chairwoman, and has told the group that it has fired the employee who wrote it. But it hasn't said who hired it to work on the climate change bill -- and it doesn't have to disclose the information because it doesn't do direct lobbying of Congress. Bonner and Associates didn't return calls from the Daily Progress. Nor did it immediately return TPMmuckraker's. This isn't the first time that they've been caught out blurring the lines between "strategic grassroots" lobbying and outright deception. As the Daily Progress notes: The AARP Bulletin reported in 2006 that the "60 Plus Association" hired Bonner & Associates in 2003 to manage what it called an "Astroturf" campaign against prescription drug legislation in Minnesota and New Mexico, meaning that it was an artificial version of a grassroots campaign. Bonner & Associates hired callers to identify themselves as members of the 60 Plus Association and urge residents to ask their governors to veto the legislation. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer later admitted that it had paid Bonner & Associates to undertake the campaign, AARP reported. And it engineered a similar scheme in Maryland. When it was revealed that a letter opposing an effort to lower the cost of prescription drugs actually came from Bonner and Associates, rather than a group of African-American charities, Bonner told a reporter: "It's a great exercise in the First Amendment." It's worth noting that despite the letter to Periello, the climate change bill passed the House -- with Perriello's support. Something tells us Periello wasn't the only wavering Democrat who got that fake letter. And there's more to this story that's going to get shaken loose sooner or later..."

8/14/2009 1:54:30 PM

Absolutely, as would most of these:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/jjj?query=obama&catAbbreviation=jjj

8/14/2009 2:12:04 PM

Well, it is sad that someone had to fake a letter in order to spread the truth: "it could raise low-income members' utility bills". No shit. Of course it is going to raise utility prices.

What is sad is that had the democrats not thrown the oil lobby out the door without their carbon credits they too would most certainly be supporters of this bill. They do have a fiduciary responsibility to make their shareholders filthy rich at the expense of the American Public, do they not? As it is, now both they and the American Public are getting ripped off.

I suspect the Democrats knew figured they only needed to bribe the utility industry to get the bill passed, let us all hope they were wrong.

8/14/2009 3:33:42 PM

^^I agree, as long as you aren't taking an everybody is guilty so no body is guilty approach.

More discussion here too:
http://bluenc.com/astroturf-coming-gboro


For anyone not familiar with that statewide (although often it seems to be triangle area & Charlotte area centered) politics blog:

Quote :

"BlueNC From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search BlueNC is a progressive community website focused on North Carolina politics. Its front page blog is its central feature, and includes posts written by BlueNC regulars and posts promoted to the front page through group moderation. The site also features an events calendar, a forum, and an action center, where users can send off letters to the editor and contact their State and federal representatives. [edit] Notable Guest Appearances * Blog entries by North Carolina Congressman Brad Miller (NC-13). * BlueNC interview with North Carolina Congressman David Price (NC-04). * Blog entries by Congressional Candidate Larry Kissell (NC-08). * BlueNC interview with Larry Kissell. [edit] External links * BlueNC * The Revolution Will Be Blogged, including coverage of BlueNC by North Carolina weekly the Independent. * Pols take advantage of Web of opportunity from the Charlotte Observer, May 29, 2006 (reproduced at Larry Kissell's campaign site). "

8/14/2009 3:37:53 PM

Quote :

"The Revolution Will Be Blogged"

lol

8/14/2009 3:41:14 PM

So, when Al Gore creates a movie to prop up his carbon-credits company and "inspires" millions with outright lies, is that astroturfing, too?

8/16/2009 7:46:20 PM

^Not really.

Al Gore's movie more or less provided more fuel for an already existent movement, and said movement didn't really have a lot of the grassroots pretensions that such modern astroturfing campaigns use.

...That's not to say there wasn't still some degree of bullshit that went on, it just doesn't fit into the particular brand of bullshit known as "astroturf".

8/16/2009 8:05:52 PM

8/18/2009 7:31:37 PM

Good stuff. Thank you for posting that.

8/18/2009 9:22:13 PM

Quote :

"it just doesn't fit into the particular brand of bullshit known as "astroturf"."

The left has made "astroturf" a cornerstone of their tactics for years. Get a group of people who are marginally interested and / or educated on an issue, get them excited by explaining how your opponent is "bad", and how your organization holds the key to their happiness / wealth / etc, and let them go at it. That is what community organization is all about.

Unions, ACORN, A.N.S.W.E.R. etc are all masters of this. Sure they claim to be doing this for "social justice" but in reality they're simply using the power of large angry mobs to push their political agenda. Each of these organizations has a vested interest in making this appear as spontaneous as possible while diverting from the fact that large sums of money flow through their accounts, largely to the enrichment of their leadership.

Why it is inherently "evil" that corporations are doing it is beyond me. I find them to be no more, or less, evil than any other amoral large organization such as the state.

8/18/2009 10:36:35 PM

hahahahahahha and "socialist" is the new nigger

welcome to the inside of your own ass

8/19/2009 12:06:39 AM

8/19/2009 6:48:46 AM

^I see your image of a sign & raise you a truck:

8/19/2009 9:39:22 PM

^ Well, that is a lot of astroturf--I can't deny it.

8/19/2009 9:46:39 PM

Can you find the clip from Rachel's show tonight (the 19th) where she calls out the oil companies and their rally in Houston? While I know the Faux News drones won't bother watching it, the information is still very pertinent to this topic. Thanks!

8/20/2009 2:05:34 AM

^here it is. It talks about the American Petroleum Institute busing their employees in with the goal of putting a "human face on the issue" rather than a corporate one.

8/20/2009 10:58:05 AM

If anyone sees any news coverage of the American Petroleum Institute rally in Greensboro happening today, or the counter-protest, be sure to share it here!

Does anyone know any tv news stations & their websites out that way or other news outlets whose links they could share now, I'd be interested in monitoring them for any coverage.

I know news14.com (a statewide news station) has a triad section, but I don't see any coverage there yet.

8/20/2009 1:49:01 PM

I know quite a few people going. I'll keep you updated on what happens. They're supposed to call at 5:45 and give me an update.
Here's the email I got about it forwarded from my boss:

Quote :

" I want to invite you to join your neighbors on Thursday, August 20 at 5:30 PM at the Greensboro Coliseum for a rally supporting responsible energy policy. This rally is part of an "Energy Citizens" campaign that we are supporting with other national organizations to get the message across to our elected officials that we simply can't accept new laws that will increase fuel prices, send jobs overseas and slow economic growth! According to recent studies, new climate change legislation approved by the U.S. House will cost 2 million American jobs, raise gas prices to $4 per gallon, and reduce America's energy security. During this economic downturn, we can't afford to increase energy prices or lose more American jobs. Now the U.S. Senate is considering this same costly legislation. That's why I'm inviting you to the rally. It's a fun and easy way to make a difference and to let our Senators know they can't make the same mistakes as the House. There will be free food, drinks and great entertainment. So, I hope I'll see you, your family and friends! Thursday, August 20 at 5:30pm Greensboro Coliseum 1921 West Lee Street Greensboro, NC 27403 Together our voices will be heard! If you choose to attend, please take a moment after the event to email me at bill.rozett@partnershipforenergy.com and let me know how it went. Join us and hundreds of your neighbors at our rally in support of American jobs and energy security. Support the Partnership for American Energy Security's "Energy Citizens" campaign, a campaign for small business owners, truckers, farmers, homemakers and other citizens who want workable solutions to this nation's energy needs! You can learn more about the Energy Citizen campaign at http://www.energycitizens.org. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Bill Rozett Executive Director Partnership for America's Energy Security "

[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 2:01 PM. Reason : ]

8/20/2009 1:58:58 PM

Quote :

"According to recent studies, new climate change legislation approved by the U.S. House will cost 2 million American jobs, raise gas prices to $4 per gallon, and reduce America's energy security. During this economic downturn, we can't afford to increase energy prices or lose more American jobs."

haha that made me lol

8/20/2009 2:01:00 PM

I started clicking on the sponsors at the bottom of the page & scrolling through them, and they popped up websites that started auto-playing anti-health care reform ads, I saw messages with Dick Army speaking, a video of Glenn Beck, some anti-tax messages, and lovely pictures like these:

8/20/2009 2:05:46 PM

Quote :

"I know quite a few people going. I'll keep you updated on what happens. They're supposed to call at 5:45 and give me an update. Here's the email I got about it forwarded from my boss:"

Do they know they are going to an anti-climate change rally organized & sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute (which we know about thanks to the leaked memo at the link below)?

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/sensitive_oil_industry_memo_lays_out_plan_for_astr.php

8/20/2009 2:30:29 PM

One of them is pretty informed, so I'd be willing to bet she does. The other just goes along with what the first says and does was Rush tells her to when it's a legitimate cause. The other 8 or so going with them I don't know well enough to pass judgement!


[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 2:38 PM. Reason : ]

8/20/2009 2:33:26 PM

I honestly don't see the problem with protesting a bill that will do NOT A DAMN THING to improve the environment while at the same time significantly impacting energy costs.



[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 2:36 PM. Reason : the fucking devil could organize it and I'd still go.]

8/20/2009 2:35:54 PM

^Exactly.

8/20/2009 2:37:15 PM

^^ But do you see an issue with oil companies busing in their own people under the guise of "just your average concerned citizen" and then calling it a grass roots movement?

8/20/2009 5:22:40 PM

Quote :

"the fucking devil could organize it and I'd still go."

So you went then?

8/20/2009 5:47:22 PM

It may not matter one way or the other, I can't find any local coverage on any Greensboro or Triad area station, surely they did a news release for this event though?

[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 6:56 PM. Reason : .]

8/20/2009 6:56:29 PM

^^^ why didn't you complain when lefties did the same thing? Is it just convenient to do so now?

8/20/2009 8:37:21 PM

^^I work full time. I'm not driving my ass out to Greensboro. Instead I write my representation in the fed gov't.

8/21/2009 12:44:16 AM

Quote :

" But do you see an issue with oil companies busing in their own people under the guise of "just your average concerned citizen" and then calling it a grass roots movement? "

Not unless they're paying those people no. As much as it may surprise you to learn, the employees of companies are also "average concerned citizens", who believe it or not, may have concerns about legislation being passed that affects them and the industry they work in. If the company wants to provide transportation to the folks that are going, there's nothing inherently wrong with that.

My company works in the medical field, during the most recent race for the cure, they offered rides and set up car pools for anyone that wanted to go, does that mean my company was astroturfing and invalidate the support that the individuals who went showed?

8/21/2009 7:28:19 AM

Quote :

"Not unless they're paying those people no."

Could you show that these people aren't being paid? Because if these people are "so concerned" then perhaps they are less concerned about actually working at their job and more focused on cheerleading for their company's agenda. Odd, I thought that only lazy hippy liberals did this kind of thing while you true Americans were hard at work making your version of a living. . .

[Edited on August 21, 2009 at 9:00 AM. Reason : .]

8/21/2009 9:00:26 AM

My friend went and sat with Howard Coble, who invited us all to come see him in DC when we go for the Taxpayers' March in September. He's going to try and get us a tour of the White House too.

Friend said the rally was pretty great, a "lot of cotton tops" but a lot of food and fun and had some good speakers.

8/21/2009 9:13:47 AM

Quote :

"Could you show that these people aren't being paid? Because if these people are "so concerned" then perhaps they are less concerned about actually working at their job and more focused on cheerleading for their company's agenda. Odd, I thought that only lazy hippy liberals did this kind of thing while you true Americans were hard at work making your version of a living"

Can you show that they are? After all you're the one making accusations here. It may also further surprise you to learn (since you clearly don't listen to the things your opponents say and instead seek to pigeon hole them into your preconceived notions) that I find all such forms of protests to be ineffective at best, and harmful at worst, and disdain them all equally, and have expressed as much in the past.

8/21/2009 8:02:43 PM

It appears state representative Pricey (D) & us representative Coble (R) tried to enter the American Petroleum Institute event together & the (D) got turned away even though the event was in her district & the (R) was welcomed inside. Jay Ovittore, a guy running for town council in Greensboro also attended the counter-rally outside.


Apparently there was some news coverage after all:

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/08/20/article/environmental_activists_energy_citizens_face_off

Quote :

"Environmental activists, Energy Citizens face off Friday, August 21, 2009 GREENSBORO — Motorists honked in support as more than 50 clean-energy proponents waved signs at the corner of Patterson Court and High Point Road on Thursday, hoping to temper opposition to proposed federal carbon-emissions legislation. But inside the Greensboro Coliseum, about 300 North Carolinians attending an Energy Citizens rally chanted “Just say no!” to a cap-and-trade bill they expect will raise energy prices and spur massive job losses. “We prefer the carrot rather than the stick,” said Larry Wooten, president of the N.C. Farm Bureau. “We would prefer Congress look at incentive-based legislation to help move this forward.” The rally was one of 19 to be held across the country during the congressional recess by Energy Citizens, a new group backed by the American Petroleum Institute and other organizations that oppose the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The legislation, which narrowly passed the U.S. House in June, would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and require many companies to buy emission permits. The legislation would also require utilities to supply 20 percent of their demand from efficiency savings and renewable energy by 2039. The bill would use revenues from the permits to offset higher energy prices paid by low-income households. U.S. senators plan to debate their version of the bill at the end of September. Neither Sen. Kay Hagan nor Sen. Richard Burr attended the rally, but U.S. Rep. Howard Coble, a Greensboro Republican who voted against the bill, told attendees he would send their message to Washington. “I think it will open the floodgate to additional taxes,” Coble said about the bill. “We need to address climate change but I don’t think we need to be the only country addressing it.” Randy Dellinger, owner of a biodiesel refinery in Caldwell County, said the United States should not rely on other countries’ actions. “We should be leaders in the world and not followers,” said Dellinger, who attended a counter-rally sponsored by environmental groups. “At some point in time you just have to bite the bullet and say renewable energy is important for this generation.” State Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat, said the bill is vital for motivating other countries to address global warming and move people away from using carbon-heavy fossil fuels. “We have a finite amount of oil in this country,” she said. “That’s not sustainable. We have got to wean ourselves off fossil fuels.” Harrison and others at the counter-rally dismissed the Energy Citizens event as an “astroturf,” or fake grassroots effort, funded by “big oil.” “What they’re doing is funding oil employees or whoever they can get to look like there’s this groundswell opposition to clean-energy legislation,” she said. “I just have not heard that kind of opposition to it from people at the legislature.” But Mark Mirabile, a Greensboro electrical engineer who doesn’t believe in the human-caused global warming theory, said many people have real doubts about the bill’s merit. “People intuitively feel something is not right and that’s why they’re out here,” he said."

I think the counter-rally achieved its goal, making sure any news coverage & whatever the representatives are hearing isn't one sided just from the people the API event turned up.

8/23/2009 10:47:42 PM