Oil Industry Behind 'Energy Citizens Rallies'

Source: abq journal

The U.S. oil industry's main lobbying organization is behind a series of "energy citizens rallies" against pending climate change legislation, including two in New Mexico later this month, according to a memo obtained by the environmental group Greenpeace.

"We don't want critics to know our game plan," American Petroleum Institute president Jack Gerard said in the internal memo, which Greenpeace provided to the Journal. A spokeswoman for the institute confirmed the memo's authenticity.

Greenpeace U.S. executive director Phil Radford, in a response addressed to Gerard, characterized the rallies as "astroturf," an effort by corporations to create the appearance of grass-roots support for an issue.

An American Petroleum Institute spokeswoman said they are a legitimate effort to give voice to concerns held by the companies' employees and various other groups.

Read more: http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/182249150921newsstate08-18-09.htm

Isn't it grand!

these people are selling out their country.

I wonder if this is the online version only, or if its buried deep inside the paper itself. Looks like I'll have to drop 50 cents today and find out. I'm really curious as to whether it was buried or in a prominent place. thanks for the heads up on this,and yeah, what a shock that once again the rubes are being played for suckers by the corporations. And I see that they're happening in Roswell and Farmington, very red parts of an at least moderately blue state.

need to include the caveat about not needing to let your critics know your plans. If it's on the up-and-up, why hide the actions company memos?

... tea party-ing downtown with their protest signs, saying:

"Give us $5 gas NOW!"

"More tax breaks for Exxon!"

"Hybrids hate America!"

The dumb astroturfers still don't know they're working for Kaiser Soze.

Something that won't get me beat up, obviously.

I'm torn between "Medicare for All or Medicare for None" and "Save the Corporations, NOT the People: NO PUBIC OPSHIN"