BP hires former spokeswoman for Vice-President Cheney to lead their public relations effort!

BP hires Cheney spokeswoman to lead PR effort
By John Byrne
June 1, 2010

As if the water wasn't deep -- or oily -- enough around British Petroleum's public relations, the company has hired a former spokeswoman for Vice President Dick Cheney to be its public face for the disaster.

Anne Womack Kolton, former head of public affairs at the Department of Energy and Cheney's onetime campaign press secretary, will take the baton from BP this week.

While at Cheney's side, Kolton defended the secrecy of the Vice President's Energy task force, a group which held secretive meetings with energy company executives. When the General Accounting Office -- the research arm of Congress -- sued the Administraton for records relating to Cheney's meetings, Kolton (then Womack) was at his side.

"We are ready to defend our principles in court," she said. "This goes to the heart of the presidency and to the ability of the president and vice president to receive candid, discreet advice."

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0601/bp-hires-cheney-spokeswoman-lead-pr-effort/


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A Match Made Some Place We Don't Want To Go
by Abby Zimet
June 2, 2010

Facing a wee bit of a PR problem, BP has hired, the slime still fresh on her, Dick Cheney's former press secretary to make up more facts for the American public. Anne Womack-Kolton, who also did PR for the Department of Energy under George W., defended the secrecy of the energy task force under Cheney, who was the head of Halliburton, which helped run the rig that exploded, which made BP's CEO want to get his life back, which led BP to start thinking they needed to find someone else to convince us it will all be okay. Oh, these people will all get along just fine. More on Womack-Kolton's illustrious if oil-slicked career here.

Anne Womack-Kolton’s Experience

Vice President
APCO Worldwide
(Privately Held; Public Relations and Communications industry)
December 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)


Assistant Press Secretary
The White House
(Public Relations and Communications industry)
2001 — Present (9 years )

Press Assistant
Bush Cheney 2000
(Public Relations and Communications industry)
2000 — Present (10 years )

Director of Public Affairs
U.S. Department of Energy
(Public Relations and Communications industry)
2005 — 2007 (2 years )

Press Secretary to the Vice President
Bush Cheney 2004
(Public Relations and Communications industry)
2004 — 2004 (less than a year)

Press Secretary to the VP
Bush Cheney '04
(Public Relations and Communications industry)
2004 — 2004 (less than a year)

Washington Representative
Office of the Attorney General, Texas Office of State-Federal Relations
(Public Relations and Communications industry)
1999 — 2000 (1 year )

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2010/06/02-2

Ugh. Either way.

This seems a really stupid move on BP's part, considering the *high esteem* Americans have for Cheney.