Oil Companies

What did you do last night?  If your name is Roy Blunt, you were among the "Washington superstars" rubbing elbows with executives from Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Marathon, Valero and other corporations on Embassy Row in Washington, DC. 

The Washington Times reports today that Blunt was among the VIPs at the 2010 Kuwait-America Foundation Gala Dinner that "rivaled the Academy Awards celebration going on at the same time." The Hill paints us a picture:

The 144 guests at the intimate affair were also treated to musical selections by Motown singer-songwriter duo Ashford and Simpson, singing hits like “Solid as a Rock” and “You’re All I Need to Get By.” They ended their set with “Aint’ No Mountain High Enough,” which got the normally serious Washington crowd bobbing their heads and singing along.

Dr. Fareed Zakaria served as master of ceremonies during the four-course meal, which included: smoked salmon and sevruga caviar, a wild mushroom and foie gras terrine, New York sirloin strip steak, asparagus spears and wasabi mashed potatoes, salted caramel ice cream with chocolate crunch cake, and traditional Arabic coffee and sweets.

Jim Lee, who first wrote about Roy Blunt's controversial taxpayer-financed mail piece last week on his BusPlunge blog, follows up today in the News-Leader's 'Roses & Thorns' section:

A THORN: To Roy Blunt for abusing his congressional franking privileges by sending a public document labeled official business that was "prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense" to selected constituents. It was nothing more than a thinly disguised piece of campaign literature. You seemed pretty defensive in the piece, congressman, did it hit a little too close to home?

Apart from the fine print that reads, "This mailing was prepared published and mailed at taxpayer expense," it's hard to the tell the difference between the messages in Congressman Roy Blunt's most recent taxpayer-financed mailer and the Roy Blunt for Senate campaign's defensive attacks in recent weeks.

Jim Lee's Busplunge blog has the scoop on the mailer, an obvious response to the League of Conservation Voters' "Stain" ads playing on the teevee in recent weeks.  In the taxpayer-financed version, Blunt pleads with his constituents: "Don't be fooled. I don't work for the interests of big oil or the energy industry." 

Blunt's belief that this is a reasonable official expense would be a lot more believable if it didn't sound just like what we've been hearing from Blunt's campaign over the past few months.  Blunt, his spokesman and the Missouri GOP have repeatedly and consistently tried to connect the ad to Democratic Senate candidate Robin Carnahan.  The MOGROP spokesman, for instance, says the LCV "is attempting to purchase the seat for Carnahan."  So now we're supposed to believe that Blunt's official office is just informing constituents of important nonpartisan matters that they should help pay to learn about?  Please.

VoteVets.org has new ads up today supporting their "fight to get a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill through the Senate and on to the President."

Our new ad is blunt and to the point.  Featuring Iraq War Veterans, it makes the case that oil profits to the Middle East fund the same terrorists we're fighting, and closes with the line that "It's not just a question of American energy, it's a question of American power."

Watch the Missouri version:

The League of Conservation Voters launched a paid media campaign today, highlighting Roy Blunt's and Blaine Luetkemeyer's siding with Big Oil and energy special interests in opposing the House climate legislation. Here's the Blunt version, running in the Springfield media market:

Looking through Roy Blunt's Q3 campaign finance report, it looks like Blunt's efforts to court oil company lobbyists are still paying off.  Blunt has a been a huge recipient of oil and gas industry donations (he ranked #8 in the entire House for the 2008 cycle, without a competitive race).

Already, a number oil company PACs have maxed out to Blunt, with more to come. Exxon Mobil Corporation PAC, Marathon Oil Company Employees PAC and Devon Energy Corporation PAC have all already given $5,000 to the campaign.

For the devoted oil company executives and lobbyists who read this blog, don't forget to take your $5,000 PAC check (or $2,400 personal check) to Roy Blunt's fundraiser at the Hotel George tomorrow morning.

ExxonMobil PAC, Devon Energy PAC and Marathon Oil PAC are hosting the soiree for like-minded donors. 

The topic of discussion: Roy Blunt's oil company-approved "All of the Above" Energy Plan.

Tomorrow, the American Petroleum Institute's "Energy Citizens" campaign will be holding a rally in St. Louis to illustrate oil companies' and other polluters' opposition to federal cap-and-trade legislation.  The event at the Ballpark Hilton is designed to "put a human face" on the companies' lobbying campaign.

Two weeks ago, a similar "Energy Citizens" event in Houston generated national headlines when energy companies bussed in employees during the work day to hear a corporate executive explain why climate legislation is bad news.

A leaked memo from the API's president explained the intent of the campaign.  Via Grist.org:

ExxonMobil PAC, Marathon Oil PAC and Devon Energy PAC have scheduled a new fundraiser for Roy Blunt at the posh Hotel George in Washington, DC. 

Admission starts at $1,000 per person.  PAC Hosts should bring a $5,000 check, and individual hosts will need to max out with a $2,400 contribution.

Interested parties are asked to address their checks to Blunt's Senate campaign, and RSVP to the DC office for his ROYB Political Action Committee.

One year ago today, Roy Blunt appeared on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program, and was asked about Exxon Mobil's profits:

Three days before this interview was taped, Exxon Mobil posted the largest quarterly profit ever for an American corporation, and then broke its own record the following quarter with $14.83 billion in profits.  During the eight years of the George W. Bush presidency, the corporation's profits increased by 250%, while real average wages for American workers increased just 2%.

The Black Chamber of Commerce, which financed the underlying study for the analysis misused by Sen. Kit Bond this week, has received at least $275,000 from ExxonMobil in the last few years.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, The Star posted an update about Bond's exaggerations and misleading cap-and-trade cost projections this morning. Bond's statements are "demonstrably at odds with Bond's facts," reporter Dave Helling wrote.

As a helpful reminder, Roy Blunt's fundraising dinner with oil, gas and big-money energy interests is still on for tonight. Admission is $1,000 per person, or $2,400 if you'd like be a "host."  For PACs, it's even higher -- you'll need a $2,500 check to get in the door.

Host Mark Anderson, a lobbyist for Exxon Mobil, expects a good turnout.

It's just another evening in Washington collecting special interest checks for Roy Blunt. By all accounts, he has been working hard on the phones and the DC lobbyist circuit to put up a very strong showing in the 2nd Quarter. His weak initial report and momentum with the monied establishment (if not the GOP base) provide every reason to believe Blunt's working extra hard to dissuade any (additional) primary challengers. 

Another week, another lame excuse from Roy Blunt about why we shouldn't do anything that might adversely affect his oil and gas company supporters.

U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Springfield, said Obama is setting GM and Chrysler up for failure by ramping fuel efficiency standards by 2016 from 27.5 miles per gallon to 42 miles per gallon for all cars.

"The president is right that we should have one standard. He's wrong in letting California set it," Blunt said, referencing the Golden State's higher standards meant to reduce air pollution. "To pursue this just to satisfy some political need is even worse than legislatively pursuing because you believe it's the right thing to do."

This may not have occurred to Blunt yet, but isn't it possible that raising fuel efficiency standards is the right thing to do?  Consumers will have cleaner, more efficient cars. We'll pay less for fuel, using less oil, creating less pollution.