Potomac Flacks: Oil Industry Helps Start New Lobbying/Education Project at U.S. Chamber

January 05, 2007

Oil Industry Helps Start New Lobbying/Education Project at U.S. Chamber

Oilrig_1 First the oil industry launched a $100 million PR campaign to improve its image. Now, National Journal reports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is putting together its own "$20-million-to-$40-million energy-related lobbying and education effort."

The new project is modeled on the Chamber's "influential Institute for Legal Reform, which was created in the late 1990s to battle trial lawyers and to help corporations hit by the high cost of tort litigation."

Sources tell NJ that "ExxonMobil, the world's largest oil producer, has played a pivotal role in jump-starting the project, tentatively dubbed the Institute for Energy Security, Jobs, and Competitiveness." Several other companies will probably join, and the Chamber is currently looking for an executive director for the project.

Posted by Matt Mackowiak on January 5, 2007 in Associations , Campaigns , Corporate PR | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Matt Mackowiak is a Washington, D.C. and Austin,TX-based Republican strategist and communications consultant and President of Potomac Strategy Group, LLC. In his career he has managed a winning Congressional campaign and worked in the U.S. Senate, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at a leading international PR firm, on a presidential campaign in Iowa and in White House presidential advance. Follow him on Twitter - @MattMackowiak

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Laura Gross is currently president of Scott Circle Communications. She has served as deputy director of communications at the DNC, was Gov. Howard Dean's Communications Director and she worked in the press office at USAID during the Clinton administration. Her experience also includes time in the PR department of National Public Radio and she was part of Vice President Gore's advance team when he was in The White House.
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Blain K. Rethmeier is currently the Senior Vice President for Public Affairs for the American Insurance Association (AIA). Rethmeier joined AIA from the White House where he served as Special Assistant to the President for Communications and directed communications for the National Economic Council and Homeland Security Council. Prior to joining the White House, Rethmeier served as Press Secretary for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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