We have the distinct privilege of working on social media (Twitter & Facaebook) for the Glassman Senate campaign in Arizona this cycle. As bloggers with neither advertisers nor editors to please we see the same stuff the press does, but we get to have a lot more fun with it. Someone from the campaign pointed this out to me yesterday.
The Friends of Earth campaign to compel politicians to return oil industry money is just the sort of thing I like to get – it's a public effort, it's nothing the press would be willing to do anything on, and it plays well with the oil spill related wrath already in evidence here. The campaign thought it would be good to point out that McCain gets 7 out of every 10 dollars the oil industry gives to the Senate(!)
Here's the oil industry hall of shame on the Senate side - $3.39 million since 2006, 97.5% of it to Republicans, 70% of it to John McCain alone.
John McCain (R-AZ, $36,649 from BP and $2,428,287 from Big Oil since 2006)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA, $16,200 from BP and $329,100 from Big Oil since 2006)
Mark Begich (D-AK, $8,550 from BP and $85,958 from Big Oil since 2006)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK, $8,500 from BP and $223,326 from Big Oil since 2006)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY, $8,500 from BP and $408,400 from Big Oil since 2006)
The initiative's call is clear - they can not keep this money. So just give it back and they're absolved of ever having been involved? Not so fast.
If the funds go back they'll just be turned right around via independent expenditure campaigns that benefit McCain and the others. Returning the money would be a nuisance for them, especially McCain, who hardly has the cash on hand to cover the total despite facing a vigorous primary challenge from Tea Party candidate J.D. Hayworth and a quite electable Democratic opponent in Rodney Glassman.
The FOE campaign includes a suggested destination for the money almost as an afterthought.
They are being urged to contribute the money to the Gulf Coast Fund to help the Gulf region recover.
Now I don't know anything about this Gulf Coast Fund, but I'm going to assume it's worthy. However I do know is a bit about Kossacks, so I suggested that this effort take a slightly different approach.
Do call for the return of every dime of this money. Do make sure it doesn't go back to the industry and into other efforts that will harm the American people. Don't make this a one time, press release kind of thing. And DEFINITELY don't underestimate the energy and media reach this community can bring to an issue like this.
There are many of us – nearly 250,000 registered members. A couple of thousand people comment every day. There are several hundred writers here who churn out diaries on all sorts of topics. The mainstream media isn't getting the job done on covering this? Fine. Someone's brother will sneak onto the beach at night to photograph dead dolphins. Someone's sister will kayak into an affected area and get water samples. Some Mississippi or Alabama resident who never imagined voting Democratic will turn up here, find a way to reach someone, and we'll get the stories the mainstream media can't or won't.
The stories are already starting to come. Hands Across The Sand? Who are these people? Boatsie found them and first wrote about them in ecoadvocates.
Let's ask them for a few photos from the region and their idea on what they could do with the millions the oil industry has given. Then let's find the next organization. And then next. And the next. Ask each one what nearly three and a half million dollars would do for their efforts to relieve the suffering British Petroleum Beach Polluters has brought to the Gulf Coast. If we get on this and stay on this the media will have no choice but to cover it ... and that's good for John McCain.
RL came along and said I should link this to the Liveblog Mothership and add the eKos code. I hear and I obey.
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