Lobbying

Hillary Stands By Her Man, But Colombia Dumps Mark Penn

by John Stauber — April 5, 2008 - 2:17pm
  • Topics: U.S. Congress, Corporations, Human Rights, International, Labor, Lobbying, Public Relations

    • Mark Penn runs the labor-busting PR giant Burson-Marsteller and is the top strategist and pollster for Hillary Clinton's campaign for president. His mixed loyalties have been a continuing image problem for Clinton, to the degree his conflicts makes the news.

    The Wall Street Journal first reported, on April 4, that Penn had "met with Colombia's ambassador to the U.S. on Monday to discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement, a pact the presidential candidate (Clinton) opposes." Burson-Marsteller "has a contract with the South American nation to promote congressional approval of the trade deal."

    The New York Times later noted that Penn apologized for his conflict of loyalty saying "the meeting was an error in judgment." But that was not enough. Saturday, April 5, Colombia fired Penn (and B-M his company) for his embarrassing bumbling. Still, Hillary Clinton is sticking by her man Mark - for now.

    Glover Park Group Fights for (and Against) Climate Protection

    by John Stauber — March 31, 2008 - 5:30pm

    "Former vice president Al Gore (through his Alliance for Climate Protection) will launch a three-year, $300 million campaign aimed at mobilizing Americans to push for aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, a move that ranks as one of the most ambitious and costly public advocacy campaigns in U.S. history. ...

    Main Source: 
    Washington Post, March 31, 2008

    Lobbying Wine in a PR Bottle?

    by Diane Farsetta — March 26, 2008 - 12:48pm

    According to the Tennessee Ethics Commission's staff, a public relations firm that set up a front group that's encouraging people to contact legislators needs to register as a lobbyist. At issue is a proposal to allow Tennesseans to order wine over the Internet. The Tennessee Wine and Spirits Wholesalers, which opposes the bill, hired the prominent Nashville firm Seigenthaler Public Relations.

    Main Source: 
    Knoxville News Sentinel (Tennessee), March 25, 2008

    It's Not Your Grandfather's Oil Industry

    by Diane Farsetta — March 24, 2008 - 4:04pm

    The oil industry's "nationwide publicity drive to clear up what it calls 'common and surprising misperceptions'" about its record-breaking profits continues.

    Main Source: 
    Rocky Mountain News (Colorado), March 22, 2008

    Introducing the coalSwarm

    by Judith Siers-Poisson — March 21, 2008 - 5:19pm
  • Topics: Activism, Front Groups, Global Warming, Corporations, Democracy, Environment, Lobbying, Politics, Public Relations, Science, Social Justice, U.S. Government

    • In the spring of 2007, when author Ted Nace set out to profile the emerging No New Coal Plants movement for Orion magazine, he had no idea that the assignment would turn into more than just a single article.

    Big Pharma's Health Care Reform Playbook

    by Sheldon Rampton — March 19, 2008 - 1:37am

    "Congress' ability to curb the explosive rise in drug costs is a bellwether of the political prospects for health care reform," writes Merrill Goozner.

    Main Source: 
    Gooz News, March 13, 2008

    BGR to Lobby Both Sides of the Aisle

    by Diane Farsetta — March 13, 2008 - 5:13pm

    "The 16-year old lobbying firm that used to be called Barbour Griffith and Rogers -- that's Barbour as in Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.) -- has hired its first Democrat," reports Al Kamen.

    Main Source: 
    Washington Post, March 12, 2008

    Zimbabwe Casts About for PR Help

    by Bob Burton — March 12, 2008 - 12:49am

    Appearing before a parliamentary committee inquiry into the lobbying industry, the head of Bell Pottinger, Peter Bingle, explained that the agency had been approached to represent the Zimbabwe regime headed by Robert Mugabe. "We will turn down clients. We had a call from Zimbabwe asking to advise Zimbabwe. We said thank you very much, but no. It would have been a fairly malign campaign if someone had run it," Bingle said.

    Main Source: 
    PR Week (UK), March 10, 2008
    Syndicate content