LOBBYING:
Spoof website targets lawmakers backing curbs on EPA regs
Greenwire:
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Greenpeace today launched a parody website of dating site eHarmony that offers "matches" between lobbyists and Congress members who want to block U.S. EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
A video on the page, called "PolluterHarmony," features a lobbyist lamenting that "nobody wants to get as dirty as I do, and the ones that do, they're already spoken for." He then says, "I had my eye on Congressman Upton. We're perfect for each other, but the thing is, he's already linked up with that Tim Prosperity guy."
The spoof refers to House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Tim Phillips of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity. Upton and Phillips in December co-authored a Wall Street Journal editorial arguing "the best solution is for Congress to overturn the EPA's proposed greenhouse gas regulations outright."
Another lobbyist tells Jeff that "pHarmony," or PolluterHarmony, can match him with lawmakers. Scrolling through the site, the lobbyist views pictures of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Upton, and Sens. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and says, "It's a regular smorgasbord."
"Members of Congress like Rep. Fred Upton and Senator Jim Inhofe are either showing lots of love to Koch Industries and other corporate polluters, or a quick return on the oil billionaires' dirty money," said Kert Davies, Greenpeace research director, in a statement. "Polluterharmony uses humor to highlight a serious problem; our environmental and clean air protections are under assault by polluting industries, their lobbyists and campaign contributions, and politicians."
Murkowski spokesman Robert Dillon said Greenpeace is "not interested in a legitimate discussion" about energy.
"Personal attacks are not constructive to the debate and won't help us improve our energy security, won't help us develop sources of energy both renewable and produced from fossil fuels, and won't help us alleviate the pressure on American families as energy prices continue to rise," Dillon said.
Boehner's office declined to comment. Aides to Upton and Rockefeller could not immediately be reached for comment.
The site is Greenpeace's latest spoof of online dating website eHarmony.com. Last year, the environmental group put up a similar Web page that matched then-Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) with Koch Industries.
Before that, Greenpeace spoofed Murkowski on the site, featuring a man who says he is a corporate lobbyist who is matched with "Lisa" because she "likes to stay up late at night and gut clean energy bills" (Greenwire, Feb. 11, 2010).
Click here to visit the new Web page.