$30 million pushback from oil lobby

Committed to fighting the indignities of being denied $400 million retirement packages for executives and pressured to relinquish some of its unprecedented profits, big oil has decided to do the honorable thing-- lobby!

The oil industry is preparing a new, multimillion-dollar lobbying and educational campaign in response to growing political pressures brought on by rising gas prices, oil lobbyists said.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), the industry’s main trade group, plans a yearlong grassroots lobbying push that could cost in excess of $30 million to explain how the industry works and what has caused pump prices to jump.

The campaign would follow a national advertising effort that has cost around $25 million so far. The API launched it in October as companies began to report record revenues and members of both parties urged punitive measures, such as new taxes on what they saw as “windfall” profits.

Jim Craig, API vice president for communications, said the group is considering new ways to communicate with the public and politicians as it continues its advertising campaign.

He said no decisions have been made about the parameters of the new effort. He described it as a continued attempt at “educational outreach.”

I hear Scott McClellan is looking for work. He has years of experience explaining regrettably misunderstood but highly moralistic policies to the public.