FACES of Coal

bad margins/links below28 August 09
Astroturf attack on democracy is intentional - and should be illegal
Adfero and Bonner’s actions are planned and deliberate
You can’t convict someone of a crime unless you can prove that the accused was acting with intent - that they did what they did on purpose. By that standard, Astroturfing specialists at the Washington, D.C., PR firms Adfero Group and Bonner & Associates have demonstrated that they are guilty, even if what they are doing is - at this point - not technically a crime.
 
It should be. Because the Astroturfers are subverting democracy. By their own description, the firms are holding the U.S. democratic system up for sale. They’re using the old totalitarian tactic of gathering rent-a-crowds to push around politician. And, as Bonner boasts on its own website, they are doing it in a way that that gives them a specific advantage over lobbyists who, thanks to good legislation, would have to declare who was paying their bills.
 
Exhibit A in the case against Bonner is … the Bonner & Associates webpage. Click on this link and you get one of those annoying Flash animations that must run their course before you get any actual useful information. Bonner starts with a screen that says: “Grassroots/Grasstops; Support to help you win.” And then they show you a series of photos showing, “Veterans groups, community based organizations, seniors groups, religious groups, businesses and business groups, rural group and minorities.”
 
This is Bonner’s primary point of purchase and they’re telling you, before you even get to the home page, what they have for sale.
 
Similarly, Adfero’s website offers an unselfconscious account of what it means by “Grassroots and grassroots mobilization.” Adfero promises “an impressive network of national, state and local contacts to deliver your custom-tailored message.” It has “contacts on the ground who can conduct intercepts with elected officials at speeches, rallies, local town hall meetings and other events.” And lest you think that these are real people who are actually, spontaneously and legitimately involved, Adfero makes clear that this is fee-for-service activism. In fact, Adfero notes that its “Cost Per Activist (CPA) Recruitment service is a popular tactic” because “the client only pays for recruits who undertake a specific client requested action, such as sending a letter to their elected representatives.”
 
There is no pretense that any of the people involved in this process are sincere. It’s all business. And because it’s “legal” – that is, because Congress has exempted grassroots gamesmanship from the regulations covering other lobbying tactics – people argue that it’s “okay.”
 
It’s not okay and it shouldn’t be legal. Politicians started listening to “grassroots” organizations because voters started to punish people who were obviously taking their advice from wealthy lobbyists instead of from constituents. That was never intended as a signal for PR companies to start dressing their corporate clients to look like constituents.
These people have been working under cover of darkness since 1995, when they won an exemption from new lobbyist disclosure requirements. A band of conservative groups, led by the Christian Coalition, had argued that forcing Astroturf organizations to acknowledge their funding would amount to an attack on free speech.
 
But we’re not talking about “free” speech. We’re talking about paid speech. We’re talking about a concealed opportunity for corporations to pretend public support. We’re talking about a “Cost Per Activist” strategy that favours rich, self-interested corporations at the expense of the people who they are pretending to represent.
We’re talking about an exemption that should be withdrawn, immediately. Astroturfing is wrong. It should be illegal.
 
jim hoggan
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desmog
 
27 August 09
Astroturf PR firm also a major Republican Party Player
It has now been revealed that a Washington, DC PR powerhouse that was recently exposed as being part of an anonymous “grassroots” pro-coal group also has significant ties to the Republican Party.
As regular readers will recall, earlier this week we exposed the ties between a new pro-coal “grassroots” group calling itself the “The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal), and a Washington, DC firm called the Adfero Group. Adfero’s client list includes Koch Industries and the US Chamber of Commerce, two leaders in the fight to confuse, distort and deny the realities of climate change - and especially to block government action that might affect their bottom line.
Brad Johnson at the Wonk Room is reporting today that Adfero also has significant ties to another very powerful group in Washington, DC that would love nothing more than to see legislation on climate change blocked, the Republican Party.
Johnson writes: “A new “grassroots” fossil fuel front group, FACES of Coal, is employing a shadowy Republican-staffed company to spread its message. The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security — a new pro-mountaintop removal campaign that refuses to reveal its “grassroots” members — is employing a GOP Beltway shop to promote its work.”
 
Johnson also outlines the undeniable links between Adfero, their subsidiary Fireside 21 and the Republican Party:
Ken Ward, Fireside21 CEO, Is A Former Richard Pombo Staffer. Kenneth Ward, the CEO of Fireside21, served as a Legislative Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary to the extreme anti-environmentalist Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) until 2004. [Fireside21, Legistorm]
Jeff Mascott, Fireside21 President And Adfero Group Managing Director, Built The GOP.gov Website. Jeff Mascott, the managing director of the Adfero Group and the president of Fireside 21, “designed the original GOP.gov web site” as the “primary online communications consultant at the House Republican Conference under former Chairman U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts, Jr. (R-OK).” He is married to a former staffer for Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Rep. Anne Northrup (R-KY). [Adfero, Innovative Advocacy, Legistorm]
Fireside21’s Congressional Clients Are Predominantly Republican. Fireside21 claims the record of building the websites for 150 members of Congress. Of the 38 members listed publicly on their site as clients, 28 are Republicans, from Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-GA) to Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). Only 10 clients are Democrats, including Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH). [Fireside21: CMF Awards, Website Launches]
Adfero Is Behind Numerous Big Oil Astroturf Campaigns. Working for the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, Adfero’s “Fuel For America” campaign whitewashed price-gouging by its clients following Hurricane Katrina. Adfero’s “ChamberGrassroots,” “Vote For Business” and “Coalition for a Democratic Workplace” campaigns fight labor reforms including card-check. “Californians Against Higher Taxes” killed a clean energy reform ballot measure in 2006. Other clients include the American Tort Reform Association, the National Pork Producers Council, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America. [Adfero]---dirty dozNo. 11: Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (A.K.A. FACES of Coal) Meet the 12 loudest members of the chorus claiming that global warming is a joke and that CO2 emissions are actually good for you.http://motherjones.com/environment/2009/12/dirty-dozen-climate-change-denial-09-faces-of-coal
The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security, a.k.a. FACES of Coal, describes itself as an "alliance of people from all walks of life" that promotes "the importance of coal and coal mining." Its website, launched in August, features photos of smiling folks who presumably represent some of its 20,000 supposed supporters. But as revealed by Appalachian Voices, many of the supposed "faces of coal" were stock photos. (They've since been removed from the site.)
Until recently the FACES website was registered to Adfero, a PR shop whose own website boasts of its skill at building grassroots movements, its "access to key contacts on the ground who can conduct intercepts with elected officials at speeches, rallies, local town hall meetings and other events," and its "grassroots network" that can appear on local news and submit op-eds or letters to the editor. "We can mobilize an army of supporters to send letters or emails and make phone calls to policymakers in support of your issue." Adfero managing director Jeff Mascott says his company's involvement in the FACES campaign was limited to website design. He declines to say who hired his firm to help launch the FACES project. He also objects to the idea that its "grassroots" services are astroturfing. "We're a business that helps trade associations and interest groups and other kinds of organizations communicate a message to supporters and lawmakers and other parties," he says. "I don't know why that is any different than the SEIU [Service Employees International Union]."
Though Mascott denied doing any work on climate issues, Adfero's clients have included Koch Industries and the US Chamber of Commerce (many members of FACES of Coal are local chambers hailing from coal country). And Fireside 21, a software company spun off from Adfero, has deep ties to the GOP. Ken Ward, Fireside 21's CEO, is a former staffer for conservative California representative Richard Pombo, and Mascott, Fireside 21's president, previously consulted for the House Republican Conference, where he built the original GOP.gov. "That was a former life," Mascott says. "We have people in our shop who used to work on Capitol Hill for both parties."
By Josh Harkinsonhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security<div id="mw-content-text" lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr" style="direction: ltr; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal) is a pro-coal "<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Grassroots" title="Grassroots" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">grassroots</a>" organization that appears to be a project of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Adfero_Group" title="Adfero Group" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Adfero Group</a>, a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Public_relations" title="Public relations" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">public relations</a> firm based in Washington, DC.<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="color: black; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#Launch" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1 Launch</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#Domain_name_registration" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2 Domain name registration</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#Contact_details" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">3 Contact details</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#Articles_and_resources" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4 Articles and resources</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#Related_SourceWatch_articles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.1 Related SourceWatch articles</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#References" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2 References</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#External_articles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.3 External articles</a></li></ul></li></ul></div><h2 style="color: black; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Launch</h2>The formation of the new group was announced in a media release on August 19, 2009. The media release, which did nlot list a media contact, stated that the group had been formed "to promote the economic benefits and community resources that coal generates for residents in Appalachia and, specifically, West Virginia. Dozens of participants from various backgrounds inaugurated the grassroots movement at a press conference held at the Charleston Area Alliance Building." The media release tated that the group "is building on the effective work of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Friends_of_Coal" title="Friends of Coal" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Friends of Coal</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Coal_Mining_our_Future&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Coal Mining our Future (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background: none;">Coal Mining our Future</a> and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mountaintop_Mining_Coalition&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mountaintop Mining Coalition (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background: none;">Mountaintop Mining Coalition</a> among others."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#cite_note-Launch-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a>"FACES of Coal is an alliance of individuals from all walks of life who have joined forces to educate lawmakers and the general public about the importance of coal and coal mining to our local and national economies. Some 70 different organizations and individuals representing a broad cross-section of people and communities throughout the Appalachian region are the coalition's first member." it stated in the media release. The launch media release featured supportive statements from West Virginia State Senator <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Roman_Prezioso&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Roman Prezioso (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background: none;">Roman Prezioso</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vivian_Parsons&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Vivian Parsons (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background: none;">Vivian Parsons</a>, the Executive Director of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=County_Commissioners%27_Association_of_West_Virginia&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background: none;">County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia</a>.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#cite_note-Launch-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a><h2 style="color: black; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Domain name registration</h2>James Hoggan noted in a column for Huffington Post that "the FACES website, which includes no contact information, is registered to Adfero." However, after the column was posted, the domain name registration was changed. In an update, it was noted that "since we posted this article, the website registration for facesofcoal.com has been updated overnight and Adfero's name has been wiped, however - thanks to research by one of our most loyal readers, Frank Bi - a cross-reference with Adfero's IP address still shows facesofcoal.com running on their server.]<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a><h2 style="color: black; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Contact details</h2>Website: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.facesofcoal.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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) 100% 50%;">http://www.facesofcoal.org/</a><h2 style="color: black; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Articles and resources</h2><h3 style="color: black; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none;">Related SourceWatch articles</h3><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_industry_PR_and_lobbying_groups" title="Coal industry PR and lobbying groups" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Coal industry PR and lobbying groups</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_States_and_coal" title="United States and coal" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">United States and coal</a></li></ul><h3 style="color: black; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none;">References</h3><ol class="references" style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 3.2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li id="cite_note-Launch-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#cite_ref-Launch_1-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important; -webkit-user-select: none;">Jump up to:1.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,Energy_and_Security#cite_ref-Launch_1-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1.1</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/08-19-2009/0005080190&EDATE=" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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) 100% 50%;">"FACES of Coal Campaign Launches in Charleston"</a>. Media Release. August 19, 2009.</li><li id="cite_note-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Federation_for_American_Coal,_Energy_and_Security#cite_ref-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important; -webkit-user-select: none;">Jump up↑</a> James Hoggan, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-hoggan/new-grassroots-pro-coal-g_b_268542.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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) 100% 50%;">New 'Grassroots' Pro-Coal Group Backed by K-Street PR Firm</a>," Huffington Post, August 25, 2009.</li></ol><h3 style="color: black; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none;">External articles</h3><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">James Hoggan, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-hoggan/new-grassroots-pro-coal-g_b_268542.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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) 100% 50%;">New 'Grassroots' Pro-Coal Group Backed by K-Street PR Firm</a>," Huffington Post, August 25, 2009.</li></ul></div><div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 5px; margin-top: 1em; clear: both; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Categories</a>: <ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-style: none; padding: 0px 0.5em 0px 0.25em; zoom: 1;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Front_groups_portal" title="Category:Front groups portal" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Front groups portal</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Coal_Issues" title="Category:Coal Issues" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Coal Issues</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Energy" title="Category:Energy" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Energy</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Coal_lobby" title="Category:Coal lobby" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Coal lobby</a></li></ul></div></div>==No. 11: Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (A.K.A. FACES of Coal) Meet the 12 loudest members of the chorus claiming that global warming is a joke and that CO2 emissions are actually good for you.

<a href="http://motherjones.com/environment/2009/12/dirty-dozen-climate-change-denial-09-faces-of-coal">http://motherjones.com/environment/2009/12/dirty-dozen-climate-change-denial-09-faces-of-coal</a>

The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security, a.k.a. FACES of Coal, describes itself as an "alliance of people from all walks of life" that promotes "the importance of coal and coal mining." Its website, launched in August, features photos of smiling folks who presumably represent some of its 20,000 supposed supporters. But as revealed by Appalachian Voices, many of the supposed "faces of coal" were stock photos. (They've since been removed from the site.)

Until recently the FACES website was registered to Adfero, a PR shop whose own website boasts of its skill at building grassroots movements, its "access to key contacts on the ground who can conduct intercepts with elected officials at speeches, rallies, local town hall meetings and other events," and its "grassroots network" that can appear on local news and submit op-eds or letters to the editor. "We can mobilize an army of supporters to send letters or emails and make phone calls to policymakers in support of your issue."

Adfero managing director Jeff Mascott says his company's involvement in the FACES campaign was limited to website design. He declines to say who hired his firm to help launch the FACES project. He also objects to the idea that its "grassroots" services are astroturfing. "We're a business that helps trade associations and interest groups and other kinds of organizations communicate a message to supporters and lawmakers and other parties," he says. "I don't know why that is any different than the SEIU [Service Employees International Union]."

Though Mascott denied doing any work on climate issues, Adfero's clients have included Koch Industries and the US Chamber of Commerce (many members of FACES of Coal are local chambers hailing from coal country). And Fireside 21, a software company spun off from Adfero, has deep ties to the GOP. Ken Ward, Fireside 21's CEO, is a former staffer for conservative California representative Richard Pombo, and Mascott, Fireside 21's president, previously consulted for the House Republican Conference, where he built the original GOP.gov. "That was a former life," Mascott says. "We have people in our shop who used to work on Capitol Hill for both parties."

By Josh Harkinson  mojo

25 August 09

<h1 class="title"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/new-grassroots-pro-coal-group-backed-k-street-pr-firm">New "Grassroots" Pro-Coal Group backed by K-Street PR Firm</a></h1>

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<a target="blank" href="http://www.facesofcoal.org/">“The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal).”</a> the latest “grassroots” organization to join the public conversation on behalf of the coal industry, appears to be a project of the K-Street public relations firm, the <a target="blank" href="http://www.adfero.com">Adfero Group</a>, one of industry’s most accommodating voices in Washington, D.C.

The FACES website, which includes no contact information, is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dnsstuff.com/tools/whois/?tool_id=66&token=&toolhandler_redirect=0&ip=facesofcoal.com">registered to Adfero</a>.

[Update: since we posted this article, the website registration for facesofcoal.com has been updated overnight and Adfero’s name has been wiped, however - thanks to research by one of our most loyal readers, Frank Bi, <a target="_blank" href="http://whois.webhosting.info/66.132.128.238">a cross-reference with Adfero’s IP address </a>still shows facesofcoal.com running on their server.]

FACES describes itself as “an alliance of people from all walks of life who are joining forces to educate lawmakers and the general public about the importance of coal and coal mining.” But Adfero’s client list includes Koch Industries and the US Chamber of Commerce, two leaders in the fight to confuse, distort and deny the science of climate change - and especially to block government action that might affect their bottom line.

<a target="_blank" href="http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/08-19-2009/0005080190&EDATE=">FACES’ coming-out press release</a> claimed the new group consists of, “Some 70 different organizations and individuals representing a broad cross-section of people and communities throughout the Appalachian region are the coalition’s first members. Any individual, business or organization can join FACES of Coal.”

But Adfero doesn’t specialize in spontaneous public advocacy. It specializes in crafting a “custom-tailored message” and then recruiting “key contacts” who can slam that message home. Here, from Adfero’s own website, is their own version:

“At the end of the day, it’s all about relationships.  From policymakers to homemakers, people respond best when the message is delivered by someone they know and trust.

“That’s where traditional grassroots outreach comes in.  Adfero is able to tap an impressive network of national, state and local contacts to deliver your custom-tailored message.  We’ll identify and recruit local constituents, opinion leaders, community activists or political operatives to engage in activities designed to get attention and results.  We have access to key contacts on the ground who can conduct intercepts with elected officials at speeches, rallies, local town hall meetings and other events.”

In addition to the recent manipulations on health care, there has been an unprecedented amount of <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/lobbyists-big-oil-organizing-most-%E2%80%9Cgrassroots%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%98energy-citizens%E2%80%99-rallies">astroturfing by the oil and coal lobby lately.</a> And there is no reason to believe this is anything but. Certainly Adfero hasn’t responded to our numerous inquiries with an alternative explanation.

Yet someone is paying for Adfero’s “grassroots” services in the creation of the pro-coal FACES group. Is it Koch Industries? The US Chamber of Commerce? Or is it someone not included in their list of clients?

Once again, it’s time Washington created a legal requirement for these groups to come clean on their funding. The American people deserve to know who’s really behind this campaign.

Phony Astroturf groups manipulate democracy in a way that is pointedly dishonest. They work to convince legislators that “people from all walks of life” - also known as “voters” - are fired up about an issue, when in fact the voters in question are the kind of people Eugene McCarthy used to call “provocateurs,” taking money from industry to pretend to hold a particular opinion. It’s a practice that should stop - and, clearly, it won’t stop without being banged with a legislative hammer.

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