American Petroleum Institute's Jack Gerard Fact Checked By Activists During Speech

onJan 22, 2012 @ 18:15 PST

Guest post by Connor Gibson, cross-posted from Polluterwatch.

Two days ago, President Obama denied the permit for the destructive Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, much to the dismay of Big Oil’s top lobbyist and propagandist. Speaking at the National Press Club to an audience dominated by oil, coal and nuclear representatives and lobbyists, American Petroleum Institute (API) president Jack Gerard continued to lash out at President Obama over the pipeline decision. However, activists attending their event fact checked Jack’s big oil talking points.

Shortly after asking the president, “what are you thinking?!” a group of activists stood and delivered a call-and-response “fact check” over Gerard’s speech – see the full Fact Check video. After the event, PolluterWatch’s Connor Gibson approached Jack Gerard on camera and repeatedly asked him how much the American Petroleum Institute (API) is spending on its new “Vote 4 Energy” advertising campaign (which, as Mr. Gerard has absurdly claimed, is “not an advertising campaign”). Jack refused to answer:

Vote 4 Energy, which was mocked by a parody commercial during its public release, is the American Petroleum Institute’s newest money dump to pretend that most Americans support politicians who represent Big Oil more than their own constituents. Wrapping its talking points in patriotic rhetoric, API‘s real intent is to continue getting billions of taxpayer dollars each year to corporations like ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron, which rank among the most profitable companies in the world.

Vote 4 Energy sets the stage for API to push its key priorities–unlimited offshore drilling, including in the Arctic, hydraulic fracturing for gas, pushing the rejected Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, and keeping those massive taxpayer subsidies.

On E&E TV yesterday, Jack Gerard was asked to address the fact that Keystone XL serves as a tool to export large amounts of Canadian tar sands to foreign markets after pumping it across the US. Rather than being able to echo API‘s dishonest claims of “energy security” through increased access to Canadian oil, Gerard was forced to acknowledge that Keystone XL could be used to boost foreign exports.

Despite a rocky week and an advertising campaign mocked by the spoof Vote 4 Energy commercial, Jack Gerard will continue working to increase Big Oil’s influence on our election. Numerous API advertisements are airing across the country and API is holding “Energy Forums” in key states, peddling their energy lies to American voters. What voters should keep in mind is that Big Oil’s Vote 4 Energy advertising campaign is really about a Vote 4 Big Oil.

Guest post by Connor Gibson, cross-posted from Polluterwatch