Politico quotes Lott calling Obama “foolish” for trying to pass cap and trade without noting Lott lobbied against it

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Written by Matt Gertz

Published

The Politico quoted former Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) stating that the Obama administration was “foolish to take all those big votes on cap and trade” because doing so endangered moderate Democrats. While Politico identified Lott as a lobbyist, it did not note that his firm lobbies for oil companies on issues including the cap and trade bill, and thus has a financial interest in its defeat.

Politico publishes Lott's comment calling Obama “foolish” for cap and trade

From the February 4 article:

The Big Bang, made famous by Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is giving way to a wary brand of incrementalism. It's not the small-bore, Clintonian agenda of V-chips and school uniforms but an admission that expectations are diminished -- not dashed -- and a determination to attack the same huge problems in smaller, smarter ways.

Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) believes Obama still has time to adjust, but he says he's put moderate Democrats “in great jeopardy” because he hasn't been able to match his aspirations with the same levels of toughness and legislative know-how possessed by Hill veterans like Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.

“They were foolish to take all those big votes on cap and trade and the stimulus,” said Lott, now a lobbyist. “One of the lessons that Obama has not learned is that you can't feed Congress too much at any one time -- you can't feed it more than they can consume, or it becomes engorged.”

Undisclosed by Politico, Lott's firm lobbied on cap and trade bill for several oil companies

Shell, Chevron, Entergy among Lott's firm's cap-and-trade clients. Lott is a founding partner in the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group lobbying firm, which lists Shell Oil Co., Entergy Corp., and Chevron Corp. among its clients. According to disclosure forms filed with the Senate Office of Public Records in accordance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act, Breaux-Lott lobbied Congress on behalf of all three companies on H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which would implement cap and trade. Lott himself is listed as lobbying on cap and trade for Chevron and Entergy.

Media frequently allow Lott to comment on issues without noting his clients' interests

Media outlets frequently allow Lott and his partner, former Sen. John Breaux (D-LA), to comment on energy policy without noting that they lobby for oil companies.