"long-haired, maggot-infested hippie freaks."

[Ichingcarpenter]

This fall, it's possible that two constitutional amendments will appear on the ballot to curb oil and gas drilling. And while there are plenty of adult-level arguments that can be mustered against them, neither can be equated with Flat Earth looniness.

Yet an ad by the Environmental Policy Alliance opens with the Flat Earth Discussion Group leader saying, "Last week's meeting on whether the moon is actually made of cheese was very enlightening." And the 60-second spot continues in that vein.

Thankfully, the Environmental Policy Alliance is not part of the main coalition that will fight to defeat the amendments, and its ad probably represents an outlier. And yet this isn't the only instance of an opponent of the amendments stooping to caricature.

Tim Wigley, president of the Western Energy Alliance, told an audience at the recent Western Conservative Summit that those collecting signatures for the measures were "long-haired, maggot-infested hippie freaks."

Fortunately, the "nervous laughter" that greeted his tasteless gibe suggests it failed to play well even in that highly ideological crowd.

Climb to a higher ground, guys.



http://www.denverpost.com/editorials/ci_26217999/flat-earth-ad-is-cheap-shot-at-fracking

[Iris]

1. wow. Maggots. Is that new?

[Scuba]

2. I may be a "long-haired, maggot-infested hippie freak" but ...

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. Maggots wii only eat dead flesh, so I assume he's worried about Zombies. nt

[bananas]

4. Environmental Policy Alliance operates a network of dozens of front groups, attack-dog web sites, ..

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Environmental_Policy_Alliance

Environmental Policy Alliance

This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin.

The Environmental Policy Alliance is a front group operated by the PR firm Berman & Co. Berman & Co. operates a network of dozens of front groups, attack-dog web sites, and alleged think tanks that work to counteract minimum wage campaigns, keep wages low for restaurant workers, and to block legislation on food safety, secondhand cigarette smoke, drunk driving, and more.

The Environmental Policy Alliance describes itself as "devoted to uncovering the funding and hidden agendas behind environmental activist groups and exploring the intersection between activists and government agencies." It is a project of the Center for Organizational Research and Education and consists of four sub-front groups, including Big Green Radicals, EPA Facts, Green Decoys, and LEED Exposed.[1]

According to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Environmental Policy Alliance "attacks environmental advocacy groups and fights against environmental regulation by the government."[2]

The organization shares a mailing address with notorious lobbyist and front-group operator Richard Berman and his firm. Research analyst Anastasia Swearingen, who has published materials on behalf of the Environmental Policy Alliance and its projects, has previously worked for other Berman-associated organizations Center for Consumer Freedom and the American Beverage Institute and is a Berman & Co. employee.[3]

Contents

1 EPA Facts Attacks New Obama Administration Regulations
2 Big Green Radicals Attacks Colorado Anti-Fracking Groups
3 Attack on Food & Water Watch, Sierra Club, and NRDC
4 Contact
5 Resources and Articles
5.1 Related SourceWatch Articles
5.1.1 Other Berman Front Groups
5.2 References

<snip>

[Judi Lynn]

5. This clown Wigley knows his position is indefensible if he feels it's worth his time

to try to bomb his opposition with gruesome insults like this!

The lengths to which he will go to try to generate hatred for opposition will tell you as much as you ever need to know about him.

[center]

Tim Wigley, Western Energy Alliance[/center]

[Nihil]

6. The quote about "maggots" came from a guy named "Wigley"?