Day Seven: “President Obama’s Energy Bill”

Sep 12th, 2009 in Tour Blog

After the meeting in Senator Lugar’s office, back at the hotel, I realized I’d left the little bag for my camera in his conference room. I changed into walking clothes and went back over there. No one I’d met in the morning was there. A young man was answering the phone, which was ringing off the hook. “Senator Lugar’s office, please hold. Senator Lugar’s office, please hold.” To me, “How can I help you?” I told him and he had a slight look of disbelief until he found the bag under my chair in the conference room. As I was leaving, he was already back on the phone, and I heard him say, “Yes, I understand you want me to tell the Senator that you’re in favor of President Obama’s energy bill.”   I don’t know who organized the telephone campaign, but that was the message with which he was being bombarded.

One Response to “Day Seven: “President Obama’s Energy Bill””

1. Meg Sheehan says:

   September 12, 2009 at 11:37 am

   That’s an interesting anecdote. Today a well connected political consultant told me that the Big Greens have spent over $10 million hiring consultants to put people on the ground in 14 states. The consultants sent out teams to have people standing on the sidewalks of Senators district offices in the states with cell phones. They stop people on the street and speed dial the Senator’s office and get the person to talk to the Senator’s office.

   Big greens are spending over $10 million on their campaign to save the climate bill.