Green groups escalate online campaign to link senators and oil cash

Liberal groups that recently launched a website tracking oil- and coal-industry political cash are now targeting specific “oil-splattered” senators in a new campaign

Oil Change International — backed by several other groups — on Tuesday launched a companion website called cleanupthesenate.com, though it redirects to bobbinginpetroleum.org, in case the point gets lost.

The groups, who are pledging a “six-figure advertising campaign and extensive social media push,” are singling out 46 senators — mostly Republicans, along with a few Democrats — whom they accuse of voting to protect oil companies.

They list campaign donations accepted and bash the lawmakers over a couple of votes in particular: their support for Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) failed resolution to kill Environmental Protection Agency climate rules, and against Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) failed plan to strip billions of dollars in oil-industry tax breaks.

“We hope Americans are motivated to clean up the gusher of oil money that is currently covering these senators,” said Steve Kretzmann, executive director of Oil Change International.

His group — backed by a suite of enviro and liberal organizations like MoveOn.org and Friends of the Earth — launched dirtyenergymoney.com last week to provide data on petroleum- and coal-industry giving, filtered by specific companies, lawmakers and two-year congressional cycles.