Grocery Manufacturers identified as money, tactician behind anti-biofuels jihad; linked financially to John McCain and Republican senatorial revolt on ethanol mandate

May 15, 2008

Documents obtained by and published in Roll Call identify that the Grocery Manufacturers Association has launched a massive, global PR campaign, pledging to assemble a “global center-left coalition” including hiring “trusted third-party experts” to link ethanol mandates to global hunger, food industry job losses and inflation.

“GMA has concluded that rising food prices … create a window to change perceptions about the benefits of bio-fuels and the mandate,â€ said the organization’s Request for Proposals sent to PR firms.

The firm eventually hired by the GMA, Glover Park, said that it would employ an “urgent and remedy-based messaging strategy” to convince lawmakers that food prices is a “â€˜Nowâ€™ issue that is fast reaching crisis proportions for American consumers,” and said it would produce an “online, viral campaign” to link ethanol and food prices.

The GMA issued the RFP in March to, quoting from the RFP, â€œbuild a groundswell in support of freezing or reversing some provisions of the 2007 Energy Bill and for the elimination/reform of ethanol subsidies and import restrictions.â€ Subsequently the Governors of two states and 24 Republican Senators, including presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, called for a freeze. The GMA is a backer of McCain’s campaign, and the two Senators who received the most financial support from the GMA’s political action committee in this election cycle are among the 24 who signed the call for a biofuels review.

The GMA hiredÂ Andy Wright, former chief of staff to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), to oversee a grassroots program to discredit biofuels.