Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Romney Energy Aide Linked to Coal Industry

Jim Talent runs lobbying firm paid by Big Coal

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 12, 2011 4:31 PM CDT

(Newser) – An energy advisor who helped craft Mitt Romney's pro-coal policy also runs a lobbying firm that's paid by, you guessed it, a big coal company. Ex-Missouri senator Jim Talent co-chairs the lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs, which receives $125,000 a year from Peabody Energy to promote its coal interests, Salon reports. Mercury, Talent, and Romney's reps have all have no comment on the connection.

Talent promoted coal in Romney's new economic plan, which supports ending carbon regulation and fast-tracking energy approval processes, the Boston Globe reports. Talent wrote that Romney has reviewed the ways "our government stops us from getting energy: moratoriums, ‘permitoriums,’ bureaucratic hostility ... [with the effect] of making the recovery of energy so expensive and so uncertain that people look for energy in other countries and not here."

WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 11: Former Sen. Jim Talent testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee December 11, 2008 in Washington, DC. Talent testified before a full committee... (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

12%

10%

17%

10%

44%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Mitt Outplayed Mac in Michigan

Pundits rush in before polls even close

(NEWSER) - With Great Lakes State voting booths not quite closed—and polls tied—pundits are already writing post-mortems on the two-Republican race, and giving Mitt Romney the campaigning edge. The New Republic’s Jonathan Cohn and Henry Payne in the National Review agree that Mitt hit his stride, convincing Michiganders he’s the man to inject optimistic business sense into the flailing auto industry. More»

Energy Bill Faces Fierce Floor Fight

Automakers will bring out the big guns to battle 45 mpg efficiency standards

(NEWSER) - The Democrats' energy bill is under attack on two fronts in the Senate—automakers want to weaken fuel efficiency standards, and the coal industry is looking for tax breaks for making diesel. The Wall Street Journal predicts a ferocious floor fight over the proposed package that would set a 45 mpg standard for cars by 2005. More»

Thinking Green, Obama Cools Toward Coal

New stance on alternative-fuel plan perplexes industry

(NEWSER) - Caught between his increasingly carbon-conscious party and a major player in his home state, Barack Obama has backed off his support for converting coal into liquid vehicle fuel, the LA Times reports. Global warming is important to Democrats, but coal is important to the Illinois economy, and the senator's shift left industry leaders scratching their heads. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Romney Energy Aide Linked to Coal Industry

Jim Talent runs lobbying firm paid by Big Coal

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Mitt Romney • environmentalism • coal • Jim Talent • Peabody Energy

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Mitt Outplayed Mac in Michigan

Pundits rush in before polls even close

Energy Bill Faces Fierce Floor Fight

Automakers will bring out the big guns to battle 45 mpg efficiency standards

Thinking Green, Obama Cools Toward Coal

New stance on alternative-fuel plan perplexes industry

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?