From time to time, we find that our work is cited by politicians or political groups. Last week, the League of Conservation Voters ran an ad in Virginia referencing our articles on the cap-and-trade energy bill:
The LCV ad says that Republicans are attacking Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello of Virginia for "supporting a new clean energy jobs plan," but that we said the "Republican ad was wrong" and figures used by Republican Whip Eric Cantor were a "misrepresentation." We are accurately quoted: We did say that the National Republican Congressional Committee ad criticizing Perriello was wrong to say that household energy costs would go up $1,870 a year as a result of the Waxman-Markey energy bill. That figure, from a Heritage Foundation study, was actually a measure of household share of the projected loss in gross domestic product. As we pointed out then, Heritage, a conservative think tank, actually did calculate a figure per household for rising energy costs as well, but the NRCC did not use it. Other analyses have produced very different estimates. Also, we have said that a talking point recently used by Cantor, that the energy bill would cost households $3,100 per year, was a "misrepresentation" of an MIT study upon which the figure is based.
We’ll note that calling the energy bill a "clean energy jobs plan" is a Democratic talking point. As we wrote last week, there are differing views as to how effective the legislation would be in creating jobs.