Subject: Re: Energy infrastructure fact sheet & KXL oped
From: Brian Fallon <[email-masked]>
To: Nikki Budzinski <[email-masked]>
Cc: Kristina Costa <[email-masked]>, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>, Tony Carrk <[email-masked]>, Speech Drafts <[email-masked]>, Approvals Account <[email-masked]>, Trevor Houser <[email-masked]>, Ben Kobren <[email-masked]>, Pete Ogden <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2015 19:26:42 -0400
List-Id: <speechdrafts.hillaryclinton.com>

I know it is late in the game and we have gone round and round on edits on
the oped, but just throwing this out there:

Given that we just offered an apology on emails that some reporters think
happened "on a dime" after months of resistance, do we worry that
publishing an oped that leans this aggressively into our newfound position
on Keystone will be greeted cynically and perhaps as part of some
manufactured attempt to project sincerity?

I think we could seem consistent with our past statements about not wanting
to get ahead of POTUS on Keystone if her position merely leaked out of the
labor meeting. That would seem like a private comment that she didn't
intend to become public -- to an unfriendly audience, no less -- and so it
might achieve the same effect of getting her on the record on this issue,
but with less perception that she is putting a finger to the wind. I just
worry that announcing our position so fulsomely in an oped amounts to
leading with our chin and will inspire loud cries of hypocrisy from
reporters.

Perhaps we could just issue an infrastructure fact sheet, acting like that
was our planned announcement, and rely on the Keystone to leak, either
organically or with an assist from us.

On Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 5:32 PM, Nikki Budzinski <
[email-masked]> wrote:

> Yes, correct to Joel's comment.  Thank you.
>
> On Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 5:30 PM, Kristina Costa <[email-masked]>
> wrote:
>
>> You mean on Joel's comment, Nikki? Agree bc we said "point towards" as
>> the State EIS climate impact of the pipeline would set a very low bar to
>> hold ourselves to for all other future projects.
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 5:26 PM, Nikki Budzinski <
>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>
>>> I would prefer language a little less bold from the labor perspective.
>>> I worry it will be interpreted to reflect on similar future projects.
>>>
>>> On Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 5:16 PM, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't like saying points us to an energy future.
>>>>
>>>> Isn't it simply: keystone xl puts our economy, our country, and our
>>>> global climate at risk.
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>> On Sep 8, 2015, at 4:58 PM, Tony Carrk <[email-masked]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Good here as long as policy is.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* [email-masked] [mailto:
>>>> [email-masked]] *On Behalf Of *Kristina Costa
>>>> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 8, 2015 4:53 PM
>>>> *To:* Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>
>>>> *Cc:* Speech Drafts <[email-masked]>; Approvals
>>>> Account <[email-masked]>; Nikki Budzinski <
>>>> [email-masked]>; Trevor Houser <[email-masked]>;
>>>> Ben Kobren <[email-masked]>; Pete Ogden <[email-masked]>
>>>> *Subject:* Re: Energy infrastructure fact sheet & KXL oped
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Any further edits or comments from this group before sending the
>>>> package forward to the book? Thanks all.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 8:07 PM, Kristina Costa <
>>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> How about we invert it and cut the additional detail. Can you live with
>>>> that?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Keystone XL points us toward an energy future that puts the United
>>>> States and our global climate at even greater risk. But building clean,
>>>> secure, and affordable North American energy future is bigger than Keystone
>>>> XL or any other single project.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> We can make the United States the global leader in the fight against
>>>> climate change and the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.
>>>> That’s why today I am announcing a comprehensive strategy to modernize
>>>> American energy infrastructure and forge a new partnership with Canada and
>>>> Mexico to cut carbon pollution across the continent and combat climate
>>>> change, unleashing billions in investment, delivering reliable and
>>>> affordable energy, protecting the health of our families and communities,
>>>> and creating good-paying jobs and careers.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 7:59 PM, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I understand the point. But right now you don’t have any sound bite
>>>> that elevates her position and all that will get picked up is that she’s
>>>> opposed to keystone.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The clean energy superpower phrase is in the final clause of a
>>>> single-sentence 60-word paragraph.   We have to have a single big idea that
>>>> encapsulates her vision on this and link it to our country’s future.   The
>>>> clean energy superpower is her line;  leading the world in running our
>>>> homes, factories, offices and schools on clean energy is a big idea ….
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I’m worried that if we don’t have something like that we are light on
>>>> her core values and beliefs on this issue and we are missing those, she
>>>> risks looking very political, especially on this.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* [email-masked] [mailto:
>>>> [email-masked]] *On Behalf Of *Kristina Costa
>>>> *Sent:* Monday, September 07, 2015 7:48 PM
>>>> *To:* Joel Benenson
>>>> *Cc:* Speech Drafts; Approvals Account; Nikki Budzinski; Trevor
>>>> Houser; Ben Kobren; Pete Ogden
>>>> *Subject:* Re: Energy infrastructure fact sheet & KXL oped
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Recirculating both the fact sheet and op-ed reflecting edits and
>>>> comments from Jake, Nikki, and Joel. In answer to research: changed 20 to
>>>> 40, and Trevor can provide calculations based on EIA data, if reporters
>>>> need it, on the Mexico/Canada trade point. It isn't written up neatly in
>>>> one place online, unfortunately.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Joel, we pumped up the climate impacts but in discussing with Jake
>>>> decided we do still need to address why she's making her position known,
>>>> when she has previously said she will wait for the President to make a
>>>> decision. Added a line about wanting to let voters know where she stands,
>>>> and added a more expansive graf about making the US the leader in fighting
>>>> climate change and becoming a clean energy superpower. Nipped and tucked
>>>> elsewhere to keep the word count down.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Knowing we are still working out rollout timing - comms, policy,
>>>> political, do you clear these to go forward to the book?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks all.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 2:11 PM, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Sure you have these stats, on cities, but just in case:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> http://www.environmentamerica.org/reports/ame/shining-cities-0
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* [email-masked] [mailto:
>>>> [email-masked]] *On Behalf Of *Kristina Costa
>>>> *Sent:* Monday, September 07, 2015 9:39 AM
>>>> *To:* Speech Drafts; Approvals Account; Nikki Budzinski; Trevor
>>>> Houser; Ben Kobren; Pete Ogden
>>>> *Subject:* Energy infrastructure fact sheet & KXL oped
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Team,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Attaching a draft HRC op-ed which uses opposition to KXL as a pivot to
>>>> talk about a plan for broad investment in modernizing our energy
>>>> infrastructure and forging a climate compact between the US, Mexico, and
>>>> Canada. These versions reflect initial edits and comments from the policy
>>>> team, JDP, and Nikki.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The current thinking is to have HRC address this in her meeting with
>>>> the building trades on Wednesday and roll out the fact sheet and op-ed in
>>>> conjunction with that. Please send edits and clearances from comms, policy,
>>>> research, and political to me, Trevor, Ben, and Pete no later than *10 am
>>>> tomorrow* so we can get this to HRC with plenty of time for her review
>>>> and clearance.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Kristina
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Nikki Budzinski
>>> Labor Outreach Director
>>> Hillary for America
>>> 646-854-1442 (direct)
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Nikki Budzinski
> Labor Outreach Director
> Hillary for America
> 646-854-1442 (direct)
>