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Line 95: API lobbies and organizes its member employees' attendance at public events to communicate the industry's position on issues. A leaked summer 2009 memo from API President [[Jack Gerard]] asked its member companies to urge their employees to participate in planned protests (designed to appear independently organized) against the [[cap-and-trade]] legislation the [[United States House of Representatives|House]] passed that same summer. "The objective of these rallies is to put a human face on the impacts of unsound energy policy and to aim a loud message at [20 different] states," including Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Gerard went on to assure recipients of the memo that API will cover all organizational costs and handling of logistics. In response to the memo, an API spokesman told media that participants will be there (at protests) because of their own concerns, and that API is just helping them assemble.<ref>{{cite web|first=Daniel |last=Stone |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/212934?from=rss |title=The Browning of Grassroots |publisher=Newsweek |date=August 20, 2009 |accessdate=March 29, 2012}}</ref> To help fight climate control legislation that has been approved by the US House, API supports the Energy Citizens group, which is holding public events.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/business/energy-environment/19climate.html?bl&ex=1250827200&en=5ade135d7141b991&ei=5087 New York Times, "Oil industry backs protests of emissions bill," August 19, 2009]</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McNulty |first=Sheila |url=http://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2009/08/20/big-oil-backlash/ |title=The big oil backlash? |publisher=Financial Times |date=August 20, 2009 |accessdate=March 29, 2012}}</ref> API encouraged energy company employees to attend one of its first Energy Citizen events held in Houston in August 2009, but turned away Texas residents who were not employed by the energy industry. ''[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]'' reported that some attendees had no idea of the purpose of the event.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schwartz |first=Ariel |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/american-petroleum-institute-demonstrates-how-screw-grassroots-ev |title=American Petroleum Institute Demonstrates How to Screw Up a Grassroots Event |publisher=Fast Company |date=August 21, 2009 |accessdate=March 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/08/11/lobby-groups-to-use-town-hall-tactics-to-oppose-climate-bill | work=The Wall Street Journal | first=Ian | last=Talley | title=Lobby Groups to Use Town Hall Tactics to Oppose Climate Bill | date=August 11, 2009}}</ref> In December 2009, the [[Progressivism in the United States|progressive]], [[San Francisco]]-based magazine ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'' In the second half of 2008, as the [[United States presidential election, 2008|US presidential election]] neared, API began airing a series of television ads where spokeswoman [[Brooke Alexander]] encourages people to visit their new website, [http://www.energytomorrow.org/ EnergyTomorrow.org] | |||