Rick Santorum's old friends in the energy industry aren't ponying up for his presidential bid. In fact, many are even giving to the other guys.
Consider the case of two of the country's largest power players: natural gas and coal conglomerate Consol Energy and Exelon Corporation, a Chicago-based utility heavy on nuclear and natural gas.
Continue ReadingWhen Santorum was in Congress, dozens of executives from both companies gave a combined $142,000 to his campaign efforts, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
After Santorum lost his 2006 Senate bid, the Pennsylvania Republican went to work consulting on public policy issues for Consol, his hometown energy company, earning $142,500.
How have they repaid the favor?
Exelon's executives haven't given a cent to Santorum's 2012 White House bid, but they've given generously to President Barack Obama ($40,625); Mitt Romney ($9,500); Rick Perry ($9,000); Jon Huntsman ($3,100); and Ron Paul ($970).
Consol executives, meanwhile, have contributed $8,500 to Santorum's campaign, a far cry from the $32,700 they donated to Romney after hosting a fundraiser last October for the ex-Massachusetts governor at the Consol Energy Center, home of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.
Adding insult to injury, Consol also wrote a $150,000 check last summer to the Romney-affiliated super PAC Restore Our Future, which has recently escalated its attacks on Santorum as he's surged to the front of the GOP field.
It's an example of how political giving isn't just about ideology, friendship or even loyalty ? but backing the right horse when an industry has practical policy interests at stake, as is the case for energy.
Santorum's gotten so little love from the energy industry because of doubts over his electability, especially compared with Romney, according to several energy industry officials.
"Most people in the energy industry are pretty rational and relatively adult," said a former George W. Bush administration energy official not connected to any campaign. "That's one appeal to Romney. He's a serious guy. The others I don't take as seriously."
GOP energy strategist and lobbyist Michael McKenna said the industry's cold shoulder isn't too surprising for two reasons. "First, most of the energy lobbyists and lawyers in D.C. who play this game have already committed to Romney, so they are restraining whatever impulse their clients might have to give to anyone else," he said.
"Second, it is probably important to remember that a lot of energy companies are kind of squishy dealmakers," he added, noting Exxon's past advocacy for a carbon tax, Exelon's backing for Obama EPA climate regulations and natural gas heavyweight Chesapeake Energy's recently-ended alliance with the Sierra Club to fight coal companies.
"The coal companies are famously idiosyncratic. And they are here," added McKenna, who had been advising Rick Perry's presidential campaign.
Of course, Santorum's not been completely isolated on the energy front. The Red, White and Blue Fund, a super PAC that's promoting his candidacy, snagged a $1 million donation last month from William J. Dore, the founder of a Louisiana energy company who made a fortune selling and servicing offshore drilling equipment.
Energy also often comes up in Santorum's attempts to be the conservative alternative to Romney. He routinely questions global warming science and enjoys throwing punches at Obama's environmental record, including the unsuccessful bid to pass cap-and-trade legislation.
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