Sleeping with the Enemy

The Cape Wind project can make for strange political bedfellows. Take the for instance of the newly minted co-chairs of the Alliance to Save our Sound (ASS).

Bill Koch of Kansas, Palm Beach and Osterville, would appear to be a dyed in the wool Democrat from a quick look at his political largesse. Who would have thought the industrialist was a (D). His favorite playing field seems to be the US Senate, with multiple contributions to Democratic Senators from all over the country, including Rockefeller, Harken, Daschle, Torricelli, Graham, Grassley, and others. And when they couldn't find a candidate to run, like in Montana, he contributed to that state's Democratic Senatorial Committee. He also favors the Democratic National Committee with extra large donations, as well as some State Democratic Committees.

But last year ('04) Koch shifted gears and donated large sums to the Republican National Committee. Wonder what that was about? He must not like John Kerry. No do-re-me for JFK.

For the record, Jim Gordon, developer of Cape Wind, seems to be a Democrat as well. Something about renewable energy that makes Democrats out of developers like Gordon and Koch. Gordon, a straight line (D) contributed to John Kerry, who hasn't come out yet on the wind farm.

Christy Mihos, though not born to the manner, unlike his cohort Koch, is a staunch Republican. He has supported mostly in-state (R)s. Particularly Mitt Romney and Kerry Healy, and a smattering of other Republicans running for office, as well as the Massachusetts Republican Congressional Committee.

But here's the fun part. Both Alliance co-chairs broke ranks to contribute to local candidates in the other camps. In Democrat Koch's case, he gave to Larry Wheatly, a Republican. In Republican Mihos's case, he gave to Demetrius Atsalis, a Democrat. What do both local candidates have in common? They both oppose the wind farm.

As for their predecessor at the Alliance, the old line energy CEO emeritus, Doug Yearley, normally contributes to Republican candidates. In keeping with his pattern, he contributed $1000 to Republican Lamar Alexander's Political Action Committee this year. At just about the time the Tennessee Senator was proposing legislation taking the tops off mountains in West Virginia and Kentucky for mining interests, while blocking a wind farm on Nantucket Sound where he owns land.

But Yearley did a more curious thing when it came to the local races, he contributed $500 to the Massachusetts Republican Congressional Committee in the last election cycle, thereby masking his contribution to Congressional candidate Mike Jones (R). Then 2 weeks later he contributed $1000 to his opponent Democrat Bill Delahunt, more than effectively canceling out the partisan contribution. This time both candidates were opposed to the wind farm. Yearley prone to excesses, was just hedging his bet.