Left-wing eco-billionaire Tom Steyer’s campaign to buy our democracy is proceeding apace. His Super PAC, NextGen Climate, is the lead sponsor of today’s THE POLITICO Playbook, the preeminent Beltway newsletter authored by Mike Allen:
Without a hint of irony, the sponsored message from NextGen Climate Action describes the PAC’s mission as "exposing" politicians who "cater to special interests." NextGen Climate Action is not a special interest, obviously, but is merely "a non-partisan organization focused on bringing climate change to the forefront of American politics."
The ad, which THE POLITICO reportedly offers at a rate of $35,000 a week, also links to the PAC’s website, and Steyer’s formal invitation to Charles and David Koch to "come out of the shadows" and take part in a public debate over climate change. Not surprisingly, it also repeats the thoroughly debunked claim that the Koch brothers are "one of the biggest leaseholders in the Alberta tar sands."
THE POLITICO’s Allen has faced intense criticism for his use of "native" advertising—blurring the lines between journalism and sponsored content. Of course, much of this criticism has been limited to Allen’s handling of advertisers deemed to represent Republican interests, such as the Chamber of Commerce.
Nevertheless, Playbook’s elite status appears to have waned of late, even if it remains the go-to source for news about THOUGHT LEADERS, birthday announcements, and readouts from "powerhouse dinners" in the DC-Metropolitan area. On the other hand, the people who still read Playbook are probably far more likely than average Americans to think climate change is the greatest moral crisis since slavery. So credit Steyer for knowing his audience.