A Rising Star in the Hold-Your-Nose Industries

As any reader of newspapers or watcher of public-affairs television knows, the oil-and-gas lobby already has been spending tens of millions of dollars on advertising -- a program that the soon-to-retire Cavaney initiated and that Gerard clearly wants to extend.

Gerard has grown accustomed to handling such large and demanding jobs. When he joined the National Mining Association in 2001, he had to hold together disparate factions from what had been two separate organizations, the National Coal Association and the American Mining Congress.

When he moved to the American Chemistry Council 3 1/2 years later, his mandate was even tougher. That group also was struggling to bring into the fold feuding factions, including the makers of plastics. On top of that, some of the group's most substantial members had bolted, leaving its finances in shambles.

Gerard managed to create peace and prosperity from the wreckage. The infighting ceased, 33 new companies joined and several large defectors returned, including Chevron, Phillips Chemical and Huntsman. When Gerard first came aboard, the American Chemistry Council faced an $8 million deficit; it now has a $10 million reserve.

Gerard also scored some legislative victories. He helped lead the effort to open a part of the Outer Continental Shelf to natural-gas drilling, championed chemical plant security legislation and began to challenge monopoly protections for railroads -- laws that he says drive up chemical manufacturers' transportation costs.

Not everyone is a fan. "He's been buying friends in Congress and covering for an industry that's under a lot of pressure," said Kert Davies, research director of Greenpeace, the environmental lobby. "Next year, he'll have a battle royale. It's going to be quite a bloodbath on Capitol Hill."

Fellow sitters on the hot seat know just how difficult Gerard's life soon will become. "You've got to have a little bit of armadillo hide to withstand the rigors the job presents," said James C. May, president of the Air Transport Association, which represents another group of sweethearts, the airline industry.

But Gerard says he's ready. "You're here to be respected," he said, "not loved."

With the price of gas surpassing $4 a gallon, he probably will have to fight for the respect.

Sign of the Times?

Sometimes the most difficult problems can be handled with the easiest solutions. At least that's what it looks as though former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) has been able to pull off on the issue of oil exploration.

Congress has tied itself in knots over whether to permit more domestic drilling for oil and gas. But Gingrich, through his organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, has come up with a phrase that has inspired a torrent of support via the Internet.

In just three weeks, more than 750,000 people have signed on to a cyber-petition that endorses the phrase "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less." In a single day last week, nearly 100,000 people endorsed the simple-to-understand concept.