The leader of the Missouri chapter is former Missouri House Speaker Pro-Tem Carl Bearden of St. Charles, who last year traded in his legislative hat for a job with the "influence management firm" of Pelopidas LLC.

Americans for Prosperity's directors include economist and columnist Walter Williams and it is chaired by David Koch, the president of Koch Industries and the Libertarian Party candidate for vice-president in 1980.

The climate change tax pledge is aimed at derailing a proposal from Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Sen. John Warner, R-Va., called "cap-and-trade" that business interest organizations have estimated will raise $1.2 trillion over seven years. Opponents are warning of job losses, reduced productivity and higher gas and electricity prices if the bill becomes law.

"The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn't be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses," Bearden said in the news release.

Of 27 candidates in the Aug. 5 primary who signed the pledge, 12 lost their elections, two are Libertarian Party candidates (the Libertarian Party has never won a legislative contest) and 10 were unopposed in the primary. There is no word available on whether the other three attribute their victory to signing the pledge.