Looks like Exxon won the election
Hearings will begin for Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state tomorrow and according to today's Politico, Democrats will be pushing Tillerson on climate change. Timed appropriately, the Center for American Progress (a liberal think tank) released a report today on the possible financial gains for Exxon if Tillerson is approved:
The financial benefits of the 2016 election for Exxon—which will be attained and compounded by the unprecedented corporate power the company is building inside the Trump administration—are difficult to measure at this point but nearly impossible to overstate.
After documenting this, the study concludes:
At no time in recent U.S. history has one company been at the brink of attaining so much power and influence over U.S. policy, both domestic and foreign. If the Senate confirms most or all of the five Cabinet nominees whose backgrounds and positions would most benefit Exxon, the company will have acquired substantial direct and indirect control over the regulatory, law enforcement, lawmaking, and diplomatic powers of the American government. Although the company’s change in fortunes and access to power will undoubtedly boost its bottom line, Exxon’s public policy agenda will come at extraordinary cost to public health, the environment, and taxpayers.
Manchin on Exxon's Tillerson
I went looking for Senator Manchin's statement's on nominee Tillerson and found this from ABC News in December:
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who knows secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson from his work in the state, suggested he has not ruled out a crossover vote for Tillerson on the Senate floor.
Tillerson’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin from his ExxonMobil career doesn’t bother him, Manchin said, but he does have other concerns.
“That doesn’t bother me on who he knows, as long as we can work for what’s best for our country,” Manchin, who got to know Tillerson when the CEO headed of the Boy Scouts of America and helped the organization build a new facility in West Virginia.
But Manchin said he is troubled by Tillerson’s financial interests in ExxonMobil, of which Manchin says he must divest himself before joining the government.
Okay, Joe -- we'll see.
From the same interview: Senator Joe on his relationship with Donald Trump
Manchin:
“I’ve spoken with President-elect Trump more since he’s been elected than I did in eight years to Barack Obama,” Manchin told ABC News’ Rick Klein and Shushannah Walshe in an interview for the “Powerhouse Politics” podcast.
“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Manchin added. “That tells you everything” in terms of Trump’s outreach to stakeholders on the Hill and elsewhere.
Yes, Joe, I think it tells us "everything" and then some.
Another point-of-view on Exxon
Here's one of three excellent satiric videos from the "Exxon hates" people:
