Friday, January 6, 2017

'Day Against Denial' to Reject Trump's Cabinet - Jan 9th

A Russian Obligate President who has no comprehension of the difference between the truth and a self-serving lie.  A Russian Obligate Secretary of State, Putin's good friend ExxonMobilCEO Rex Tillerson who's company is likewise comfortable dishing out self-serving lies.  What could possibly go wrong for America and all those fooled into voting for this national disaster.

Below the fold you’ll find a collection of informative quotes and links from the following articles that add a little more background to why so many are horrified by this groups of self-interested oligarchs, and why we must stand up to them.





Climate Groups Organize 'Day Against Denial' to Reject Trump's Cabinet

The rallies will take place at dozens of U.S. senators' in-state offices nationwide.

January 6, 2017

On Monday, January 9th, a coalition of climate and environmental organizations will be joined by people across the country at rallies for the #DayAgainstDenial aimed at stopping Trump’s cabinet. The rallies will take place at dozens of U.S. Senators’ in-state offices, calling for these elected officials to reject Trump’s climate denial cabinet, including Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon, for Secretary of State; Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator; Ex-Gov. Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy; and Rep. Ryan Zinke for Department of Interior. See a full map of rallies here.


“Trump is trying to hand over senior federal positions directly to fossil fuel industry puppets and climate deniers, and we won’t let him get away with it,” said 350.org Executive Director May Boeve. “These are radical nominations that should never be approved, and we’re seeing resistance nationwide with rallies planned in dozens of states so far. Our Senators have a critical decision to make: either stand with science and a livable planet for our communities, or side with the fossil fuel industry’s climate denial.”

All four cabinet nominees have ties to the fossil fuel industry and a history of climate denial. As CEO of Exxon, Tillerson led the company on a decades-long and ongoing campaign deceiving the public about the dangerous impacts of their fossil fuels on our climates and communities, while raking in outrageous profits.
( not to mention his close ties to Russia and Putin!)

An investigation revealed that Oklahoma Attorney General Pruitt allowed the fossil fuel industry to draft comment letters sent to the EPA on his own letterhead. Perry called climate change a “contrived phony mess” and was a director at Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access pipeline. Rep. Zinke back-peddled on his acknowledgement of climate change and equates “protection” for public lands with leasing them to the fossil fuel industry.

“With a cabinet full of science deniers and fossil fuel hacks poised to take over key watchdog agencies, Donald Trump is putting arsonists in charge of the fire department,” said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. 

“Large majorities of the American people want action to protect our climate, clean air and clean water. That’s why picking disastrous nominees like these further ensure Trump will enter office as the least popular President-elect in recent memory -- and why grassroots action like this will only increase to ensure our Senators make the right decision and stand with our planet and our communities, and not big polluters.”

Monday’s rallies are being organized by local leaders across the country with support from 350.org, Greenpeace, CREDO Action, the Sierra Club, and many more. Over 60 events have been planned so far, with more being added everyday.

“Trump wants to put anti-science climate change deniers in charge of climate, energy and environmental policy in the United States,” said Josh Nelson, Deputy Political Director at CREDO. “The stakes couldn’t be higher,” Nelson continued. “When the Senate votes on the confirmation of Trump’s climate denial cabinet, every U.S. Senator will be forced to choose between the fate of the planet and the profits of the fossil fuel industry,” Nelson added. “The American people will be watching.”

On Tuesday, 350.org organized a national call-in day to U.S. Senators on their first day of work in 2017, urging them to vote against all four nominees because climate denial has no place in the White House cabinet. 

Trump’s other nominees include racist Senator Jeff Sessions and anti-labor CEO Andy Puzder. On-going actions targeting cabinet appointees are planned throughout January. …

Dani Heffernan is the U.S. communications coordinator for 350.org and 350Action.org. Follow her on Twitter @DaniHeffernan.
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How Rex Tillerson Changed His Tune on Russia and Came to Court Its Rulers
By Neil MacFarquhar and Andrew Kramer | December 20, 2016


MOSCOW — As a member of the U.S.-Russia Business Council and chief executive of Exxon Mobil, Rex W. Tillerson frequently voiced doubts about Russia’s investment climate, saying as late as 2008 that Russia “must improve the functioning of its judicial system and its judiciary. There is no respect for the rule of law in Russia today.”

This past February, however, Mr. Tillerson, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to be the next secretary of state, was sounding a very different theme, telling students at the University of Texas that he has “a very close relationship” with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
In the intervening years, oil industry experts and other analysts say, as Mr. Putin consolidated his control over Russia’s oligarchs, Mr. Tillerson underwent a profound change of outlook.  …

They will want to know to what extent the interests of the United States took a back seat to those of a company that is the source of his roughly $300 million personal fortune in stock and stands to reap tens of billions if sanctions are lifted.

From roughly 2010 to 2014, every significant global oil company was vying for a piece of the action, and the Russian government handed out various blocks to keep them all in the game. Nobody got a piece quite like Exxon Mobil, however, and a diplomatic offensive that Mr. Tillerson spearheaded is credited.

“Exxon was without question the biggest winner, and I think it was because they developed these personal relationships,” said Michael McFaul, the United States ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014. … {link}
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In 2013, Vladimir Putin awarded ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson the Order of Friendship, one of the highest honors Russia gives to foreign citizens.
by Matt Egan, Julia Horowitz and Chris Isidore


The silver badge underscores the close ties that have existed for many years between Russia and Tillerson, the leading candidate to be President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state.

The 64-year-old Tillerson, a lifetime Exxon employee, came up through the ranks by managing the company's Russia account.

In fact, his close relationship with Russia is one of the major reasons Tillerson was selected to succeed Lee Raymond as CEO of Exxon (XOM) in 2006, according to Steve Coll's book "Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power.”

Once he became CEO, Exxon bet billions on Russia's vast but notoriously-elusive oil resources through a bold partnership with Russian oil giant Rosneft. Putin himself attended the 2011 signing ceremony for the deal with Rosneft, which is majority owned by Moscow. …
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Rex Tillerson: an appointment that confirms Putin's US election win
Julian Borger in Washington | December 13, 2016 


… Tillerson is also friends with the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, a former interpreter who worked as chief of staff for Putin when he was deputy mayor in St Petersburg in the mid-1990s. Sechin, sometimes described as the second-most-powerful man in Russia, is now under US sanctions. He has said that one of his ambitions is to “ride the roads in the United States on motorcycles with Tillerson”. …

“Tillerson has a relationship with Putin and he opposed the sanctions imposed on Russia after the annexation of Crimea. This will alarm those worried about Russian intentions in Europe.”

… “Trump’s choice of Rex Tillerson suggests he wants to make good on his promise to cut deals with Russia instead of containing it,” said Thomas Wright, who has written extensively on Trump’s foreign policy at the Brookings Institution. …
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What is the Russian Order of Friendship, and why does Rex Tillerson have one?
By David Filipov December 13, 2016


… Tillerson won the award after signing deals with the state-owned Russian oil company Rosneft, whose chief, Igor Sechin, is seen as Putin's loyal lieutenant. The partnership had begun a drilling program in the Arctic’s Kara Sea, where Exxon made a find, and had agreed to explore shale oil areas of West Siberia and the deep waters of the Black Sea. But then U.S. sanctions against Russia over the annexation of Crimea kicked in, and the partnership was put on hold.

ExxonMobil spent $650 million to drill an exploratory well in the Kara Sea and had gotten just a measly sample of oil, said Mikhail Krutikhin, co-owner of RusEnergy, an independent oil and gas consultancy. (The head of the Italian oil major Eni also won a 2013 Order of Friendship.) …
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Then there is the rest of ‘em:

Six donors that Trump appointed gave almost $12 million with their families to back his campaign and the party
By Matea Gold and Anu Narayanswamy | December 9, 2016

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TRUMP’S CABINET OF CRONIES, BY THE NUMBERS
By Tina Nguyen | December 27, 2016
The 73 donors who met with Donald Trump in the past month gave the president-elect and the G.O.P. an average of more than $800,000 each.

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Trump, Who "Can't Be Bought," Rewards Big Donors With Cabinet Roles
Politico reports that nearly a third of people who have met with president-elect since November gave millions to Republicans in 2016 cycle
by Nadia Prupis | December 27, 2016 | Common Dreams

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CNN looks at the Cabinet picks
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NPR looks at the Cabinet picks

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Tips on Calling Your Member of Congress

When you dial 202-224-3121 you are directed to an operator at the Capitol switchboard. This switchboard can direct you to both senators as well as representatives.

Once the operator answers, ask to be connected to whomever you are trying to reach. They will send you to your senator's or representative's office line, and a legislative assistant will answer the phone.

It is important to let them know why you are calling and what issue you are calling about. You will sometimes be able to speak directly to your senator or representative, but more often you will speak to a staff person in the member's office. This person keeps track of how many people called and their positions on issues, and provides a summary to the member. Be assured that your call does count, even if you are not able to speak directly to your senator or representative.

* You can also find the direct number to any member's office by consulting the


How to be effective about contacting your senator: 
What Really Happens When You Call?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/10/91524/-
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"Dark Money" Funds Climate Change Denial Effort
A Drexel University study finds that a large slice of donations to organizations that deny global warming are funneled through third-party pass-through organizations that conceal the original funder
By Douglas Fischer, The Daily Climate on December 23, 2013
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Research Confirms ExxonMobil, Koch-funded Climate Denial Echo Chamber Polluted Mainstream Media
Brendan DeMelle | November 23, 2015


“The contrarian efforts have been so effective for the fact that they have made it difficult for ordinary Americans to even know who to trust,” Dr. Farrell told the Washington Post
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Exxon’s decades of deceit
A timeline of what Exxon knew about climate science, and what they’ve done to deny, hide, and muddy the truth.
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CMD Submits Evidence of Exxon Mobil Funding ALEC’s Climate Change Denial to New York Attorney General
By PRWatch Editors on November 17, 2015
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ExxonMobil Report: Smoke and Mirrors; Hot Air (2007)
February 2007
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EXXONSECRETS' INTERACTIVE MAP TO EXPLORE THE CONNECTIONS.
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An overwhelming majority of scientists agree — global warming is happening and human activity is the primary cause. Yet several prominent global warming skeptic organizations are actively working to sow doubt about the facts of global warming.

These organizations play a key role in the fossil fuel industry's "disinformation playbook," a strategy designed to confuse the public about global warming and delay action on climate change. Why? Because the fossil fuel industry wants to sell more coal, oil, and gas — even though the science clearly shows that the resulting carbon emissions threaten our planet.

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