Over at DeSmogBlog today they picked up on the news of Exxon's quarterly earnings report...something we all look forward to...

The profiteers fiddle while the economy crumbles

DeSmog's details and fine calculator work:

ExxonMobil, everyone's favorite oil company, is set to announce 4th quarter
earnings of $10.37 billion - a paltry $111 million a day.

Expected annual earnings for ExxonMobil in 2007 are a whopping $39 billion -

or about $106 million a day,

$4.4 million an hour and

$73,000 a second.

And now Bush and the Congress want to put a "Economic Stimulus Package" in your pocket - $600 per person - so you can go put it right in Exxon's pocket the next time you fill up... hmm Exxon's economy seems to be stimulated quite nicely already

As the Fish and Wildlife Service misses its deadline this week to finish its decision on listing the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act... we wonder if the Exxon-funded study published last summer and referenced by the State of Alaska in its opposition to FWA action might have slowed them up...shame if indeed that is the case.

Speaking of which, the Governor of Alaska published a Op-Ed in the NY Times over the weekend vigorously opposing listing the polar bear with an inaccurate assessment of things.  A nice editorial last week by the Times must have triggered the Governor's response...

We did an expanded treatment of the Exxon Polar Bear mess here, including Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina's request for information from Exxon on its funding of skeptic science. Don't miss the suggested unanswered questions at the end...

One additional nugget was the quote by an Exxon spokes recently.  In response to Gore pointing out Exxon funding of the network that supports climate denial scientists, the Washington Times reported:

"Exxon Mobil spokesman Gantt H. Walton dismissed the accusation, saying the company is concerned about climate-change issues and does not pay scientists to bash global-warming theories. " Walton stated, "Recycling of that kind of discredited conspiracy theory is nothing more than a distraction from the real challenge facing society and the energy industry..."

Distractions indeed...some people create distractions for a living...and maybe Mr. Walton should check with the Exxon Secret Payroll department before making such declarative statements next time.

See Inhofe post below this one for more on that episode....