ABC's Gibson Attempts Guilt Trip on Exxon CEO

newsbusters.org ^ | August 14, 2008 | Jeff Poor

[Rufus2007]

Maybe it was a stab by Charles Gibson to provide a national group therapy session for his 8 million viewers, but the ABC "World News" anchor aggressively questioned ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson on the August 14 broadcast for "obscene" profits and asked him to "justify" the company's success.

"As we said earlier, Rex Tillerson - who is the board chair and CEO of ExxonMobil, doesn't talk often to the press," Gibson said. "His company has reported remarkable profits in the first half of this year. The high price of gas brought ExxonMobil close to $22 billion in profit - in profit - for the first half of this year. I asked him how he justifies that amount, that some see as obscene."

...more (w/video)...

[Rufus2007]

I don't like high gas prices, but Gibson was clearly playing to his audience.

[Devilinbaggypants]

He’s just like BOR...another talking head who brings nothing to the table accept his ego!

[RexBeach]

Charlie went past the audience on this one. He was displaying his extreme bias toward one of the companies that helps him get to work every day.

What a magnificent putz.

These “reporters” never tell the audience how much oil companies pay in taxes, and how much it costs to do business.

[Ben Mugged]

If he doesn’t make a profit, I will vote to have him fired.... Part of my retirement fund is invested in Exxon.

[hoe_cake]

“”I saw someone characterize our profits the other day, in terms of $1,400 in profit per second.... “

In one ear and out the other. What liberal really heard what Tillerson said?

[Cyman]

I would have looked old Charlie in the eye and asked how much of that obscene money he was putting in his pocket. Yeah, and oh by the way Charlie how much stock do you own in the oil companies?

[Lurker]

Here's how one 'justifies' the profits that ANY publicly traded company earns:

"Well Charlie you dimwit. If I don't maximize our company's profits in every legal way possible, I'll be sent to prison. Why don't you look up the phrase "fiduciary duty" sometime."

"Do you have any more stupid questions, Charlie?"

L

[truthluva]

Will Gibson do a report on the amount of taxes I pay for a gallon of gas and what the government really does with that money?

[Red Badger]

I’d say, “Charley, define “OBSCENE””................

[Rudder]

"I asked him how he justifies that amount, that some see as obscene."

Well, what the hell did Tillerson say?

[zek157]

Everything we do, the numbers are very large,” Tillerson replied. “I saw someone characterize our profits the other day, in terms of $1,400 in profit per second. Well, they also need to understand we paid $4,000 a second in taxes. And we spent $15,000 a second in costs. We spend $1 billion a day just running our business. So, this is a business where large numbers are just characteristic of it.”

Interesting statement. It equals 19.6% taxes, 73.5% reinvestment and 6.8% profit. Where would Obama’s $1000 refund come from? The Gov’ts 19.6%?

[Red Badger]

If he doesn’t make a profit, I will vote to have him fired.... Part of my retirement fund is invested in Exxon.

me too............

[Uri’el-2012]

Charles Gibson is one of Lenin's "useful idiots"

[ozzymandus]

I saw part of that interview. It was a real hit piece, but the CEO handled himself well, and Gibson came off as a bully. I’ll bet Charlie was PO’d when it ended.

[AnnGora]

I wonder if Charlie could justify the obscene salaries he and the other teleprompter-readers earn.

[Flycatcher]

CHARLES: Can you justify the obscene profits your company is making?

TILLERSON: They're no more obscene than the profits of ABC World News.

(PAUSE)

TILLERSON: Oh, that's right. Biased mainstream news agencies don't make profits, do they?

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[STONEWALLS]

“.... Part of my retirement fund is invested in Exxon.”

...damn straight!....and I’ll bet the employee’s retirement fund of ABC holds Exxon too....it’s a huge stock for in- stitutional ownership because it’s a company that makes a PROFIT!!!
Stonewalls; a retired guy who owns Chevron stock and is glad of it.

[hermgem]

British Petroleum declared a 36% increase in profits in their last quarterly report.
BP is the company that gobbled up Amoco, the U.S. oil company based in Illinois/Chicago.
Amoco threw in the sponge and sold out after Senator Durbin accused and charged them -twice- with price gouging then came up empty, twice.
Durbin in fact succeeded chasing Amoco plus their Chemical Company out of the country.
Just imagine Charlie Gibbons cries if Exxon would have been the buyer of Amoco and net profits for Exxon would have been even higher.
As is, real losers are Illinois/Chicago taxpayers who are stuck with the nations highest unfunded employee pension obligations of $46 billion and in Cook County with the countries highest sales taxes of 10.5%.

[LomanBill]

[British Petroleum declared a 36% increase in profits in their last quarterly report. BP is the company that gobbled up Amoco, the U.S. oil company based in Illinois/Chicago.]

 

They also gobbled up Atlantic Richfield after ARCO was driven to the brink of bankruptcy by environmentalists and unions during the construction of the Alaskan pipeline.

 

Observe that British Petroleum and Shell (Royal Dutch Shell) are the the #1 and #4 producers of Oil on American soil. 

 

Compare the paltry 131k bpd of Exxon, the "Evil" American Scapegoat - with  BP's 586k.   

 

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/data_publications/crude_oil_natural_gas_reserves/current/pdf/appa.pdf

 

 

Yet the MSM and enviro weenies always pick on Exxon and never mention BP.   Hmmm.... why is that?