Projections show that in the 2016 presidential election, the Koch brothers could spend close to $1 billion on Republican candidates that back their Big Oil interests, especially when it comes to climate change.
NextGen Climate, a Super PAC founded by billionaire activist Tom Seyer, is looking to bring the focus of the 2016 election to the environment and putting the GOP on the “Hot Seat” when it comes to global warming, SF Gate reported.
“America is at an energy crossroads, and there is nearly a billion dollars in money from the Koch brothers’ network standing in the way of real solutions that will move our country forward,” reads the Hot Seat’s webpage.
The site allows users to click on either Sens. Ted Cruz (TX), Marco Rubio (FL), Rand Paul (KY), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, or former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to see their views on climate change and how science proves them wrong.
For example, Cruz has said, “For the last fifteen years there has been no recorded warming.” This statement is almost 100 percent inaccurate as “13 of the last 14 years have been the hottest on record.”
Seyer’s lead strategist Chris Lehane, said on Monday the group will first target Sen. Paul who is announcing his candidacy for president later today. They plan to confront him with a lie detector to “challenge him to talk straight on the issue.”
Lehane said they also have other “disruptive activities” planned for Sen. Rubio’s expected campaign launch later this month, Gov. Walker’s trip to Europe, and Sen. Cruz’s upcoming trip to Iowa.
“The Kochs and their allies are creating what we see as a new political party — the Koch political party by big oil, of big oil, and for big oil,” Lehane said, adding that the group plans get Koch-funded, “antiscience” candidates to explain their stance on global warming, an issue on which the majority of Americans agree.
Next November “is a crossroads election when it comes to climate,” said Lehane, and unless the government not only acknowledges the problem and takes action to change course, “the climate change apocalypse will be unleashed.”
