Kind of off topic from what has been posted in this banter thread, but this seems as good a place as any to ask my question.
We often hear that there are scientists out there that are supposedly on the dime of the oil companies (to protect their interests, as implied) which therefore, reduces the credibility of that scientist.
My question is this. If the oil companies are so hell bent on skewing the science by recruiting (paying big bucks) scientists, do we have evidence that Hansen, Jones, Mann (ie the big guns of AGW hypothesis)have EVER been offered money to "join the big oil team"?? IOW, wouldn't those big names have ever mentioned that they'd been approached?? Wouldn't those fine folks have been the most targeted by Big Oil to "flip"??
Just a thought exercise.