Top House official: White House to be subpoenaed on Solyndra crisis

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This is an investment of taxpayers’ money that’s gone bad. After eight months of investigations we have a right … to say, ‘what about the internal communications inside the top advisers to the White House? Let’s see them.’
Rep. Cliff Stearns, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight • Discussing his plans to subpoena the White House regarding Solyndra, the energy company that the government loaned hundreds of millions of dollars to in 2010, only to see the company go belly up just over a year later. Reports seem to suggest that Obama staffers had close ties to the company, leading to the current situation. “It appears to us, disturbingly, that there is a close relationship between the investors — the people who were wealthy donors to the Obama campaign — and the people that were involved with Solyndra,” Stearns said. “That disturbs us all and we’d like to see the communications to make sure that is not true.” source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Oct 2011 10:20

A number of us are concerned that the president is visiting Solyndra. Many of us believe the company’s cost structure will make it difficult for them to survive long term. . . . I just want to help protect the president from anything that could result in negative or unfair press.
Investor and Obama fundraiser Steve Westly • From a memo sent to Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett in May, 2010. The document was released by Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, charged with investigating the failed government loan. Whatever your political opinion on this issue, these are certainly the sorts of warnings you’d hope the administration would take seriously; there’s mounting evidence that people within the industry were skeptical of the company well in advance of the President’s visit. source

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

While it is widely expected that the parties will eventually reach a compromise to avoid a shutdown, Wednesday’s 230-to-195 vote showed what can happen when the GOP majority operates with no more than minimal Democratic support.
Washington Post writers Rosalind S. Helderman and Paul Kane • Correctly pointing out the weak spot in the GOP’s House leadership — that the GOP members aren’t all on the same page, so as a result, the leadership can push for one thing, but have it taken in a different direction by far-right members of the party. (In this case, the bill passed the House only with the addition of some timely anti-environmental-funding rules, then died in the Senate.) And with no help from Democrats, it becomes harder for GOP leaders to push their agenda without making room for compromise. And this isn’t even considering the Senate and president, who provide blockades of their own (unless you’re Obama and you compromise). source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

yeah … The House passed a bill preventing a possible government shutdown, and in the process paying for emergency management funding for the recent spate of natural disasters (like the Joplin tornado and Hurricane Irene). As recently as Wednesday, it didn’t look like it would pass. So what happened?
… but Well, the bill includes a politically-charged measure removing funding for green energy projects, like the much-maligned Solyndra debacle. It literally seems like they passed it only because House Republicans could score points off of this. As a result, it likely will not pass the Senate in its current form. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink