Report: Emails show White House seeking to delay Solyndra layoffs
Still think there’s no Solyndra scandal? The Washington Post blew that notion out of the water with a report that the Obama administration pushed the solar company it had subsidized and celebrated to wait until after the 2010 midterm elections to announce layoffs:
Solyndra’s chief executive warned the Energy Department on Oct. 25, 2010, that he intended to announce worker layoffs Oct. 28. He said he was spurred by numerous calls from reporters and potential investors about rumors the firm was in financial trouble and was planning to lay off workers and close one of its two plants.
But in an Oct. 30, 2010, e-mail, advisers to Solyndra’s primary investor, Argonaut Equity, explain that the Energy Department had strongly urged the company to put off the layoff announcement until Nov. 3. The midterm elections were held Nov. 2, and led to Republicans taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“DOE continues to be cooperative and have indicated that they will fund the November draw on our loan (app. $40 million) but have not committed to December yet,” a Solyndra investor adviser wrote Oct. 30. “They did push very hard for us to hold our announcement of the consolidation to employees and vendors to Nov. 3rd — oddly they didn’t give a reason for that date.”
Oddly, indeed. Read the whole thing. The Solyndra/Obama administration coziness is just one more example of the kind of crony capitalism that all Americans — regardless of party, ideology or feelings about the particular issue of renewable energy sources — ought to be tired of hearing about.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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73 comments Add your comment
Joel Edge
November 16th, 2011
5:59 am
I’m tired of anything involving the Democrat Party.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
6:02 am
The Obozo Doctrine: Pay to play.
DeborahinAthens
November 16th, 2011
6:36 am
How many times do we have to tell you smug Repugs to not throw stones? Cheney held a “energy summit” behind closed doors which included most of the highest ranking people in the oil and gas industry. Both Dubya the Dumb and Cheney had very close ties to this industry. Dubya the Dumb’s good friend of many years, Ken Lay, the CEO of Enron was on this panel. To my knowledge, the records of that meeting are still sealed. What we do know is there was a radical change in energy policy as it related to deregulation after that. Because of the the deregulation Enron was able to start selling electricity–an odd thing for a gas pipeline company to do. Bush defended Lay to the bitter end. Not only did Enron go belly up, but it took millions of investors with it. NOW THAT is croney capitalism. Halliburton, the company Cheney ran for years has many subsidiaries that received no bid contracts for work in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of their subsidiaries incorrectly installed showers in one of our bases and several of our soldiers were electrocuted–to death. After the occurrence it was immediately hushed up and Halliburton sold the subsidiary. Hank Paulson, Bush’s Treasury Secretary let Lehman fail, but he saved Goldman Sachs (even letting them become a bank holding company so they could get TARP funds). He saved AIG because AIG owed Goldman billions of dollars. Of all the bailouts, Goldman is the strangest one. They are the only debtor of AIG, to my knowledge that got 100 cents on the dollar. See, you can only
be president and vice president for eight years max. You are a corporate shill for life.
Independent voter
November 16th, 2011
6:49 am
Deborah = Govt employee = Democrat = too much liberal media …drinking too much class warfare koolaid from the great Divider… is it too much to ask to think independently ???
Road Scholar
November 16th, 2011
6:50 am
Deborah: There you go again trying to influence the conserves with facts!
JF McNamara
November 16th, 2011
6:57 am
Are we talking about a week? Not that its excusable, but a week long delay is not very much financially.
Just Nasty & Mean
November 16th, 2011
6:57 am
As long as these Obamabots kicked back money to the campaign, Obama was perfectly willing to open the taxpayer spigot to flood them with money.
Make no mistake: This is corruption, cronyism, campaign kick-back, and Chicago style thug politics of the 1st order.
The mainstream press won’t let this slime touch the golden-boy Obama–Just like Fast & Furious, SunPower, Reverend Wright, Ayers, Tony Rezco.
Wherever Obama goes–sleazy, back room, big-money pay-to-play dealings aren’t far behind.
Real Athens
November 16th, 2011
7:03 am
Um, I think you mean Georgia-style politics. Yawn.
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/lobbyists-pay-more-than-1227899.html
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
7:10 am
DeborahinAthens
6:36 am
——————————–
Is this the change you voted for?
Obozo: Liar.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
7:13 am
Obama Gives $433 Million No-Bid Contract for Controversial Drug to Top Donor’s Company
A company controlled by a longtime political donor gets a no-bid contract to supply an experimental remedy for a threat that may not exist.
By David Willman, Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Washington— Over the last year, the Obama administration has aggressively pushed a $433-million plan to buy an experimental smallpox drug, despite uncertainty over whether it is needed or will work.
Senior officials have taken unusual steps to secure the contract for New York-based Siga Technologies Inc., whose controlling shareholder is billionaire Ronald O. Perelman, one of the world’s richest men and a longtime Democratic Party donor.
——————–
The Obozo Doctrine: Pay to play.
Getaway
November 16th, 2011
7:17 am
Halliburton had no-bid contracts? How did they get them?
Oh yeah! I remember! They were awarded by the Clintom Administration. I guess that would be Clinton the Corrupt, or Clinton the Dress Stainer.
Real Athens
November 16th, 2011
7:21 am
I didn’t realize we were mired in Afghanistan and Iraq during the Clinton administration. News to me.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
7:25 am
The military-industrial complex doesn’t really care where we’re mired, as long as they’re getting their no-bid contracts. Mission accomplished on that, courtesy of the Clinton administration.
Jack
November 16th, 2011
7:25 am
The folks that voted for Obama realize their mistake and are trying very hard to justify it by blowing smoke. And I’m sure a lot of noise is made by those didn’t vote for anyone. Registered voters who didn’t vote are the reason Obama is in the White House.
Billings
November 16th, 2011
7:26 am
Another ObamaCare Glitch
Congress made a legal mistake while rushing through the health law. Now it’s come back to haunt the administration..
Like the rest of the nation, the Obama administration wants a different health-care law than the one we got. But that doesn’t give it the authority to rewrite the law by fiat.
It has become painfully apparent–this administration believes itself to be above the law. Obozo and his administration NEED TO GO!
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
7:28 am
Obama’s mounting hypocrisy
The only thing that has changed in Washington is the price tag
By Frank Perley-The Washington Times Thursday, May 13, 2010
Last week, the Army revealed that KBR, a former subsidiary of Halliburton, was awarded a no-bid contract worth as much as $568 million through next year.
———————
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
Joe The Plumber too.
November 16th, 2011
7:31 am
Corrupt never transparent! That should be the sign hanging above urkles desk as well as the title of his first book after he gets his scrawny butt booted next year. Solyndra, Justice Department getting records sealed in Fast & Furious case, the list just goes on and on. Can’t wait to see this little boy and his administration exposed for what they are. They are starting to make the Nixon administration look like choirboys. Fourteen more months of this trash destroying our country and then the rebuild can begin, hopefully it won’t be too late.
JKL2
November 16th, 2011
7:32 am
The obama solution to everything: Throw the checkbook at it. Doesn’t matter if we have any money or if it will do anything to fix the problem. Just another chance for them to say,”Look at me, look at me! See all the stuff I’m doing.”
OZ
November 16th, 2011
7:52 am
…but it’s OK when Dems do it
signed: Occupy White House
Creed
November 16th, 2011
7:53 am
Deborah: There you go again trying to influence the conserves with facts!
While conveniently ignoring the fact that Halliburton (KBR) continues to receive no-bid contracts under the her man.
Independent voter
November 16th, 2011
8:00 am
Deborah went to work at her gov’t job
hater
November 16th, 2011
8:02 am
I hate hate hate Obama and everything he stands for and does. I suspect the worst about him and just know he and his administration are just a bunch of Chicago thugs that bully and shove everthing down America’s throat. I know he is a secret Muslim because he apologizes to them so much. I’m a hater. Are you a hater too. Let’s hate him together then we’ll feel better. All together now: one, two, three……
DeborahinAthens
November 16th, 2011
8:05 am
Independent voter, I am not a Democrat (voted for Nixon and Reagan-twice). Not employed by the government. I have been a (gasp) financial adviso/stockbroker for 26 years, so I am about as close to a capitalist as you can get. I just got tired of the Republicans in GA as well as in DC screwing up my financial plans with issues that come out and bite us in the butt — like Enron. I voted against George W. Bush because I knew him to be a corrupt man. He totally bilked millions from investors with Harken Energy. I was hoping Elizabeth Warren’s guidance with the financial consumer bill would help, but the Repugs stonewalled, got rid of her and eviscerated the bill. So, perhaps you should think and read before you make sweeping assumptions. I find it amusing that, when Repugs are confronted with facts, you can only resort to ad hominem attacks. Your ignorance is what allows pond scum like Dubya the Dumb and Saxby Chambliss to be elected and re- elected.
Independent voter
November 16th, 2011
8:06 am
T. Boone Pickens plan.. Nat. gas for trucks and buses.. its clean and cheap… jobs.. jobs.. jobs.. in the USA.. oil pipe line from Canada.. if not will go to china.. leadership please !!! Dept. of Energy.. started by Carter in the 70’s to reduce dependence on foreign oil ???? Billion$ $pent.. hows that working ??
ITS ALL BUSHS FAULT
November 16th, 2011
8:07 am
Tea Publicans wa wa wa ………losers…..OBAMA 2012….
OZ
November 16th, 2011
8:08 am
Hater: you’re a liar too
Independent voter
November 16th, 2011
8:09 am
Unions kill jobs.. look at the Post Office ?? Wisconsin now has more $$$ hired more teachers..
Doug
November 16th, 2011
8:09 am
But where is the main media in reporting this. Disgusting how they attempt to cover any negative of obuma up. Even more vile was how there were more reports by the major media on cain in 2 weeks than there were on obuma in his entire election run on his scandals. Gotta vote out the left and tell these liberals their socialism days are over.
Independent voter
November 16th, 2011
8:11 am
Class warfare.. Hate.. Obama Divider in Chief.. he’s succeeding
Sean Hannity
November 16th, 2011
8:14 am
I have spent everyday since January 21, 2009, here in the Conservative Underground bunkers reporting lies and always taking the worst possible view of Obama and his administration’s actions. I am a real patriot. I never give his administration the benefit of the doubt because he is destroying America. I fight the good fight and poison the airwaves 24/7 with lies and misinformation because I am a corporate hack, no, wait, I mean patriot.
Bob
November 16th, 2011
8:17 am
What about Ron Pearlman’s group getting 433 million for small pox vaccines ? No bid, no gaurantees it will work and a 200% profit per does. That is change we can believe in, the rich get richer under Obama’s no bid contract to one of his biggest donors. Deb in Athens, when repubs were accused of it, dems let them know how bad they were. No denms are doing it and you say it’s okay.
D
November 16th, 2011
8:18 am
Then you have holder letting a big criminal go twice who was already deported and snuck back in and then he goes out and kills someone. Nearly everyone involved with obama is corrupt.
GT
November 16th, 2011
8:18 am
You miss the point as always. This country is in the back seat with China driving the car when it comes to solar power. Most panels and equipment are made in Chinese factories. Georgia in particular is a regulated energy state that cannot lock up contracts with independent sources of energy for long term purchase. The alternative energy business will be bigger and far more important that anything Steve Jobs did in his lifetime. We are dependent on energy as a manufacturing nation, we are dependent on clear carbon footprints for those grandchildren the cons worry about so much in these budgets. You won’t find a dime of this money going into anything or anyone connected with the Obama administration. If the Obama administration is friendly with the creators of this it is because they are of like mind, like Jewish people getting along with each other or gun people. O and modern science have a shared vision, most of the Republican candidates and party have no vision. When you buy your gas today you will see a little of that vision, it won’t matter what your political colors are. If you want political cronyism that is putting money into politicians pockets and out of the poverty of others look no further than the state you stand in at this moment. There sits a recycling plant closed down in Crisp County next to a landfill all paid for by Georgia. I am sure many here could point out more but not unlike the Penn State story we don’t want to get involved, the powers to be turn their heads or misdirect us to a real effort that has failed on good merit. You may get Obama on trying and falling short but you won’t get him on the petty crimes or immoral acts that surround Washington and the state of Georgia. Obama has shown time and time again to be a good man.
D
November 16th, 2011
8:20 am
Bob
That’s because most liberals are hypocrites
Sean Hannity
November 16th, 2011
8:21 am
Will you Joe Plumbers out there hate Obama with me so we can take America back for Wall Street. If you do I promise we will end Social Security, kill medicare, and balance the budget on the backs of those that have the least. We will also get rid of those unions that ensure that people like you, Joe the plumber, will barely have a living wage and never have benefits like health care. Join me will you, little, gullible people of Amerika.
Ignatius
November 16th, 2011
8:24 am
“electrocuted–to death”
You can’t be electrocuted without being killed. You can be shocked and survive.
ITS ALL BUSHS FAULT
November 16th, 2011
8:27 am
Dont like unions move to China see how that works out for ya… losers…
Sean Hannity
November 16th, 2011
8:30 am
Listen to me and repeat my lies and talking points on blogs across Amerika. I am the man behind the curtain. I hose the unwashed masses with the golden nectar of truth(actual Boortz quote).
Sean Hannity
November 16th, 2011
8:35 am
Remember: Obama bad, bad, bad. Don’t make me spank you now!
Sean Hannity
November 16th, 2011
8:37 am
Me and lil’ barry hate Obama. Will you hate him with us. You will? Oh goody!
Voice of Reason
November 16th, 2011
8:38 am
Deborah- Didn’t Kyle say in his post “regardless of party, ideology or feelings about the particular issue of renewable energy sources?” Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Independent voter
November 16th, 2011
8:39 am
Obama’ s not a bad guy.. no name calling ( like Pond Scum ) here.. we’re all Americans.. he just has no real world business, military, or job resume.. what is a community organizer ?? his chicago lawyer friends.. preacher.. lobbiest fund raisers.. are questionable character references..
Voice of Reason
November 16th, 2011
8:42 am
You Dems and Repubs are sp pathetic that you can’t stop bickering. America needs to unite against things like this. You should all be demanding impeachment of every official on either side of the isle that has ever taken part in crony capitalism. Too bad that will never happen because Rs are too busy calling Ds “retarded” and Ds are too busy calling Rs “evil.” We are all Americans, and should behave as such.
carlosgvv
November 16th, 2011
8:59 am
Barry – 7:25
Almost correct. It’s becoming increasingly clear The Military-Industrial-Complex is in the military saddle and will ride them and us from one financially profitible war to another regardless of which Party is in office.
jconservative
November 16th, 2011
9:01 am
Are you saying the White House is engaged in politics?
GT
November 16th, 2011
9:02 am
Independent voter you don’t think hording cash by the rich loses jobs? And what do you think loosens those dollars for the rich better than unions and government. And ,unlike Wall Street, unions are American, has to be by their very nature. Unions are the anti Wall Street which in itself is a union of money. A guy on Wall Street like a union leaders operates on someone else’s dime, produces nothing and makes a good living doing it.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
9:13 am
No, we’re saying the Obozo is engaged in liberal fascism.
DeborahinAthens
November 16th, 2011
9:19 am
Getaway, you dimwit, how did Clinton award no bid contracts to Halliburton under Clinton’s administration for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when George W. Bush is the one that declared war in 2003??? You dimwit. Read a book for God’s sake.
ragnar danneskjold
November 16th, 2011
9:28 am
Is there any reason government officials cannot be indicted for securities fraud?
Bart Abel
November 16th, 2011
9:37 am
I agree that, assuming this request to delay this announcement by six days happened, it shouldn’t have. But personally, I think Kyle uses the word “scandal” loosely.
The evidence that this act even took place is based entirely on hearsay which doesn’t even identify the individual who made the request–critics simply assume it came from the orders of a high level official in the Obama Administration when, assuming it even happened, it might have come from a relatively low-level staffer acting on his or her own bad instincts.
But let’s assume that this “scandal” did take place. Is asking for a six day delay of the announcement a scandal? It sounds like public relations to me.
Okay, if its a scandal, then each time the Bush Administration released bad news on Fridays, because people pay less attention to the news on weekends, it was a scandal. I mean the the Bush Administration sent videos to local news channels for them to play on the air to appear, not as Bush propaganda, but to appear as local news reports…FAKE NEWS. They paid media commentators to champion their policies. They would ask people to leave public events in which Bush, aka: “Bubble Boy”, appeared if they pulled up in a car with a John Kerry sticker on their bumper (by the way, Romney had some veterans removed from a public event yesterday because of their “Veterans against Vouchers” t-shirts). They took the cost of the war out of the budget so that the public wouldn’t know the true size of the deficit. They lied to Congress about the projected cost of Medicare Part D to get it to pass.
I’m not sure how Tea Party columnists can excuse all the craziness that fell under the category of public relations or transparency (or lack of transparency) during the Bush Administration, and then claim that a asking to delay an announcement for six days is somehow a scandal. Seems like a double-standard is being applied here.
http://www.salon.com/2005/01/18/scandal_11/
cosby
November 16th, 2011
9:41 am
Chicago style politics at its best…but the main street media will never hold Obama aka Barry accountable. Time for some real investigation into the abuse by Barry aka Obama and his administration.
UGA 1999
November 16th, 2011
9:48 am
Did you guys see where shots were fired at the whitehouse…..the suspect sure looks like an OWS spectator doesnt he? ha
Don't Tread
November 16th, 2011
9:51 am
And yet, we don’t hear a peep from the OWS crowd about this giving away of taxpayer money to make a few well-connected people rich. Wonder why.
Jefferson
November 16th, 2011
10:00 am
This type of story paints Kyle as the toadie tattletale with nothing meaningful to say, so they spread rumors and fear. Much like a tabloid.
Obozonomics
November 16th, 2011
10:00 am
Independent Voter, great comment, the last election proved that 51% of America is illiterate and looking for a hand out…..
saywhat?
November 16th, 2011
10:04 am
Kyle, your headline is misleading. There was a request to delay an announcement, not to delay layoffs, which are two very different things, though neither of which seems all that nefarious to me. Also, the request did not come from “the “White House” which implies “the President”, but from the Department of Energy, and it doesn’t even say from whom within the Department of Energy. The Solyndra saga is just the latest manufactured right wing poutrage, like so many others before it, and the sheep just eat it right up. Pathetic, yet predictable.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
10:06 am
Wow, you Obozo receptacles redefine “in denial”.
Your boy king must be a real disappointment.
UGA 1999
November 16th, 2011
10:08 am
jefferson…rumors and fear? HAHA it is alittle more than that genius.
Mark T
November 16th, 2011
10:12 am
saywhat?….The Solyndra loan controversy is a political controversy involving U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration’s authorization of a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra Corporation in 2009 as part of a program to spur alternative energy growth.[1][2][3] Solyndra and the White House had originally estimated that this government financing for Solyndra would help to create 4,000 new jobs.[1] Instead of creating those 4,000 jobs, the company ceased all business activity, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and laid-off nearly all of its employees in early September 2011….
so thats manufactured right wing poutrage…its just made up right?…talk about pathetic!
oh and GT…how many links of Union corruption do you want me to give you cause I can go all day
saywhat?
November 16th, 2011
10:15 am
Wow, you shrub trickled-on receptacles really redefine “in denial”. Your boy messiah must have been a real disappointment.
Hillbilly D
November 16th, 2011
10:28 am
My kingdom for an honest politician. (I don’t really have a kingdom but I doubt I have anything to worry about. The odds of me ever having one are slim but better than anybody finding an honest politician).
saywhat?
November 16th, 2011
10:30 am
Mark T- what do your facts have to do with political corruption? Did the Obama Adminstration do anything illegal? What happened to all the other loan guarantees authorized by the adminstration? Have they all gone wrong too?
While dissappointing that in hindsight the money was wasted, it hardly points to wrong doing on part of the President. THATS what I mean by poutrage, assigning false meaning to events, drawing nonsensical conclusions based on 1 part fact and 9 parts partisan fantasy-based conjecture. I would be happy to provide you with plenty of past examples if you so wish.
Real Athens
November 16th, 2011
10:42 am
“Chicago Style Politics” has nothing on “Georgia Good ‘Ol Boy” politics.
Don't Tread
November 16th, 2011
10:47 am
“While dissappointing [sic] that in hindsight the money was wasted, it hardly points to wrong doing on part of the President”
There’s an e-mail trail that says otherwise. And who do you think the head of the DOE reports to? (Hint: It’s a Cabinet position.)
I’m sure Eric Holder isn’t guilty of any wrongdoing either. Guess who he reports to? (Hint: It’s another Cabinet position.)
Obama is corrupt. Time for him to go.
Del
November 16th, 2011
10:57 am
I think Deborah needs to be informed that GWB and Cheney aren’t up for reelection. Solyndra isn’t going away anytime soon and Chu will have some serious splaining to do tomorrow before Congress. Crony capitalism at its worst and its smell is all over the Obama administration.
Cal
November 16th, 2011
11:06 am
ABC News reports: DC Shooting Suspect Could Be Threat to Obama, Police Say
Authorities suspect Ortega has been in the area for weeks, coming back and forth to the Washington Mall. Before the shooting, he was detained by local police at an abandoned house. U.S. Park police say Ortega may have spent time blending in with Occupy D.C. protesters.
Noooooooo! Could it be?
getalife
November 16th, 2011
11:09 am
Our President will invest in green energy without the gop.
Some will fail like Internet companies.
We all know how the Internet thingie worked out.
getalife
November 16th, 2011
11:16 am
cons love corruption and don’t want to change the good ole boy corruption in Ga.
Warren Buffett: ‘My Class Has Won’ And ‘It’s Been A Rout’
The people finally showed up to this war so it is not over yet.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
11:50 am
Our boy king will invest taxpayer millions in politically connected corporations. The owners will contribute to our boy king’s campaign. Some of these corporations will fail, just like Solyndra. Our boy king and his fatcat buddies will keep their money. The taxpayers will be left with the bill.
Mark T
November 16th, 2011
11:56 am
saywhat?…my facts dont prove anything as far as political corruption goes, but it does prove that this administration does not create jobs and does waste taxpayer money!
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
November 16th, 2011
12:01 pm
Your boy king is enriching the 1% with his crony investments designed to fail. Private profit, public risk.
saywhat?
November 16th, 2011
1:07 pm
mARK T- “my facts dont prove anything as far as political corruption goes, but it does prove that this administration does not create jobs” – Your facts do nothing of the sort. Job creation has grown during Obama’s presidency, in the private sector no less, partially offset by job losses in government. Unfortunately, given the deep deep hole created by his predecessor, it will take more time for the unemployment rate to go down- “and does waste taxpayer money” -like the waste of money that was the Iraq war? I’ll take an investment like Solyndra gone bad every year vs another blunder like Iraq.
saywhat?
November 16th, 2011
1:17 pm
Don’t Tread- by all means, show me the evidence that the Secretary of the Department of Energy e-mailed Solyndra, or even e-mailed an underling asking them to do so. Until then, it is blatantly dishonest to imply that the President had any personal knowledge of this, as Kyle does with his headline. After all, Obama can barely read a teleprompter, right? He is supposed to read every single e-mail sent from every single cabinet level department too?
Perhaps if Obama’s chief of staff wrote up a list of DA’s to fire for refusing to open unwarranted politically motivated investigations, you might have a scandal on your hands, unless of course, Obama was a Republican.
The story is still nothing more than the latest poutrage for the sheep to swallow, plain and simple. Disappointing for you I know, but too bad.