Since there is no Solyndra "controversy," political observers have been left to speculate as to why congressional Republicans have pretended to take this seriously. The widely-held assumption has been that the GOP is simply playing a little political game, in the hopes of embarrassing the president ahead of the 2012 election.
This week, a prominent House Republican effectively admitted this assumption is correct.
Dave Roberts had this interesting report yesterday, referencing a subscriber-only piece from E&E. [Update: here's the E&E story for non-subscribers.]
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[T]he House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held the four-gazillionth hearing on Solyndra and the DOE's clean-energy loan-guarantee program, during which lawmakers spent their time repeatedly badgering DOE Secretary Steven Chu to give himself a letter grade. Yes, really.
At this point, everyone knows that there's not going to be any wrongdoing uncovered. After over a year of investigations, many thousands of pages of documents, testimony from dozens of people, a half-dozen hearing, there's ... nothing.
The investigation has long since become about hurting Obama's election chances and discrediting clean energy. It's a political disagreement masquerading as a show trial.... [E]veryone knows this, including the journalists who cover it, but you're not really supposed to say so out loud.
But Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, apparently forgot the rules, and admitted the politics surrounding the GOP probe.
"Our staff will continue to dig into it and see," Jordan said. "But what I hope happens is we stop doing these kind of things … this whole cronyism approach to the marketplace. Ultimately, we'll stop it on Election Day, hopefully. And bringing attention to these things helps the voters and citizens of the country make the kind of decision that I hope helps them as they evaluate who they are going to vote for in November."
In other words, Republicans haven't uncovered a "scandal"; they've uncovered a game to play. For those who figured out months ago that this was a manufactured outrage, Jim Jordan just confirmed it.
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Wow, I guess it's all how you look at a comment. This is a case in point:
"But what I hope happens is we stop doing these kind of things … this whole cronyism approach to the marketplace.
You write that this proves the Republicans found a game to play. I read it as politicians giving preferential treatment to specific companies for whatever reason: political/financial support, family friends, etc. You know ....cronyism in the marketplace. I brought this up before about how a comment can be used by both sides as bolstering their point of view. This is a great example. The spin game is so much fun :).
Rachel, I love your show and I'm a Big L Liberal, but I agree with Skip - the words in the quote clearly indicate to me that the Representative is stating cronyism in the marketplace that will end on election day - not the hearings. I don't see this as accidental truth-telling at all. There's so much rope out there for R's to hang themselves on - I don't think we should sully our stances by taking their lesser comments out of context...it risks the high road.
I agree with these comments. I'm not in favor of what the Republicans are doing at all, but in all honesty, I did not interpret Rep. Jordan's comment in the same way.
I thought the cronyism he was referring to was on the part of the Obama administration. And that they'll "stop it on Election Day" was in reference to voting Obama out of office.
Interesting interpretation indeed...and maybe a bit of a stretch.
Love ya Rachel, but I think a few more opinions could have been used on this one.
Not sure I agree with the interpretation that Jordan meant President Obama's cronyism. If so, why would he expect that to end on Election Day? That doesn't make sense. I don't totally understand why the investigation would be called "marketplace cronyism," either. Let's just say that a year of investigation with no smoking gun makes you wonder. . . .
I agree with Kellie... it's this kind of word-stretching and taking things out of context (that the republicans always do) that sinks liberals to their level and makes me wary of watching certain shows on MSNBC.. Up until now I hadn't noticed much of this going on with Rachel Maddow. This is disappointing.
JL, he would expect it to end on election day because he believes/hopes Obama will lose the election - as well as Democrats in general....therfore no more cronyism. And I think THEY think it is marketplace cronyism because some of the individuals involved with the company were donors to President Obama's campaign.
Ok ... so where's the scandal on Obama's part? If there was one don't you think it would have come out by now?
I guess they're gonna just keep going until they find a way to invent one ... or until they lose the election. Whichever comes first I guess.
Well yes, you could say it's a 'stretch'...but I think Jordon was saying 'let's just move on. Elect Republicans and THEN we'll move on to the other rotten things we like to do'...Cronyism? Gosh Mr. Jordon your party invented it!
Well, if a Republican is saying that anyone should be suspect who donates to a campaign and then happens to benefit after that election, they have a whole lot of explaining to do. Geez, Louise! Where do you even begin?
It's not at all unreasonable for the Solyndra founders to want Obama to be elected in '08 because they believed he had the vision and stomach for backing a venture that would have a long incubation period but could pay off handsomely for the country in the end. As opposed to the boys with Big Oil in their pockets, he is one person who is not merely pretending to want an all-of-the-above energy policy.
The day the cronyism to health care, the baby industry and the mortgage real estate industry is stopped on every persons tax return, then we can talk. Unless republicans stop allowing these tax credits, they are hypocritcal idiots.
I don't think Skip was defending the statement or even agreeing w/ the idea that what Obama did was necessarily wrong. I think what Skip was trying to say is that from the Republican perspective it was cronyism in the market place and, presumably, at the fault of Obama. Therefore if Obama is kicked out of office this will make the problem go away. The logistics or truth of that comment I don't think were Skip's contention. His contention was the perspective and how Benen's representation is incorrect when taken in the context of how this Republican lawmaker sees things.
Solyndra was given preference where other companies would not have when it became apparent the company was in trouble. The people who work at the DoE and for the program that lent money out repeatedly raised concerns and those concerns were ignored. To some this would meet the definition of cronyism because of the favoritism that was clearly involved. W/ that said the program itself is not necessarily a negative or even a political issue. I can easily be against what happened in Solyndra's case (because of the favoritism and the lack of upper officials ignoring their lower employee's complaints w/in the DoE and the other elements of government who were notified of the problem) while still supporting the program at large. To be against an element of something =/= being against the entirety of something. I think this was more or less to Skip's point.
Of course I should know better than to speak on his behalf by now (seriously when I will I learn)?
You are correct Mouzer, and thank you.
I think the author was implying that the slip was "But what I hope happens is we stop doing these kind of things...", referring to the investigations. The rest of the quote was him trying to cover-up his slip as if he wasn't referring to the investigations. Notice, how awkward it was for Jordan to say he hopes we stop doing cronyism. Also, the last sentence he seemed very flustered and it seemed he had a hard time saying what he wanted. But, on the other hand the author seemed to suggest it was just a straight forward spill the beans without realizing what your doing moment, which it certainly wasn't.
That's a stretch andrew. I think the "we" he means is the government in general. We...as in the U.S. , we as in business as usual when it comes to Congress and the administration - from either party.
Repuke Fail. Sweet!
nothing surprises me any longer
Yes, let's have another WHITEWATER investigation!!!! No wonder nothing gets done.
There is times I sit and struggle with that issue when we see people different than ourselves why can we react so differently. Is it that primitive aspect in us from our past of the unknown? Is it we are having a bad day and looking for someone to blame? Do we allow these people who hate others so much because of their differences that we allow them to influence us? Perhaps next time, we walk down the street, we should think about why am I re-acting so much about that person and understand why. Sometimes there could be a reason, but most of the time is just being silly.
The GOP doesn't need to provide any conclusive evidence that anything illegal or unethical WAS done, they only need to continually suggest that something wrong MIGHT have been done. In the political game of innuendo, they believe that this will serve their purposes just as well.
Perhaps Republicans would like a moment and be honest about something that is NOT them screwing up.
"At this point, everyone knows that there's not going to be any wrongdoing uncovered. After over a year of investigations, many thousands of pages of documents, testimony from dozens of people, a half-dozen hearing, there's ... nothing." No surprise here!
This is how the GOP is, they know the president is doing a good job, but won't admit it. Everytime the GOP do something in the dark, it seems to come to the light.
I have to agree with skip hoffman, I'm not seeing it.
I read this as him being blind to their own cronyism, while trying to dig up some here - and that hopefully, he is saying, the voters will vote for republicans on election day to end the cronyism. It is still seeing what he wants to see, but I didn't read this as a purposeful, false game.
Why does no one ever get this excited when we drill a dry well? No calls for ending the billions of dollars we give oil companies when they fall flat.
I don't agree with Republicans on much of anything and I agree there's no scandal here, but I think that's a really unfair interpretation of that quote. I read it as "these kinds of things" meaning his interpretation of the Solyndra loan - that it was part of "the whole cronyism approach to the marketplace", the "it" in "stop it on Election day" refers back to that "cronyism approach" and they'll "stop it on election day" because Republicans will win the White House and in his mind it's self-evident that Republicans=Good, Democrats=Bad so if Republicans win Bad Things stop happening and Good Things start happening. Your interpretations seems to want that "it" to refer back to the staff continuing to dig into it, which I think isn't the most reasonable interpretation of that quote.
well from what I hear, it will if republicans get controll, we will be giving more to the richest few, and will all have to go to the poor house,but they don't exist any moore, so I guess you might want to go out under a bridge somewhere, and claim a spot!
You can lead a donkey to the water but you can't make him drink!!!! Hey Bob553811 it is what it is, and if the Republicans win things will go back to being just like Bush left them. I guess you think that was good. NOT!!!!
Here is my thought - since the GOP refuses to STOP SUBSIDES for OIL it seems very possible that demand for SoLyndra's product was deliberatly foiled as other new energy projects....This is the atmosphere in our Michigan Legislature and I am afraid City and County levels as well. They will do or say anything and think there are no consquences.
It is not about building our nation, recovery, jobs or the well being of our global world it is about POWER...doing anything to obtain it including lieing cheating and manipulation.
While the GOP at any level investigates the blazes out of everyone or thing that they disagree with, we will find THEY are the greatest offenders.
First you have to understand how investment capital works and why it's there. Out of 100 investments, only 2 or 3 are expected to be home runs, with maybe another 25 to 30 just paying their way and breaking even. More than half will end up being sold at a loss or liquidated. It provides for incubation of new technologies or business models that are too risky for private investors. China is actively backing solar energy development in an attempt to corner the market, and our government is investing so we aren't left behind when the technology takes off. As Chris Hayes said recently, if it were a sure bet, it wouldn't be appropriate for government to become involved and would, instead, be a private-sector investment. The fact that Solyndra received some $500M in direct investment and loan guarantees is perfectly in line with this strategy to develop alternative energy for the greater good of the U.S.
I am totally disgusted and fed up with anything that the republiCONs say knowing that their only goal is to defeat Obama in November. I wish there was something that President Obama would do to screw them over as badly as they have tried to screw him over.
Sure spend another 0.5 million on an investigation!
Hi, I'm Dave Roberts. Who here wants to learn how to play political suicide? Okay then. Y'all start by pointing your fingers at yourself and your teammates but here is the important part...you blame the other team. We've been doing this for years. It really works...well at least it used to, long before Twitter, Youtube, Social Networking...I know let's just change the rules. Can anyone Etch A Sketch this truth I just spoke? No worries, I'll just go all Romney and deny that I ever said any such thing!
I believe we saw frustration and not an admission of gamesmanship. We have lived so long with lies, something that stinks a little less does not mean we are getting fresh air. Stay hopeful but keep the Febreze handy.
Skip, Kelly and Ursala, Steve Benen wrote the piece, not Rachel, and had you read the entire piece instead of focusing on one sentence perhaps you might come to the conclusion Steve did, which is a reasonable conclusion at worst and more than likely what is really happening.
I read the entire piece several times and I came to the same conclusion as Skip, Kelly and Ursala.. I think it is incredibly obvious that Jordan was talking about Obama's alleged "Cronyism" ending on election day when they hope to vote him out of office.
Just a clarification paplanner - I never mentioned Rachel. I am well aware Steve wrote the piece. Maybe you should read my entire post and notice I never mention Rachel...and come to a wrong conclusion :).
And I do not think Steve's observation is a reasonable conclusion.
Hey y'all, give Steve Benen a little credit. He's writing these pieces, not Rachel. Rachel is busy putting a show together. Steve was hired because he's an astute & prolific blog-maestro. Sometimes he misses the mark, but he's usually pretty conscientious about looking for context and not over-interpreting quotes like this.
The whole price of oil and gasoline is also a political tool that both parties are using in order to secure election from disgruntled voters. It is a shame our political system has eroded to a sewer of ethics such as this, to where you purposely make the voters suffer in order to be elected.
Crony capitalism IS capitalism as it's written in both Democratic and Republican playbooks. This is just political rhetoric and obfuscation. Cronyism can be drawn in a straight, uninterrupted line from George Washington's sweetheart land deals to HW's involvement in the Carlyle Group, and any number of other deals that span the entire spectrum of political persuasions and levels.
Encouraging new industries of the future and discouraging the older ones, especially dirty industries of the past, is part of the way capitalism has also always worked. Redistributing income and paying for basic research gives us at least a part of every major breakthrough in history (just think of the Internet, for one). Maximizing the latter and minimizing the former is optimal in the system.
Jordan is conflating the two for his own, or rather his party's purposes.
Love all you do, Rachel. Unfortunately, I don't think your interpretation of what he said withstands grammatical scrutiny. The "it" modifies "cronyism," which is what will stop on election day-he hopes-i.e. he hopes they get the Republicans back in the White House. Substantively, I think it is laughable anytime the party of old white men talk about cronyism like it is a bad thing. They live and breathe by it. Grammatically, though, it is a stretch to say he meant they will stop investigating (even if that is the truth). Double entendre, certainly. Dead admission-not quite.
Dear @PSGOhio, you might note who wrote the blog post before ascribing Steve Benen's interpretation to the gentle Dr. Maddow.
If Jordan wants to find cronyism, then he won't have to dig very far with Halliburton and Blackwater. Dems, when they controlled the House, missed a good chance to embarrass the Republicans. Billions of dollars in war contracts and GAO statements about large scale fraud and waste surround both of the companies.