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Before Mitt Romney took credit for obnoxious hecklers, he quietly shuttled campaign reporters to a press conference outside Solyndra's California headquarters. This apparently made activists on the right giddy -- Team Romney not only orchestrated hecklers, they also talked about a company that was one of many that benefited from federal loan guarantees.
If we judge presidential campaign tactics and strategies by the standards of far-right 11 year olds at recess, this was awesome.
Back here in Grown-Up Land, however, there are a couple of curious angles to today's stunt. For one thing, Romney apparently kept the Solyndra press conference a secret because of paranoid fears about White House sabotage.
"We knew, if word got out, that Solyndra would do everything in their power, and the Obama administration would do everything in their power, to stop us from having this news conference, "an unnamed adviser told reporters, per CNN.
Reporters raised the question of how this devious plot to derail the event would work given that the freedom to hold a press conference in public is a fairly basic right.
"Well, he's only the president of the United States," the adviser replied.... Romney alluded to similar concerns personally in his press conference.
"I think there are people who don't want to see this event occur, don't want to have questions asked about this particular investment," Romney told reporters when asked about the secrecy behind the event, according to the New York Times.
As a rule, putting aside policies and any personal opinions, I tend to at least consider Romney's operation to be competent and well organized. But for these guys to seriously believe the White House would sabotage a Romney press conference is deeply strange, and more than a little paranoid.
Are we to believe Romney and his team would function this way if elected?
What's more, Romney's conspiracy theories aside, there's a more substantive issue to also keep in mind: the Republican is apparently desperate to politicize failed loan guarantees, but he has the exact same kind of troubles in his own record.
Greg Sargent reports today on Karl Rove's attack operation, American Crossroads, running Solyndra-related ads, without much concern for how this issue might make its preferred candidate look.
The Crossroads video ... cites the Massachusetts company Evergreen Solar as an example of a company that received taxpayer money before declaring bankruptcy or suffering "serious financial issues" -- which the video derides as a "risky investment strategy." Romney picked up that attack line today, appearing in front of a shuttered Solyndra outlet to bash Obama.
But in 2002, three weeks into Governor Mitt Romney's term, Evergreen Solar received $2.5 million from the Romney administration for a "major expansion and to cover operating losses as it tried to become profitable," according to a February article in Politico. The investment was part of a broader program in which the Romney administration gave millions in subsidies to multiple other companies, Politico reported.
Evergreen ultimately filed for bankruptcy last year, making this case very similar to Solyndra.
Oops.
It's still only May, but the sooner Romney and his allies pick up their game, and realize the time for minor-league nonsense has come gone, the better.
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The WH has better things to do than to sabotage a meaningless press conference. Romney might also want to brush up on his history of this little situation. After all, Solyndra was initially provided loans under the George W. Bush administration.
Here is a source that proves your point :
FACT: Same Panel Of Career Officials Approved The Loan Guarantee
Bush Admin. Advanced 16 Projects, Including Solyndra, Out Of 143 Submissions. The Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee Program was created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and expanded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. At a congressional hearing, Jonathan Silver, the Executive Director of Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, testified that the Bush administration's DOE [Department of Energy] selected Solyndra from 143 submissions to move forward in the process.
http://mediamatters.org/research/201109190020
Yes, loan guarantees to DOE began with Bush Administration:
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/09/13/317594/timeline-bush-administration-solyndra-loan-guarantee/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solyndra_loan_controversy
But we have a desire to spur new energy sources. To me it was just seed money to start up a new technology that would revolutionize solar panel energy production, which would be a boon to our clean renewable energy production, jobs, GDP- all of which would be helpful.
Have we ever invested in new things like say "star wars" missiles before and did it succeed or fail? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative
I think we just blew $500,000,000, and no one really cares. It's no big deal, I'm sure this happens all the time.
I just looked at SMD cost estimate from NASA http://www.lpi.usra.edu/pss/presentations/200806/16bruno.pdf
powers of Congress (people in charge of money)
Clause 8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
of course I think Solyndra was working on a breakthrough, but never quite got there. I compare it to SMD for that same reason. One can say we should never spend for that, but we may miss some fantastic science. I wish private sector would promote more such discovery. We have a shared interest in such things. It is not always positive, but are we just going to say we will remain the same as we always were and call it good?
"What's more, Romney's conspiracy theories aside, there's a more substantive issue to also keep in mind: the Republican is apparently desperate to politicize failed loan guarantees, but he has the exact same kind of troubles in his own record."
This is exactly what I was thinking as I was reading this. Romney has been touting his capital investment history as the top quality he would bring to the presidency. Are the Republicans this naive? Do they really not think things through before they spout off? Or are they counting on the American people's ignorance and/or lack of desire to invest any brain cells in making their choice for president come November?
Yes.
RE: "We knew, if word got out, that Solyndra would do everything in their power, and the Obama administration would do everything in their power, to stop us from having this news conference," an unnamed [Romney] adviser told reporters...
Romney and associates are projecting. They do that a lot.
Many among the political right rely on lies, deceit, and dirty tricks, so they naturally assume that those of us on the left are just as depraved.
Where else can people be free enough to be so whacked out?
Only in Amercia.
This is a "report" from the Onion right? Surreal. What is the Rmoney strategy here, get the Obama campaign to think you are just a bunch of amateur maroons and not take you seriously--and then when they are lulled into complacency--whammo with a billion bucks of well thought out campaign commercials? That's gotta be it, I'm not believing this for a second. Vuvuzelas? Really?
I wonder if the Obama campaign has enough time before November to do press conferences just outside of every business that shut down after Bain Capital was through with it.
Probably not.
And exactly how many would that be?
They're so clever, no really!
Romney has the Bush implant receiving Cheney/Rove thoughts, with expanded channels named Gingrich/Trump.
More likely afraid the locals would be restless on their own. There would likely be a thousand Bay Area natives protesting the entire thing. We don't need any direction from above - we protest Obama too.
This kind of thing (11 yr olds at recess yes) on the same day that Obama warmly welcomed GW Bush to the WH (bet that was fun..) like a grown up. Obama calls Mitt to congratulate him on his nomination, like a grown up. Would Mitt do the same? Mitt is indeed weird in at least a few ways.
So let me get this right - Romney held a "secret" press conference in front of Solyndra and was "terrified" that the WH would stop him from doing so? Instead of the fact that he was trespassing on "private property" and the owners of said property had every right to call the police and have him removed for trespassing, ok I get it now....
Meanwhile at the WH where the adults are, they have more pressing things to deal with. Dismissed Rawmoney.....
There are five more months of this stuff? Good Grief.
Childish, in a 'we're getting away with something' kind of way. Sad.
Speaking of childish...
"President Obama may have really screwed up but, hey, so did your guy!"
What gets me also is this great one-liner:
Evergreen got 2.5 million, operated for 10 years, then filed for bankruptcy. Solyndra gets HALF A TRILLION dollars, operates for 2 more years and then closes it's doors. Yeah, the cases are "very similar."
Are we to believe Romney and his team would function this way if elected?
Yes.
"As a rule, putting aside policies and any personal opinions, I tend to at least consider Romney's operation to be competent and well organized. But for these guys to seriously believe the White House would sabotage a Romney press conference is deeply strange, and more than a little paranoid."
I'm beginning to worry about Steve. Look, this is easy. They make this crap up. They say they were worried about it to feed into the paranoia of their moronic Useful Idiots. They hope to give the impression to independents that strong-arming the poor Romney campaign into not being able to hold a campaign event is the sort of thing the Socialist Obama Administration would do.
Look around at your fellow Americans. You know in your heart it'll probably work.
I don't know if it will work or not, but I think you're right about the tactic. Romney et al are rather ham-handedly playing to the "We are the victims of a left-wing conspiracy" crowd. A little piece of theater to keep the conspiracy fearers roped in and perhaps persuade Independents that Obama has something to hide.
Hey Mittens: Paranoia will destroy ya.
I don't think channeling Nixon is going to work out for them the way they think it will.
nothing mutt does will surprise me anymore. the only surprise would be if all those other wing nuts keep believing him.
oh and let's not forget obama called mutt the other day to congratulate him on winning the repuke nomination. bet that rocked his world. could explain why mutt was so stupid again today.
I cant believe a politician would lie say it aint so. One minute they are in favor of something the next minute they are flip floping, or evolving. Just makes you not even want to vote for anybody. He said she said, geese politicians get off your ass and do something. We have less people emplyoed now than we did 4 years ago or at least it seems that way. I wish Obama would have just gave evey person 100,000 bucks. At least that way we would have knew where all the money actualy went.
Vote Libertarian. They wont give you $100,000 but they wont be giving to any one else either.
When are you going to point out that he propensity to lie equates to the behavior of a sociopath? This is not a normal human being. He has something terribly wrong about his view of the world. He magnifies his entitlement and justifies unacceptable behavior.
Romney is a pathological liar.
"There are a number of reasons that people lie. The first is fear. This is the most common reason that people may lie, and they are taking shelter from a perceived punishment. It may be because they know they have done something wrong a single time, in which case it is not compulsive lying. But if they are always in fear of being punished, it may become a habit, which is a second reason for lying. In this case, it may become compulsive lying, which is lying by reflex. Even when confronted by the truth, they insist the lie is the truth in this case. A third case is learning to lie through modeling. When a people see others lie, especially when they get away with it, they may become more prone to lying. Finally, people lie because they feel if they tell the truth they won't get what they want. Thus, out of the main reasons for lying, only lying by habit can truly be called "compulsive lying" or "pathological lying".
Increased lying has been seen with a number of psychiatric diagnoses such as ADHD and Bipolar Disorder. With ADHD people will often say "I don't know why I did that", and when confronted about why they lied, their answer will be the same. ADHD children also display impulsivity, and they may lie implusively. Bipolar Disorder can be associated with low serotonin levels, which has been implicated in impulsivity, which, as indicated before, makes a person more prone to lie.
Pathological lying, though, can be thought of as being associated with a select few psychiatric diagnoses, which normally have their onset during adolescence. Namely, these are Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder. In conduct disorder, it is common to seelying, conning people and other forms of deceit. In Antisocial Personality Disorder, there is a pervasive pattern of disregard or the rights of others, and with this, the person with this disorder will often lie to get what they wish – usually money, sex or power."
http://www.mental-health-matters.com/lying/95-what-is-compulsive-lying
Well hes a politicain all politicians lie, thats just the way it is. Even Obama has lied for example he was in favor of same sex marriage then he was against it then he evolves agian and is now in favor of it. He said he going to cut the deficit in half, he didnt. He said that jobs were going to be #1 instead he spent the 1st year in office on the health care law that nobody read and is in the Supreme Court now. We could go on and on and point all of the lies Obama has said and also Willards lies. Nancy is no stranger to the lie either, show me one politician that dont lie and I will run through times square naked.
Romney also has no sense of empathy - as demonstrated by not only his antics with the gay kid and cutting his hair, but also his lack of any response but giggling when they asked him about the assault. He has an inflated sense of self - he is the most important person in the world to everyone, who cares about the people affected by layoffs, I made money. He also is cruel towards animals - his dog on the roof of his car for a several hour drive.
Armchair psychology here - but he shows classic signs of psychopathy.
As a Libertarian i just love hearing people talk about Solyndra. Unfortunately, I think this topic is narrow. I do believe that Solyndra recieved some special consideration. (I know I can neither prove nor disprove this)
Almost all politicians give special consideration to to the people or organizations that donate to their Campaigns. Some times it manifests itself as helpful legislation, regulation/deregulation (especially bad when something is federally insurred as well), tax loopholes, or in this case Direct funding.
As for Mitt's experience with investing Private Capital into Private Companies; I hope he and all other politicains would stop gambling with my/our tax dollars. Especially when it involves their friends, business partners, and campaign financers.
I don't believe that President Obama has the time nor inclination to sabotage Mitt's little Press confrence. However, I can't say the same for all of Obama's supporters. My guess is that some college kids or Occupy Walstreet people could and/ or would.
And that's their right, as private citizens. Mitt sending paid aides to do it is a whole different kettle of fish.
I agree.
Rachel,
I disagree that the Mitt campaign screwed up by bringing up Solyndra today. I think they did it on purpose because they know that the Obama campaign will pivot to talking about Mitt's time as governer, and all the companies Romney gave money to that went under. This is just another attempt to muddy up the water and beat the Obama team to the punch
Mitt Romney is the manchurian candidate... think about it. He flip flops all the time... those are just programming adjustments ;-)
WHY in the world are you giving Romney FREE advertizement and air time by showing his video where he his lying about President Obama? Read Richard Gerrig's research where he shows that if you tell people this is a lie and then tell them a lie that even though they know it is a lie, they react to it as a truth. When you show that video of Romney you are giving him and what he says validation whether you say it is a lie or not. Just DON'T show the video if nothing else you make it easier for people to cut, paste and reshow them as truth.