Politico: Libs Miffed Media Fixated on Solyndra; In Truth, Nets Largely Ignoring Story
In a front-page story today, Politico's Darren Samuelsohn relayed the ire of liberal think tanks and blogs "bemoaning the 'out of proportion' Solyndra coverage" in the media. We at NewsBusters are not sure what planet these folks are living on.
A search of the Nexis database for Solyndra stories on ABC, CBS and NBC between September 8 -- when the FBI raided the company's headquarters -- and today turned up just 19 stories. Of those, the vast majority are from September.
NBC has had no stories on Solyndra in the month of October. CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley briefly noted the resignation of the company's CEO on the October 13 program, but without any reference to emails that had been unearthed that questioned the wisdom and legality of the loan while it was being finalized by the Obama Energy Department:
The CEO of the bankrupt solar power company Solyndra has resigned. Brian Harrison stepped down on Friday. Last month Harrison declined to answer questions from a congressional committee investigating what happened to a $535 million loan guaranteed by U.S. taxpayers.
ABC programs had three mentions of Solyndra so far this month, but none of them were stories that dealt with the scandal in depth.
For example, there's this brief exchange in Bill Weir's softball interview with Hollywood director James Cameron on the October 12 Nightline:
WEIR: And while the Solyndra scandal has complicated the push towards solar, he thinks more big government loans should be given out. Not to big companies, but to we the people.
CAMERON: There should be like an automatic loan program system where you just sign up for solar and eventually it will - this is one of those few investments that are guaranteed to pay off for you.
Six days earlier, World News anchor Diane Sawyer briefly noted President Obama's defense of using taxpayer monies to support green energy efforts:
The President defended his administration's $528 million loan to Solyndra, the California solar energy company that went bankrupt and left taxpayers on the hook for the money. The President said the US must keep giving loans to clean energy companies, to compete against the Chinese.
On October 3, Solyndra came up on World News in segment featuring highlights of a George Stephanopoulos interview with the president:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And for the first time, President Obama had to answer for Solyndra, the solar panel company which failed despite $500 billion in government loans from the Energy Department. President Obama had held it up as a model for green jobs and clean energy.
STEPHANOPOULOS to OBAMA: Do you regret that?
President BARACK OBAMA: No, I don't, because if you look at the overall portfolio of loan guarantees that have been provided, overall it's doing well and what we always understood was that not every single business is gonna succeed in clean energy. But if we want to compete with China, which is pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into this space, if we want to compete with other countries that are heavily subsidizing the industries of the future, we've got to make sure that our guys here in the United States of America at least have a shot. Now, there are going to be some failures and Solyndra is an example.
STEPHANOPOULOS to DIANE SAWYER: Diane, White House e-mails released by congressional investigators today show there was a fierce debate inside the White House at the time over whether this program really did make sense.
You'll notice that the description of the loan failure paints the matter as a simple political blunder and/or a bump in the road towards a green energy future, not a potentially illegal abuse of taxpayer money.
It's all part and parcel of the liberal media shielding Obama by ignoring or downplaying a significant scandal.
- Ken Shepherd's blog
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Comments
Integrity
Submitted by Jay.79 on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 1:43pm.
It's not what they are about.
Just another ploy, like calling the Tea Party racist or terrorists.
As the accompanying photo shows, its all about protecting the regime.
Corruption and Cronyism
Submitted by harris65 on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 1:53pm.
Corruption and cronyism is running rampant in our government and this is yet another example.
Consider also what just happened in a federal court in Texas. A Dallas business owner was involved in a civil dispute and paid millions of dollars to lawyers, and when he objected to additional fees after settling the case, they had a “friendly” Clinton appointed judge seize all of his possessions, without any notice or hearing, and essentially ordered him under “house arrest” as an involuntary servant to the lawyers. The business owner has been under this "servant" order for 10 months and is prohibited from owning any possessions, prohibited from working, etc..
...and some quotes from the judge:
THE COURT: "I'm telling you don't scr-w with me. You are a fool, a fool, a fool, a fool to scr-w with a federal judge, and if you don't understand that, I can make you understand it. I have the force of the Navy, Army, Marines and Navy behind me."
THE COURT: "You realize that order is an order of the Court. So any failure to comply with that order is contempt, punishable by lots of dollars, punishable by possible jail, death"
http://www.lawinjustice.com has an explanation of this case.
Wow.
Submitted by pockets64 on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 2:57pm.
That case reads like judicial po rn.
Seems to be some searching
Submitted by TerryWest on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 2:37pm.
Seems to be some searching for reasons as to why this OWS movement is failing to catch on with the majority of Americans.
Blaming the exposure of Solyndra and the Obama administrations total disregard for tax payer money took a big bite out of their movement, and continues to make them appear ignorant, intentionally limited, dishonest and self serving.
The movement (such as it is one) is not so much about what is to our country's disadvantage as it is about how best to continue the same agenda that brought us Solyndra, which is how best to take advantage of the country.
Nice writeup, Ken,
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 3:36pm.
of the media's "fixation" on Solyndra
Can't they just leave the poor man ALONE?!?!
I. LOVE. THAT. PICTURE!! I
Submitted by okie-pastor on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 3:41pm.
I. LOVE. THAT. PICTURE!!
I want it to be my avatar!
Maybe the only more fitting
Submitted by okie-pastor on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 3:54pm.
Maybe the only more fitting pictorial illustration would be Obama wearing a Red Coat (Lord Cornwallis) and sending his troops with the ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, etc. logos on them riding in on an oncoming army of Gadsden flag waving citizens!!
On a Solyndra-related topic...
Submitted by bkeyser on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 4:44pm.
NB, you seeing this?
Wow.
I know who it was...
Submitted by Tom1969ca on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 6:53am.
It was Winston Smith over at the Ministry of Truth...
Once the Libas Get money they never intend to give it back.
Submitted by Avitar on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 6:14pm.
The libs know that their pet media knows that a "Loan Guarantee" to a Dem Contributor is the same as a gift. They are just griping about the new media who don’t play that game.
It reduces the work that they have to do runing honst journalist out of business if everyone knows why the previous honst journalists were run out of town.
I love the picture
Submitted by j_phred on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 6:36pm.
I'm reminded of the German VOLKSSTURM.
"The Volkssturm is definitely a bottom-of-the-barrel organization. Although it may succeed in mustering more than ten million men for local defense inside the Reich, a conservative estimate indicates that less than half of these will be physically fit."
- from Lonesentry.com