Solyndra: Energy Dept. pushed firm to keep layoffs quiet until after midterms

[alp227]

Source: Wash. Post

The Obama administration urged officers of the struggling solar company Solyndra to postpone announcing planned layoffs until after the November 2010 midterm elections, newly released e-mails show.

Solyndra, the now-shuttered California company, had been a poster child of President Obama’s initiative to invest in clean energies and received the administration’s first energy loan of $535 million. But a year ago, in October 2010, the solar panel manufacturer was quickly running out of money and had warned the Energy Department it would need emergency cash to avoid having to shut down.

The new e-mails about the layoff announcement were released Tuesday morning as part of a House Energy and Commerce committee memo, provided in advance of Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s scheduled testimony before the investigative committee Thursday.

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.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/solyndra-department-of-energy-pushed-hard-for-company-not-to-announce-layoffs-until-after-2010-mid-term-elections/2011/11/15/gIQA2AriON_story.html

[PoliticAverse]

1. Solyndra is turning out to be a textbook case of 'crony capitalism'.

Just say no to 'privatizing profits, socializing losses'.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. Where was the Washington Post on Bush and Enron?

That's right. They were covering up for W., lying that his administration did not lobby for a bailout before the company's financial status was made public.

[FreeBillClinton]

6. So your point is that this should be covered up because it's your guy?

[McCamy Taylor]

7. My point is the Wa Post covered up for the Neocons and rakes muck over the Dems.

Think "Pelosi Knew" and the "Good Lie."

My how the mighty have fallen (since the days of Watergate).

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Oops. Delete duplicate.

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Duplicate again.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Wow, that was some computer hiccup. Third duplicate delete.