Letters to the President #1031: 'Solyndra: never say die'

Reporter's Note: President Obama gets a letter every day from me. Lucky man.

Dear Mr. President,

Maybe it’s just me, but I think the Republicans are convinced they have a great big, stinky fish on the line called Solyndra, and they are going to take their time reeling it in.

Because every single day they can keep that rotting whale rolling around in the surf, it is…to their eyes…an unavoidable reminder of where your White House went wrong.

Think about it: Not so long ago this solar energy firm was a shining symbol of so much of that hope and change you promised. Green energy. Jobs. A better future. Then things went south. A thousand people laid off. A $500-million dollar loan guarantee from the feds left flapping in the breeze like last week’s laundry. And you with egg on your face.

You have to admit, if the Republicans had a problem like that you and your Dems would probably not want it all settled too soon either. “Oh no, I’m pretty sure that dirty laundry is still a little damp. Let’s leave it out there just a bit longer.”

So your Energy Secretary is headed to the hill tomorrow for a Congressional hearing and you know they are going to turn up the barbeque on him. What did you know? When did you know it? Was this company given special treatment because 1) It might reflect on the president? 2) It might reflect on his fundraisers connected to the project? Or 3) Well, insert your reason here.

My advice: Buckle in and endure the ride.

Sure, your proxies can accuse the Repub’s of grandstanding and you can explain how some of their “facts” are either false or cherry picked to make the situation look worse than it is, but face it…it’s pretty bad, anyway. You were openly behind Solyndra as a symbol of what you wanted to do with the whole economy, and it crashed and burned. There is no way that is going to look good for you. And no way that the Republicans are going to let it go until they’ve wrung out every ounce of misery for your White House.

So, other than that, how is your week going? Weather seems a little wacky. Sunny one moment, cloudy the next; warmer, then cooler. It’s exhausting.

Call if you get a moment.

Regards,
Tom