In an interview with Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) this morning, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien did what many television anchors have failed to do in discussions about the clean energy loan guarantee program: come prepared with facts.
Senator Johnson attempted to re-hash “pants on fire” GOP talking points on Solyndra and the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program. But rather than take the claims at face value, O’Brien, who had clearly done her homework, easily deflated Johnson’s claims with a blunt statement of the facts.
Late in the interview, O’Brien incredulously responded to Johnson’s rant about the Soviet Union: “You surely are not suggesting that the concept behind Solyndra and other green energy technologies like Solyndra is comparable to the Soviet Union and Cuba, right?”
Johnson confirms he is indeed comparing loan guarantees — a policy long supported by mainstream Republicans — to Soviet economics. Ironically, Johnson’s manufacturing company, Pacur, expanded in the 1980′s with the help of a $2.5 million government-subsidized loan.
Check out the interview below. As candidates continue to push the bogus “crony capitalism” messaging around clean energy, let’s hope more television reporters can be this prepared:
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Thanks for pointing this out. We do need news figures who are capable of cutting through the BS if we are going to get a real discussion about our policy options.
One point on Solyndra/Crony Capitalism/Communism: Solyndra went bankrupt, which means it was actual Capitalism, not Communism, not Crony Capitalism. If Solyndra had NOT been allowed to fail, that would be crony Capitalism.
BTW, a US Senator claiming something is BOTH a form of Capitalism AND an example of Communism shows how poorly we screen people for ability to think clearly and consistently before giving them positions of power.
Question
Will CNN — and will CP? — cover the Green Party’s stance and platform on climate change? Their candidate for President is Jill Stein.
Please let us know.
Thanks,
Jeff
“Isn’t that exactly what Romney did as Governor of Massachusetts?”
“Listen [to me duck the question] — the path we need to be on is private sector creating jobs, and that’s exactly what Romney would do as president.”
(Above quotes are paraphrased.)
The one question he should have ducked, about suggesting President Obama’s loan program was like the Soviet Union’s, he didn’t duck.
I love this interview. Let’s hope a lot of people listen to it. BTW: Didn’t Ron Johnson make some spectacularly dumb remarks in his campaign?
The GOP are effectively labeling the majority of Americans as socialist. Any restrictions on what the elite do is simply unacceptable to them.
The GOP are owned by the 1%. Bailing out banks is OK, feeding the poor is evil.
It’s rather revealing about the degree of brainwashing and groupthink amongst the Right everywhere (and the depth of reflex hatred easily displayed)that they hiss and spit venom whenever Cuba is mentioned. It is rather ironic that that besieged country, victim of more terrorist attacks than any other country and subjected to fifty years of economic sabotage and blockade, still managed to be judged the only nation on earth that is ecologically sustainable. Then again, that would be another reason for the omnicidal Right to hate them.