NPR's Nina Totenberg: There Was Nothing Political About Obama Giving Solyndra Money

November 19th, 2011 11:20 AM

NPR's Nina Totenberg on Friday exhibited what Hillary Clinton would call a willing suspension of disbelief.

When the subject of failed solar company Solyndra came up on PBS's Inside Washington, Totenberg actually said with a straight face, "There is no evidence that there was any political anything about the awarding of this contract" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

GORDON PETERSON, HOST: There was a hearing up on the hill, five hours, Steven Chu, the Secretary of Energy, was in the hot seat over Solyndra. $535 million loan guarantee, and Republicans are saying that they acted illegally by guaranteeing investors would get a break before taxpayers. Is this going to come back to bite the Obama campaign?

NINA TOTENBERG, NPR: It doesn't look good when half a billion dollars goes down the drain. On the other hand, this program, which was originally in the Bush administration and Solyndra was originally okayed in the Bush administration, actually allocates $10 billion for losses, because it was supposed to be a seed money program. It was endorsed by every Republican and I believe every Democratic member of the House committee that originally approved it. It was, you know, many people think it’s a good idea. Many people don't. But there is nothing illegal about what went on here, or even probably very political except that somebody wanted the layoffs delayed

PETERSON: What about the timing of the layoffs?

TOTENBERG: Except that somebody wanted the layoffs…

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Oh, yeah, except for that…

TOTENBERG: They shouldn’t have done that, but there is no evidence that there was any political anything about the awarding of this contract.

PETERSON: I don’t think Charles agrees with you.


I guess Totenberg missed the part about Obama fundraiser George Kaiser being one of Solyndra's largest investors.

It is indeed entertaining watching media members contort themselves supporting the corruption of a president they admire.