Major donors to President Obama have received favorable treatment throughout his administration. Today’s news that solar company Solyndra is going bankrupt demonstrates the consequences of that apparent cronyism. The company’s demise is likely to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Solyndra suspended operations Wednesday and will soon file for chapter 11 bankruptcy and lay off its 1,100 employees. The company cited “regulatory and policy uncertainties in recent months” as the cause of its financial hardships, which have “created significant near-term excess supply and price erosion,” according to the company’s …
A video of a Chinese general’s discussing officials who were caught spying against Beijing has recently garnered a significant amount of attention. Much of the discussion has centered on the significance of a Chinese general apparently criticizing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and whether this presages a split between military and civilian leadership. But Major General Jin Yinan, director of the Strategic Teaching and Research Department at the Chinese National Defense University, is not simply criticizing the Party. Instead, the available video of his entire speech, which lasts more than …
Forget entrepreneurs, captains of industry, inventors, and scientists. According to Obama Energy Secretary Steven Chu, we have the U.S. government to thank for all the wonders of technology. In a speech yesterday at Senator Harry Reid’s National Clean Energy Summit, Chu showed America his true colors–and the philosophical bent of the Department of Energy under the Obama Administration–when he delivered a speech praising government’s involvement in the growth of technologies (even helping airplanes get off the ground). In Chu’s words (which you can watch at the 30:50 mark, above): So the …
The Big Labor full-court press is in full swing ahead of President Barack Obama’s speech next week in which he will roll-out a new jobs plan. What do they want? You guessed it: more government spending (as if an auto industry bailout, Obamacare, and a $780 billion stimulus weren’t enough.) Yesterday, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka continued beating the drum and calling for President Obama to aggressively push forward with more government spending in order to stimulate the economy, all while abjuring conservatives’ complaints that Washington is spending too much. Trumka wants …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. How Washington pays Big Green to sue the government – Ron Arnold, Washington Examiner Solar company that received Obama administration backing closes its doors – Andrew Restuccia, The Hill Growing the economy for dummies – Richard W. Rahn, The Washington Times How Obama’s rules hold back Chicago business – Peter Roskam, Chicago Sun-Times Paving the way to World War III – James Carafano, Washington Examiner Libya woes not over – Peter …
September 17th is Constitution Day. 224 years ago, America’s Founders ratified a new Constitution that would form a more perfect union and secure the blessings of liberty. Here are 10 easy ways you and your family can celebrate Constitution day: 1) Read it. The Constitution is only a few pages long, well-organized, and clearly written. Now is a great time to clear up any misconceptions you might have about the Constitution. Did you know that the Constitution doesn’t limit voting only to rich, white males? 2) Pass out copies of …
Recently, Americans rated Ronald Reagan as the nation’s greatest president. Reagan merits such praise, because his ideas were successful: they ended the domestic economic recession and the international threat of communism. But Reagan’s ideas were successful, because they were anchored in certain timeless principles. And now these principles are being evoked by a new generation of leaders, including Marco Rubio. In his speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library last week, Rubio invoked many of the Gipper’s principles: Limited Government: “Defining the proper role of government is as important …
A U.S. government gun-trafficking investigation gone horribly wrong has resulted in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol officer, some 2,000 firearms in the hands of criminals, and the dismissal of a 24-year veteran law enforcement official. This is the story of Fast and Furious, and yesterday the latest chapter unfolded when two top officials associated with the operation were removed from their positions, while a third individual resigned. The story begins in the fall of 2009, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) office in Phoenix, Arizona, began selling …
President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines arrived in Beijing today to commence a five-day state visit to China. The trip has been slated as a goodwill mission aimed at repairing strained relations and increasing economic ties between the two nations. President Aquino, leading a delegation of some 200 Philippine business leaders, and his Chinese counterparts intend to sign trade deals that would expand Sino–Philippine trade from the current level of about $13 billion to more than $60 billion by 2016. The Chinese, following a goal of seeking greater investment in …
In a momentous move in March of this year, a Colorado school board voted to implement its first private school choice program. The program allows up to 500 children in Douglas County to attend a private school of their choice. Now, hundreds of students are being blocked from receiving these scholarships due to the decision of a state district judge from Denver to halt the voucher program, claiming that it violates the state constitution. The county school board is planning to appeal the decision. John Carson, president of the Douglas …
