1.) Rahm Emanuel doesn’t remember Solyndra? Really? — Solyndra, Solyndra… Nope, not ringing any bells. Rahm Emanuel wants you to think he’s stupid and incompetent, as TheDC’s C.J. Ciaramella reports: “Chicago mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said he doesn’t recall anything about the Obama administration’s $535 million loan to the recently bankrupt solar company Solyndra. Speaking to Chicago radio station WLS 890AM at a news conference about a new wellness initiative, Emanuel said he didn’t remember anything about the failed investment loan by the Department of Energy, which critics say was fast-tracked to fit the White House’s political agenda. ‘Ya know, I’m focusing on a major announcement today for the City Of Chicago,’ Emanuel said. ‘I don’t actually remember that or know about it. So, what I’m dealing is with what I’m dealing with here today.’ Emanuel was Obama’s chief of staff during the administration’s green energy initiative in 2009, when the Solyndra loan was finalized.” Yes, he certainly was. By the way: “In one [White House] e-mail, an assistant to Emanuel wrote on Aug. 31, 2009 to the Office of Management and Budget about the administration’s upcoming announcement on Solyndra and asked whether ‘there is anything we can help speed along on OMB side.'” Which Rahm doesn’t remember or know anything about. Well, if he wants everyone to think he has no idea what he’s doing…
2.) Kaiser’s role — For more on the scandal that Rahm is pirouetting away from as fast as he can, let’s go to TheDC’s Matthew Boyle: “A Daily Caller review of the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s income tax returns found that during the same year billionaire investor George Kaiser successfully secured $535 million in government loan guarantees for the now-failed solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, his private philanthropy donated to a political cause close to the hearts of several high-ranking Obama administration officials. Kaiser, a major Obama donor, was a frequent White House visitor during the week before the Obama administration approved that taxpayer-underwritten financial deal. A $10,000 donation to the Urban Health Initiative at the University of Chicago Medical Center appears on the group’s 2009 tax forms. It was also in 2009 that Kaiser successfully sought to lock down a loan guarantee for the green-energy company Solyndra through his two investment vehicles: Argonaut Ventures and the GKFF Investment Company. While this donation seems small compared to the far larger numbers involved in the Solyndra scandal, it adds to the pattern of possible connections between the Obama administration and the growing Solyndra scandal.” There’s a perfectly good explanation for all this, and you’re never going to hear it from anyone involved. BTW, now we’re learning that Solyndra applied for another half-billion or so in loans. Did they get it? Did this ridiculous boondoggle cost the American taxpayers an even billion dollars? Stay tuned!
3.) ACORN still getting your money — But wait, taxpayers, there’s more! Matthew Boyle again: “An affiliate of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) received another $300,000 in taxpayer funding in early August, The Daily Caller has learned. President Barack Obama’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the $300,000 grant to the post-ACORN ally: The Affordable Housing Centers of America (AHCOA). The Obama administration awarded the money despite a 2010 law saying no taxpayer funds could be issued to ACORN ‘or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations.’ AHCOA was previously named ‘Acorn Housing Corporation,’ a group that did a lot of business with ACORN. Acorn Housing changed its name to AHCOA in late 2009. Until the end of August, AHCOA’s website boasted that it was ‘formerly Acorn Housing Corporation.’ The organization has since removed that bit of history. The ‘new’ organization has the same Chicago address and phone number as Acorn Housing did.” Chicago. Corruption. Flagrant lawlessness. The underlying assumption that you’re too stupid to notice. Weird, huh?
4.) Capitalist pigs warned once again — Hey, somebody’s gotta pay for all this stuff we don’t need that doesn’t work. Look, there’s a guy with a top hat and a monocle! Get ‘im! NYT: “President Obama on Monday will call for a new minimum tax rate for individuals making more than $1 million a year to ensure that they pay at least the same percentage of their earnings as middle-income taxpayers, according to administration officials. With a special joint Congressional committee starting work to reach a bipartisan budget deal by late November, the proposal adds a new and populist feature to Mr. Obama’s effort to raise the political pressure on Republicans to agree to higher revenues from the wealthy in return for Democrats’ support of future cuts from Medicare and Medicaid. Mr. Obama, in a bit of political salesmanship, will call his proposal the ‘Buffett Rule,’ in a reference to Warren E. Buffett, the billionaire investor who has complained repeatedly that the richest Americans generally pay a smaller share of their income in federal taxes than do middle-income workers, because investment gains are taxed at a lower rate than wages.” Of course, Buffett doesn’t even want to pay the taxes he owes already, but whatever. Here’s the real Buffett Rule: Taxes are for others to pay.
5.) Charlie Sheen is now a good person — Last night was the Emmys. If you don’t care who won, welcome to the club. But at least one interesting thing happened. FoxNews.com: “Earlier this year, Charlie Sheen embarked on his own media ‘movement,’ cussing out his castmates and bosses on Two and a Half Men, calling executive producer Chuck Lorre everything from a ‘maggot’ to a ‘nut-less sociopath,’ and his co-star Jon Cryer ‘a turncoat, traitor, and a troll…’ But it seems the once unhinged television personality has come around and is pulling out all the stops to redeem his reputation. ‘From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season,’ Sheen said during the 63rd Emmys telecast on Sunday night, after proclaiming that he wanted ‘to take a moment to get something off my chest and say a few words to everyone here from Two and a Half Men. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television…’ The fired actor even went to extra lengths during the Emmys telecast to ensure his fans that there was no bad blood between he and Kutcher.” Is this the beginning of a kinder, gentler Charlie Sheen, or just a brief lull between manic coke binges?
6.) Today’s words of wisdom from Alec Baldwin’s Truther, er, Twitter feed — “I don’t assume anyone is racist. I give them the benefit of the doubt. Anything else is racist.”
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