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Issa to Investigate Obama on Solyndra, LightSquared

House oversight chairman criticizes 'crony capitalism'

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 20, 2011 1:30 PM CDT

(Newser) – Darrell Issa has long promised to use his House oversight panel to investigate the Obama administration, and the White House has served up two hanging fastballs for him: Solyndra and LightSquared. The chair of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee told C-SPAN today that he intends to investigate the administration's ties to both, reports the Hill. "I want to see when the president and his cronies are picking winners and losers ... it wasn't because there were large contributions given to them."

The White House is accused of speeding up loans to Solyndra, a green-tech company that went bankrupt last month. LightSquared is a wireless startup whose technology apparently interferes with military GPS, and an Air Force general says the White House pressured him to downplay that in testimony. The two companies have "strong ties" to Democratic donors, notes Business Insider. "This is another reason that crony capitalism … is dangerous, because they're going to pick winners that they ideologically, or in some cases because they support their candidacy, want to see win," said Issa. (On the crony front, ThinkProgress still wants to know why Issa won't go after Rupert Murdoch.)

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa in a file photo.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa in a file photo.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 38 comments
ERICAIELLO
Oct 8, 2011 10:21 AM CDT
I can only hope that Issa investigates the Koch Bros.for selling petrochemicals to Iran while Iran was banned from any trade with America with the same zeal as he does in this case. What do you think the chances are of that happening?
TARDIS
Sep 21, 2011 1:10 AM CDT
Ok lets let a car theif investigate this http://archimedesend.blogspot.com/2011/01/darrell-issa-car-thief-arsonist-gun-nut.html
cornelison
Sep 20, 2011 9:49 PM CDT
Issa looks familiar.  Did he have anything to do with The Spanish Inquisition?  Maybe it was The Salem Witch Trials. 
 

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