The Investigative Reporting Workshop reported this story in coordination with ABC’s World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer andtheWatchdog Institute, a non-profit investigative journalism group based at San Diego State University.
Money from the 2009 stimulus bill to help support the renewable energy industry continues to flow overseas, despite Congressional criticism and calls for change, according to a new analysis of the program by the Investigative Reporting Workshop.
The Workshop was the first to report last October that more than 80 percent of the first $1 billion in grants to wind energy companies went to foreign firms. Since then, the administration has stopped making announcements of new grants to wind, solar and geothermal companies, but has handed out another $1 billion, bringing the total given out to $2.1 billion and the total that went to companies based overseas to more than 79 percent.
In fact, the largest grant made under the program so far, a $178 million payment on Dec. 29, went to Babcock & Brown, a bankrupt Australian company that built a Texas wind farm using turbines made by a Japanese company.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs comes to daily briefing with notes scribbled on his hand to Mock Sarah Palin. Palin didn’t use a teleprompter at the Teaparty convention but had put a couple of notes on her hand to make sure she made brought the points up in her speech and Q&A. These are called ‘talking points’. Gibbs came out with a grocery list and ‘hope and change’ on his hand. He said he didn’t want to forget.
Gibbs denied that he saw the Teaparty convention but took pop shots that would indicate that he was at least briefed on the event. He was met to laughs and jeers from the Press corps. Later on in the briefing he was asked if the Teaparty convention was a threat. Well this writer thinks that if they have to attack the meeting rather than ignoring it, it most be a threat to the Administration. This from Mary Katharine Hamm over at The The Weekly Standard
In a White House briefing where the president showed up (because Howard Kurtz wrote a column) to talk about his bipartisan health-care summit and getting beyond politics to solve problems, the White House press secretary used the dumbest political story of the week to take a shot at a former governor and Fox News Contributor from the podium.
White House Press Secratary Gibbs comes to Briefing with notes on hand that says, "hope and change" in case he forgot
Earlier this week, the Left was up in arms over Sarah Palin’s hands. She had written notes to herself on her palm for her Tea Party Convention speech and Q&A. Why this is a problem for the supporters of the TelePrompter in Chief is beyond me, but that fact that it’s the only problem they had with her speech illustrates how good the speech was.
Gibbs went petty today, as he so often does, by scribbling notes on his palm today, featuring “eggs, milk, bread, hope and change.”
Palin wrote “Hi, Mom” on her hand before a Sunday rally for Rick Perry in the wake of the uproar over her hand notes the day before. It was one of those moments that, for any person not caught up in Palin Derangement Syndrome, should have made crystal clear why people love her. For all his strengths, Barack Obama is capable of nothing like that sort of folksy self-deprecation.
MSNBC’s David Shusterbecame a fan of Fox News’ late-night comedy/news hybrid Red Eye just in time for its three-year anniversary.
And it’s coming at a time when the 3amET show is seeing big ratings in the A25-54 demographic – even topping CNN prime time last week.
Just like when we highlighted the show’s ratings in September 2009 (which the FNC advertising department enjoyed as well, taking out full-page ads in the New York Post and others), the ratings for last week show Red Eye beating CNN again. This time, the show had better ratings in the A25-54 demographic than Campbell Brown at 8pmET and Larry King at 9pmET, and tied Anderson Cooper at 10pmET (Monday-Thursday).
For Friday’s third-anniversary show, there was a look back at the past few years, including the second episode – which was…fairly raw. And featured an unkempt, pre-Big-Everything Andrew Breitbart.
Witnesses and emergency response authorities said as many as 50 people were injured and an undetermined number may have died when a massive explosion, which homeowners more than 10 miles away and mistook for an earth quake, blew up a power plant being built on the Connecticut River in the southern section of Middletown.
2 dead, 250 injured in Power plant explosion in Middletown, CT
Emergency crews are on the scene of an explosion and fire at a power plant in Middletown. There are reports of mass casualties, but there are no confirmed details.
The explosion happened at the Kleen Energy natural gas and oil plant under construction on River Road around 11:30 a.m.
Two LifeStar helicopters were called to the scene. One has taken off carrying one patient. We do not know any details about the person’s injuries.
There are reports there may have been 300 people in the building at the time of the explosion.
Ever say, “Are you blind” to a Taxi driver? Here is the reason. Our friends over the pound, trying to be ‘inclusive’ are offering Taxi-cab driver applications in Braille. Sound like something the Obama administration would do for a ‘created job” in the stimulus. Since Obama is following after the British lead on healthcare, I am sure transportation leaders will be offering Braille applications for the justice department and others.
one city council might have let its enthusiasm run away with itself – by printing taxi-driver licence applications in braille.
In a move that is almost certainly the first of its kind, the forms can also be printed and downloaded in large print or audio format people with sight problems.
A coalition of tea party activists in South Florida is accusing a well-known local radio host of trying to hijack their movement.
Columbia, SC Tax Day Teaparty
The Florida activists filed a lawsuit last month against Doug Guetzloe after he filed papers last year with state officials registering the name “Tea Party” as an official political party — and then warned other tea party groups to stop using that name.
Guetzloe, who is also a political consultant, made waves in the conservative activist movement by registering the tea party name since none of the other state tea party groups operate as an official party.
The radio host told FoxNews.com Friday he’s just trying to take the movement to the “next level” and start putting up candidates under a formal “Tea Party” flag.
Michael R. Caputo is sending e-mails asking for help with legal fight. Here is the letter some teaparty activists are receiving.
Last Tuesday, I filed with other tea party leaders filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against the Mr. Fred O’Neal and Doug Guetzloe (attorney and political consultant) that started “Tea Party” as a political Third Party.
The reason why we filed this lawsuit is because Mr. Fred O’Neal and Doug Guetzloe are threatening tea party leaders. He is also claiming all rights to the name “Tea Party.” See article “Florida Lawyer Claims Rights To Tea Party Name –” link name
We would like to add other tea party leaders to our lawsuit. It will not cost you anything to join. You can see a copy of our complaint at http://bit.ly/5BYdqc or for more information contact:
Michael R. Caputo
michaelrcaputo@gmail.com
Caputo Public Relations, Inc.
12864 Biscayne Blvd, #332
North Miami, FL 33181-2007
305-733-3431
Let’s not let the politicians and political parties take over our movement. We can and we will hold true to our mission and values.
Sincerely,
Doug Guetzloe has a history of Alleged “Extortion” and Payoffs. This from October, 2006:
ORLANDO, Fla. — Political consultant Doug Guetzloe was under more fire Friday. Eyewitness News has new information on how he allegedly tried to get Orange County schools to pay him, “or else,” while the Orlando Magic coughed up $200,000 to keep him from opposing a new arena.
Congressman Conyers wants Dept Head Demoted over Race of staff
Senior House Democrat John Conyers is demanding that Hillary Clinton demote Rajiv Shah, head of USAID, in which capacity he’s leading U.S. relief efforts in Haiti.
Does Conyers think that Shah lacks competence to carry out the incredibly important task of saving lives? No. The Hill reports that Conyers is angry that Shah “showed up at a meeting with the 42-member Congressional Black Caucus without any African American staffers in tow.”
As you know, the 42 member Congressional Black Caucus met with Rajiv Shah, the Administrator of the U.S. AID yesterday to discuss the crisis in Haiti. I was alarmed and chagrined to learn that none of the approximately dozen staff he brought with him were African American. This is so serious an error in judgement that it warrants his immediate demotion to a subordinate position at AID. It is well known that there has long been an under-representation of minorities in key positions within the State Department. I am confident this Administration will immediately begin addressing this problem.
I look forward to meeting with you on this matter.
Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.
Member of Congress
The congressman has a short memory, as the top spot at the State Department was led by Condoleezza Riceunder the Bush Administration. Remember Bush? He was the guy who tripled foreign aid to the continent of Africa over President Clinton’s levels and had the most diverse administration in history. But leftist don’t seem to count conservatives as black. Obama has exceeded Bush diversity levels. So what is Conyers complaining about? Do you have to be black to help Haitians? Ridiculous!
Michelle Malkin » Race-hustling over Haiti
You know, the people suffering in Haiti don’t seem to care one bit what the skin colors of their care-givers and rescuers are.
The Department of Defense will begin making the morning-after pill Plan B available at all of its hospitals and health clinics around the world, officials announced Thursday.
The decision came after a recommendation by the Pentagon’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, an advisory panel that voted in November to include Plan B and the generic Next Choice on the list of drugs all military facilities should stock. The Pentagon accepted the recommendation Feb. 3, a spokeswoman said.
The decision is the latest the Obama administration has made reversing politically sensitive policies involving women’s health that were implemented during President George W. Bush’s administration. Previously, the Obama administration has announced that it was rescinding a federal regulation that would have expanded the ability of health-care workers to refuse to provide medical care they found morally objectionable, including abortion and Plan B; has lifted federal restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research; and has restored funding to international family-planning groups.
“The Washington Post ignored a few historical facts when it proclaimed in a front page article Wednesday that President Obama is quote, ‘a rare President who comes from the middle class,’” FNC’s Bret Baier pointed out during his Thursday “Grapevine” segment. Baier explained what escaped Post reporter Eli Saslow:
There have actually been many Presidents who hailed from the middle class. Lyndon Johnson was born in a small farmhouse and worked his way through college. Harry Truman worked for the railroad and lived in hobo camps. Richard Nixon’s parents ran a grocery store. Ronald Reagan was born in a small apartment above a bank in Northern Illinois. His father was a salesman. And Bill Clinton was born to a widow in Hope, Arkansas.
He was the one-time must-see anti-Bush ranter who helped rescue MSNBC (yes, it’s still on at night) from even worse oblivion years ago.
Well, quietly last month while no one was looking, hardly anyone was watching Keith Olbermann anymore.
The guy, who’s even apparently tried to get some Sarah Palin-like eyeglasses, is now forced to leap over-the-top on ex-state senators like Scott Brown and Tuesday’s worst person, Fox News’ Glenn Beck. Beck is the successful talker with the perfect haircut for radio. Like most Americans, he wasn’t watching Keith.
There are a couple of reasons for KO’s frustration and anger and volume and core meltdown over the Massachusetts election outcome, among other issues of galactic import. For one, lots more ranters around nowadays on all sides, including that colleague of Keith’s with the hugest head in TV. Please, no 3-D for him!
Also, Olbermann’s showboat is sinking. Listing in you-know-which direction.
It’s as if he thinks talking LOUDER will keep his low cell battery from dying.
