Friday, September 16, 2011

Obama should be in jail

Joseph Farah

I just don't know how to put this more delicately or diplomatically.

Barack Obama should not be sitting in the White House. He should be sitting in the Big House.

Forget all the questions about his identity and qualifications for office, his scandalous associations, his anti-American worldview and his attacks on the economy over the last three years.

Let's just focus on two instances of official corruption and cover-up.

The latest example is the Solyndra scandal. Remember the name. Don't forget it – even if the press and Congress try to sweep it under the rug.

Solyndra represents the perfect storm of Obama's misguided ideology, his reckless political ambition and his eagerness to squander trillions of public dollars to promote both.

It was only two years ago that Joe Biden hailed Solyndra as the centerpiece of the Obama administration's initiative to develop "clean energy technologies," boasting of $535 million in federal loan guarantees to ensure the politically connected company would have all the resources necessary to produce some solar power.

Rahm Emanuel and others in the administration pressured the Office of Management and Budget to finalize the one-sided deal, over the objections of OMB reviewers who preferred due diligence before handing over half a billion to company officials and investors who had, coincidentally, bundled tens of thousands of dollars into Obama's campaign a year earlier and had an open door at the White House ever since – or, at least, until two weeks ago when the highly favored company went belly up before ever producing a single kilowatt of electricity.

First of all, solar energy is not some cutting-edge technology. It is being used legitimately and effectively, without public subsidies, to power homes and reduce reliance on traditional power plants. But, whenever Big Government enters the picture, promoting so-called "clean energy" like it's a panacea for the future power needs and economic growth potential of the nation, it becomes nothing more than a money suck based on false promises.

But Solyndra is much worse than that. It's clear that Obama granted special favors to its investors and executives after collecting an enormous amount of campaign money from them.

A local or state official who engineered a deal like this would be indicted, tried and convicted of bribery – but this one was orchestrated by the most powerful members of the Obama administration, with his direct involvement.

The second example I would like to offer is the aptly named "Fast & Furious" scandal.

This was the plot by the Obama administration to sell American guns to Mexico's drug cartel – some of which were used to kill people, including, at least, one Border Patrol agent.

A congressional probe into this sensational, unbelievable, criminal enterprise – again, carefully directed by the highest official in the land, with Obama's oversight – has been stonewalled by Attorney General Eric Holder and the White House.

I want you to try to imagine this were a different administration – perhaps the previous one.

What would the press and Democratic members of Congress be saying about scandals of this magnitude if they were the handiwork of George W. Bush?

Do you think there would be any hesitation to call for impeachment, trial and conviction?

What if the scandals were discovered after the Bush team left office? Do you think there would be any hesitation to prosecuted those involved to the fullest extent of the law?

Can you even imagine that scandals like this would not be at the top of every news report day after day after day?

Neither can I.

In fact, I believe people would be on their way to prison for the crimes and cover-ups that have been perpetrated by this administration.

And that's just what they would deserve.

So do the members of this administration – including the man at the top who has been presiding over this kind of corruption for nearly three years.

It's taking too long for justice to be done.

Tolerance for the secrecy and scandals is destroying the very fabric of this country.