"Taking the 5th!!"

I like gangster movies; obviously, I believe the "Godfather" is the benchmark for all gangster movies. I saw Michael in "Godfather II" sit in front of a Senate Committee on organized crime and it seemed very authentic. Having grown up in the 50s and 60s, I saw several Senate hearings on television. I remember the Kefauver Committee on organized crime during the middle 50s when some Mafia members were questioned by the Senate panel. At times, during the hearing, the man being questioned would lean over to his attorney and after council from him he would invoke his 5th amendment right against self incrimination. I remember a newspaper kept a count as to how many times the men questioned "took the 5th" during their time on the stand. It was very interesting watching men with well-documented connections to organized crime use our Constitution to shield them from honest inquiry. Although this constant using of the 5th amendment created an air of guilt, it was a perfectly legal maneuver, and is the right of every citizen in America. One funny statement was made when a man questioned answered that he "refused to answer on the grounds that his answer could incinerate him"; and he may have been right. Many of those questioned were in fear of their "Bosses", who would eliminate them or their families without conscience in order to protect themselves: "taking the 5th" was an easy way out for those alleged lawbreakers.

Solyndra, the "Green" corporation that was highly touted by Barack Obama, is now under Senate investigation. Solyndra received 528 million dollars of the Obama stimulus to create "green jobs" in America. Since receiving these funds, Solyndra has gone bankrupt, sticking America for the loss of over 1/2 billion dollars. Strangely, when this same company tried to get funding from the Bush administration, it was turned down as a bad risk; one expert said this company would probably go bankrupt by September of 2011; how prophetic was that? When Barack Obama took office, Solyndra was put on the fast track for funding; do you find this suspect? If this wasn't criminal it was, to say the least, very bad judgment!

Friday, Solyndra executives will be questioned by the Senate, and they have already stated that they will be taking the 5th amendment during questioning. I can understand bad business decisions and suffering a loss; that is not criminal, so why the 5th? Who, or what, is being protected by this action? How far up the ladder could this hearing go; could it reach the White House? These men may not be wearing "silk suits and fedoras" but they are certainly using a "thugs defense" while on the stand. I think they may be taking orders from "The Don"!