Video: Interview with LightSquared CEO

It's being reported that the Obama administration is mired in three different scandals. The first is Fast and Furious; the second is Solyndra; and the third is this one - LightSquared. Philip Falcone is the CEO of LightSquared, which has been working on acquiring bandwidth for its 4G wireless technology. Last week, it was reported that Air Force General William Shelton said the White House attempted to soften his testimony about allowing LightSquared to move forward. Shelton apparently viewed the technology as a danger to national security because it would encroach upon the GPS bandwidth. Accusations that Falcone and Obama had a cozy business relationship and the implication was that there was some palm-greasing going on.

Falcone appeared on Megyn Kelly's show over at Fox and all but called Shelton a liar. In fact, he almost did and corrected himself. Falcone is quite adamant that this is a scandal that is being manufactured. Frankly, unless General Shelton comes forward with the name of the person or persons who attempted to change his testimony, it should probably end there. After watching, see if you think Falcone put the ball in Shelton's court.

Part 1


Part 2

Did you know the Ground Zero Mosque is Opening this Week?

In the summer of 2010, Americans who objected to the Ground Zero mosque felt good about what they had accomplished. People showed up in great numbers; the ground zero imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf was exposed and actually resigned his post. Everyone went home thinking it was a major victory. It was a victory but it was one that apparently required a bit more follow-up because the Ground Zero mosque is now set to open two weeks after the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Via Daily Mail:

The first part of Park51, the controversial Lower Manhattan Islamic community centre, is opening on Wednesday with an art exhibition featuring photographs of children.

Just a few blocks away from the site where the Twin Towers once stood, the exhibition marks Park51’s first big public event.

It comprises portraits of children from 169 countries who now live in New York and its opening coincides with the United Nations’ International Day of Peace.

Katerina Lucas, Park51’s chief of staff, said: 'It is a huge step forward. I hope it shows we are about inclusion, not exclusion.'

When plans to build a high-rise Islamic institution were announced last year, critics angrily pointed out that it was insensitive to have the mosque so close to the site attacked by Islamic extremists.

To be fair to citizens who protested, it doesn't help that NYC's mayor, governor, and the US President all support the construction of the mosque, despite the intentions of Rauf being made known through translations of his Arabic into English.

h/t Weasel Zippers

Audio: Very Intriguing Fast and Furious Recordings

CBS' Sharyl Attkisson continues to overturn rocks in Fast and Furious. In particular, she has released a series of secret recordings between Andre Howard, the owner of Lone Wolf Trading Company, one of the gun stores the ATF instructed to sell guns to bad guys, and Hope McAllister, who was a lead case agent for ATF at the time. It's obvious that Howard doesn't think much of Senate Judiciary chairman Pat Leahy; he only seems to think Grassley is only slightly better but the bigger story here is what appears to be an desire on the part of both Howard and McAllister for a coverup.

Via CBS:

WASHINGTON - "Watch your back," the gun dealer warns the ATF Agent in an audio recording obtained by CBS News.

The secretly recorded conversations are between the primary gun dealer cooperating with ATF in its "Fast and Furious" operation, Andre Howard, and lead case ATF agent Hope MacAllister.

Howard owns Lone Wolf Trading Company in Glendale, Arizona.

It would be nice to know who made these recordings. Was it Howard or someone else?



Here are the transcripts from the calls:

EXCERPT 1

Dealer: Question: do your people have any confidence that you can forestall subpoena? Or is it still up in the air?

Agent: No, my understanding is person, the only people that can request a congressional hearing has to be a majority party. Grassley is a Republican.

Dealer: I know.

Agent: And as of right now...

Dealer: In the Senate right.

Agent: Yeh. And as of right now we don't have any interest from anybody in the majority party to the extent that he's shown interest. So even if you wanted to at this point unless he gets CUTS OUT somebody from the majority party to jump on board, he can't...

Dealer: Not on his own no but you know Leahy and rest of 'em these people are snakes, they'll do anything they can...

Agent: My understanding also is that the Attorney General's office is supposed to come out little bit stronger...um...

Dealer: I understand that.

Agent: position...which may or may not, um, you know, help.

Dealer: I'll tell you what I'll give him that, he's got f---ing b---s making that statement. I don't wanna even go there.

EXCERPT 2

Dealer: Until something else happens they're not stupid, Hope, they connect the dots.

Agent: No and you know and all that's fine if Senator Grassley wants to come in and tell us show us how to work these cases more efficiently more effectively by all means.

Dealer: Don't think Grassley, think Leahy.

Agent: Well, him too. I... I welcome him to come down and work...

Dealer: He's an arrogant b-----d

Agent: So is Grassley though

Dealer: Chuck probably and I don't know a thing about him other than from somebody else I've heard seems to be just somebody who's hitching his wagon to any star to.. for his own aggrandizement.

Agent: Yeh

Dealer: You know that. He's an arrogant

Agent: Yeh

Dealer: individual. Look he's a United States senator there it is right there.

EXCERPT 3

Agent: That's kind of what my suggestion but nobody thought that was funny like if I were a P.I. I'd put him on Grassley, I'm sure there's a lot would go away. Actually my one suggestion was just tell him in a registered Republican. I'm sure if he knew that everything would be fine, they didn't like that either.

Dealer: Well.

Agent: Alright.

Dealer: You gotta be, watch your back. I don't trust these people around you one bit. You've been very lucky so far.

Agent: Again I'll be more than happy to talk to somebody, they won't let me, but more than happy to talk to anybody about the decisions we made.

Dealer: Hope, stay off the screen. You don' t need this sh--. Neither does your husband.

Agent: Believe me I have...

Dealer: You gotta have a f-----g life man.

Agent: I have a file and...

Dealer: shhh

Agent: It's all, it's all public stuff I dont' care.

Dealer: Well don't even convey it in that. I'm sure you do. Hopefully this thing will subside...

Agent: You keep saying that but ?

Dealer: I know.

Dealer: You and I both know how bad it's gonna get I won't bull---t you you don't bull---t me

Agent: Ha ha.

Dealer: my a-- is up here and yours is here here but you're covered I'm out in the open

Agent: Ha ha.

Dealer: God.

These conversations reportedly took place in March, 2011 which would have been after ATF Agent John Dodson blew the whistle. To this point, we've been led to believe that Howard and his gun store colleagues had objected to directives issued to them by the ATF agents to sell guns to bad guys. If that's true, why would Howard be ostensibly wishing for a coverup, as these recordings indicate? Again, knowing who made these recordings would help to clarify that.

Here is an earlier story from Attkisson that includes the first round of recordings she released.

h/t Sipsey Street