Grapevine: Power shortage at green energy plant in MI

Facility propped up by tax dollars furloughs workers

And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

Not Enough Juice

A Michigan hybrid battery plant propped up with $150 million in taxpayer money is putting workers on furlough before a single battery has been produced.

Two years ago, President Obama attended the groundbreaking for the Compact Power facility. He touted its opening as evidence manufacturing jobs are coming back to the U.S.

The plant was supposed to produce 150,000 batteries a year while creating hundreds of new jobs.

It turns out, there are only 200 workers and they're only working three weeks per month. A company spokesman says battery production is expected to pick up once Volt assembly lines in Detroit resume production some time next week.

Quote -- "The market conditions haven't been as favorable, but this hasn't slowed down plans one bit."

Logan's Run

One of the stars of mainstream media's signature news programs is ripping the Obama foreign policy and calling for a stepped up War on Terror.

The Daily Beast reports Lara Logan of "60 Minutes" says the terrorist presence in Afghanistan is continually understated.

Quote -- "There is this narrative coming out of Washington for the last two years. It is driven in part by 'Taliban apologists' who claim they are just the poor moderate, gentler, kinder Taliban. It's such nonsense!"

As for Al Qaeda, she said, the terrorist group is not an insurgency it's driven by ideology and wants to kill us all, on our own soil if they must, even if the U.S. pulls all of its troops out of Afghanistan.

Logan was beaten and sexually assaulted, you may remember, by a mob in Cairo's Tahrir Square last year.

One former reporter and editor who heard Logan speak said -- quote -- "Clearly one tough reporter, but seemingly scarred by all of this. It was totally depressing. Worrying, too. And a call for an amped War on Terror."

Hurricane Hugo

We told you Monday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been re-elected.

The Guardian reports Chavez brandished the sword of his hero Simon Bolivar and promised to further his government's brand of socialism.

The Obama administration reacted to the news this way -- quote -- "We congratulate the Venezuelan people on the high level of participation, as well as on what was a relatively peaceful election process."

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also noted the U.S. has its differences with Chavez.

NBC News described supporters' reaction as -- quote -- "an emotional moment in history."

Chavez endorsed President Obama earlier this month.