FREMONT, Calif.—House Republicans tried to hold a hearing today on what the New York Times called “the Energy Department’s embattled loan guarantee program.” They wanted to shine a spotlight on the program’s most embattled beneficiary, the solar manufacturer Solyndra. But they only called one White House official to testify, and he blew them off.

I happened to visit Solyndra’s headquarters today, so maybe I can help the Republicans with their investigation. For starters, the reports of Solyndra’s death have been greatly exaggerated. And while reasonable people can disagree about the loan guarantee program, it’s not the boondoggle its critics suggest.