Auto Bailout Stalled by Wishy Washy Dems
How many millions did unions spend getting Democrats elected this season? They must be livid that Democrats can’t shove the auto industry bailout through:
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said he knew of no Republicans who would support the Democrats’ $25 billion proposal and said he was disinclined to move a bill without bipartisan support.
“I’d want to be careful about bringing up a proposition that might fail,” given that a rescue plan would likely fare better under a President-elect Barack Obama administration, Sen. Dodd (D., Conn.) told reporters on Capitol Hill. “There’s some political considerations that need to be made over the next few days.”
What political considerations? If it’s the right thing to do, get your Democratic majorities moving.
More from Pelosi:
A spokesman for Ms. Pelosi said Thursday that Democrats were “hopeful” they could get a package passed but that the chances hinged on support in the Senate and from President George W. Bush, who hasn’t indicated whether he would sign the legislation.
Maybe the Democrats aren’t going to get much done after all. I suspect the days of trading safe Republican votes so Democratic Congressmen in more conservative districts can vote no on issues like illegal immigration are over. First, the compassionate conservative is gone, so there’s nobody undermining the party from the inside trying to drag votes across the aisle. Sure, guys like McCain will always play the sap, but he won’t drag Republicans with him like a sitting president can. Second, as the minority party, Republicans must now clearly delineate what separates them from Democrats if they ever hope to return to power. “I voted with the other guys” isn’t a very compelling campaign slogan when you’re asking people to make a switch.
Democrats better get their house in order if they’re going to govern. Republicans have no incentive to rescue you guys.
Archived in: autos, bailout, Barack Obama, Congress, Democrats, Detroit, Immigration, Republicans, UnionsNovember 13, 2008 at 11:17 pm | Trackback
13 comments
Democrats have no intention of governing. They have already announced their intention to ‘rule’, and there is a big difference.
The United States of the UAW might not come to pass? The total expense to the auto companies of employing a UAW type is almost $75 an hour, compared to $48 at non-union auto companies. Let them fail.
Isn’t the amount of money the UAW donated to democrats reason enough to never buy anything connected with the UAW? Better vehicles are now available from non-union plants. Never owned a foreign name/made vehicle but will from now on. Just in time to, I have been looking to trade my 03 Ford F-150. My usual dealer will be disappointed since I talked to him a few weeks ago about an 09 model.
Think it over, Scrap. The Ford F-150 is the second-best selling vehicle of all time, behind the Toyota Corolla. 33 million for the
Toyo and 27 million for the truck. Even the Beetle and Hondas are far behind the F-150.
Fair point made about the amount of vehicles sold but how far do you think sales will be hit by high fuel prices?
Or does the attraction (and or benefits) of owning a large size pick-up outweigh all other considerations?
The F-150 isn’t very big, Andy. It’s the next size up from the Ranger, and can be had optioned with small engines. I don’t own one, so I have no knowledge of mpg advantages. With Ford $160 billion in debt (yes, $160 B) and negative book value (GM is $60 B in debt with neg $56 B book value) it might not be a good idea to purchase one of either’s for ANY reason.
Conservatives who are blaming these problems on govt regulation (CAFE, etc) are clueless. The foreign mfrs building here face the same regs and are flourishing.
Ford and GM products are made of compressed rust.
i find it strange to read these comments coming from a site with “republican” in the name. i consider it a patriotic duty to buy american.
if someone talks smack about america because of a policy i also disagree with, i am right there defending our nation. regardless if you think your country is right or wrong, you should defend america, defend american economy, and defend american money. you can look at it any way you want. but the fact is, buying asian cars gets your money shipped to asia, after of’course a meager portion of your purchase is fractioned into the various jobs within american borders, the rest, a substantial majority, is gone forever.
i am very happy with my purchase of my grand prix gt last weekend.
you should speak with the chinese. now those are people who love their country unconditionally. i wish americans were like them. no american citizen anymore one will admit the even like america, much less love it. and even if they do, their actions prove otherwise.
Most of those “rice burners” are made in America. Does that not make them American? Ford and GM are made in Canada and Mexico. Does that make them imports?
Cars at one time were put together by engineers, tested and taken apart, reassembled and retested. Now they are put together by designers on a computer, which is why engines have to be pulled to change a spark plug. This is why a mechanic has to remove radiators, grills, fans and air conditioners to change a fan belt. How about tearing out a firewall to change a heater core. What does that cost you in shop time.
That’s why I won’t buy a Detroit product.
Be careful with the flag waving. Many a scoundrel has stood behind the flag vigorously waving it. The Chinese love their country; if not a bit of reeducation corrects the error of their ways.
Chris: “i find it strange to read these comments coming from a site with “republican” in the name.”
Me: When I first started blogging here, I was very much a Republican. However, at least in my case, the compassionate conservative AKA George Bush and his other big spending liberal country club RHINOS have soured my outlook on the party a great deal. I consider myself more of a free market libertarian now.
Chris: “i consider it a patriotic duty to buy american.”
Me: I applaud the sentiment, but I can’t afford to sink big money into a Detroit automobile. Besides, I believe the Honda Accord I bought was made in Marysville, OH. It now has 165,000 miles on it having only needed oil changes and tires up to this point.
Chris, we had a similar disagreement w/you on one of my posts aoubt GM months ago.
Business transactions compelled by patriotism require patriotism of all the parties to the trade. That’s not the case.
If you can persuade me that the UAW, which has negotiated an average (for GM) of $2500 in worker benefits for each vehicle sold, has a patriotic interest in me also, then we have an issue to talk about.
Beside that, I mentioned in my old post that I was a patriotic GM buyer until three successive purchases went south in disgraceful ways that were obvious to engineers and assembly-line workers, but concealed from idiot purchasers. I lost a great deal of money when I could least afford it, and I haven’t forgotten it. I never had a similar experience with Japanese vehicles, nor with my Ford Ranger pickup.
Patriotism includes, if especially, pride and self-respect. The auto execs grovelling before Frank and Dodd have none of it. They gave away great corporations to the UAW and shaved the cost problems in the cars, passing the crap on to faithful buyers. That’s not patriotism, and shouldn’t be rewarded.
I happily paid cash for my 2006 American Made Honda Accord (Marysville Ohio) after selling my 1991 Mazda Pick-up (a partial Ford Ranger) to someone who really needed a truck for their work. Both are still running just fine.
Hotspur. good words. the problem with GM first became apparent with the onslaught of asian products in American society. it’s true the unions have destroyed “today’s” GM products and caused prices to rise, quality to fall, and jobs to outsource, but everything started with our trade agreements favoring non-American capitalists. This is traced back to our lovely government. Thus eliminates yet another aspect of American culture.
even Hyundai’s vehicles are made with computers; this isn’t an American thing.
OP, we share a common view of president Bush. the word “compassionate” screams liberal, and thus falls the beliefs surrounding what it means to be a Republican. the Democrats of long ago before they went sour were better than today’s Republicans. Both parties are fairly left of center now, especially if you count McCain’s pathetic leadership. (There is a special place for man such as McCain in this country, who have bleed more than he has ever needed, and politics isn’t it.) I have lost respect for pretty much everyone now. Even Newt Gingrich is a member of the CFR.
Zeebah, congratulations on being able to pay cash for “any” vehicle. Congratulations also, on shipping most of your money from the purchase overseas.
Hundreds of thousands of workers have lost their job as a result of the asian invasion. Those were the workers that put quality into GM, et al. It’s no wonder Hotspur’s vehicles failed at a time when he needed them the most.