The influence that the United Auto Workers hold over the Obama administration is no secret, but the brazenness of the president’s decision-making on their behalf is startling. Despite having “no interest” in running GM, the Obama administration…
1. essentially began running GM
2. saved it from real bankruptcy
3. forced out its CEO, Rick Wagoner
4. screwed shareholders in favor of the United Auto Workers Union
5. started Cash-for-Clunkers (which was itself a clunker)
Unfortunately for our friends from Chicago, 1-5 above were not enough to stop the multi-decade bleeding in Detroit. We are now supposed to believe, then, that the Obama administrations only interest in sticking it to Toyota is to protect US consumers from an alleged defect that has yet to be fully proven? Even after the UAW donated millions to The One’s campaign? Even though the government has a major stake in GM? Even when the president’s Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, brags about how they went to Toyota’s headquarters in Japan to “wake them up?” Even after Lahood smears Toyota as “safety deaf” and threatens that they’re “not done with Toyota?”
Are we really supposed to believe this is all a coincidence?
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Interesting...
Repair_Man_Jack (Diary) Tuesday, February 2nd at 10:51PM EST (link)Like many things in life, this one is complicated. Experts who may or may not work for Gubbermint Motors claim the Toyota cars actually do have the defect. However, and you point this out well, the USG does have a conflict of interest here that it wouldn’t if they weren’t running two of Toyota’s three biggest competitors.
” I side impenitently with the human race against the modern reformer.” – C.S. Lewis
Maybe I'm wrong.
edward_mosby (Diary) Tuesday, February 2nd at 11:45PM EST (link)Maybe the Obama administrations interests here are as pure as fresh snow.
However, in the very least it is a HUGE conflict of interest, which you attest too.
My suspicion, unfortunately, is that we are speeding down the central-planning road, and the government is actively picking winners and losers.
It’s hard to believe in coincidences in the Obama era.
Honestly the government is having clean hands here
Richard Mullins (Diary) Tuesday, February 2nd at 11:56PM EST (link)This isn’t a win for GM at all, but just a Temporary setback for Toyota. Our government doesn’t want competitors that are non-UAW and worse, if a company HQ in the US was non-UAW, they would have fits. I’m hoping that I can get to someone on the Plan-B destruction of the UAW from with. That would really hurt.
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Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
Reply
edward_mosby (Diary) Wednesday, February 3rd at 12:08AM EST (link)UAW is a major stakeholder in GM. GM’s sales are up 14% last month and Toyota’s are down 16%. Toyota stands to lose billions from this directly, and that doesn’t even count the hit their reputation will take.
Despite all of that, Toyotas have dominated Consumer Reports ratings in quality for decades, and I have yet to see any unbiased, concrete study that shows their vehicles are truly defective in this case.
(Full disclosure: I own a Nissan.)
Well right now I have an inherited GMC Sierra from my late Grandfather
Richard Mullins (Diary) Wednesday, February 3rd at 12:27AM EST (link)Nice truck. The only car I have had my name to on a loan(2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix) is still running. BTW, Hyundai is picking up on the slack(nice to have). It’s not good but then again things aren’t the best. BTW, you never have seem to ask what Plan-B was? I tell you if you ask.
Richard Phillip Mullins BlogThe Squash Satire SiteNews on Happy Jet Airlines
Rmullins Pics
Rpmullins Twitter
Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
Correction
edward_mosby (Diary) Tuesday, February 2nd at 11:12PM EST (link)Should have written that UAW spent millions on “behalf” of Obama’s campaign. A lot of it was for advertising targeting McCain.
Quote
edward_mosby (Diary) Wednesday, February 3rd at 2:03AM EST (link)and LaHood said they’re “not finished with Toyota,” rather than they’re “not done with Toyota.”