It means that they are needed. They get to “save” everyone’s job time and time again, while giving lectures about the environment.

It means that their union brothers and sisters are maximizing their “draw” from the companies.

Auto industry problems to democrats is like Joe Biden was to republicans in 08, the gift that keeps on giving.

I think we can all agree that the bailout of Wall Street was a mistake. However, it will make each successive move, like this one, a case of democrative over reach. The right has to constantly make the point that while the Wall Street bailout is a Bush mistake the proposed Auto industry bailout is the responsibility of Pelosi.

The steps to possibly nationalize industries in the name of government fiscal responsibility can be a major issue in future elections. While the public wants the economy to work they do not and never will want themselves subjected to confiscatory taxes to create national industries.

I would suggest this to any republican congressman or RNC official. If this bailout goes through at the urging of Obama/Pelosi/Reid, the counter move would be for Republicans running in 2010 to propose legislation to make these bailouts illegal. Someone correct me if I am wrong but isn’t this type of government over reach how we ended up with the mess that became Amtrak?

After working in the automobile industry for 15+ years from everything from a retail assembly line technician to an F & I salesperson in a retail dealership, I can say without hesitation that this is a bad move.

This has nothing to do with the automobile industry; WE ARE BAILING OUT THE UAW.

Again, the very organization that IS the problem.

This once again shows how the Democratic party is beloved of big business — and for all the wrong reasons. Would small or medium-sized businesses ever get such bailouts? Unlikely. No wonder our captains of industry are voting Democrat — it’s not because they love the little guy, it’s because it’s in their own best interests.

All in the name of “helping”: Nationalize the banks. Nationalize the auto industry. Nationalize health care. Didn’t we recently criticize a certain thug in S America for the same thing?We’ve got a thug of our own now and a Congress that’s more than happy to oblige.

We already gave the Big 3 a $25 billion loan a month or two ago.

So the auto industry can continue paying off the UAW? And why? Auto sales are in the dumps and will not recover for years.
Keeping factories open just so workers can get a paycheck makes no sense. No bail-out to support the UAW.
Look at how the government is changing the rules with the $700 Billion from the last bail-out.

A couple of thoughts since I happen to live in Metro Detroit area and would be indirectly affected by the Big 3 going under. First, I think Obama is desparate to have Bush approve the bailout before the Messiah takes office. The auto bailout is not popular with all liberal constituencies, particularly the environmentalist wackos. Therefore, if the Messiah has to approve the bailout after he takes office, then two of his constituencies, namely the UAW and the Environmental fanatics, will be on a collision course. By punting the auto bailout to Obama, Bush puts the Messiah in a position where he is going to piss off either the UAW or the environmental wackos.

Second, Bush and the GOP have already extended a helping hand to the UAW when they jettisoned their conservative principles and enacted the Medicare Prescription Act that was really intended to benefit the UAW and the auto industry. Instead of being grateful, the UAW spat on GOP’s hand of frienship and campaigned heavily for Democrats in Michigan. The UAW should reap what it sows, which in this instance would be for Bush and the GOP to tell the UAW and the auto companies to take a hike.

Finally, every investment blog is totally against this bailout. The so-called Big 3 have long been dysfunctional with an outdated business model that needs to be tossed into the trash bin of history along with the UAW labor contracts. Chapter 11 will be tough on my state of Michigan, but it is long overdue and necessary if Michigan is to break free from crushing union obligations.

THIS is why the bailout was a bad idea.

It’s not because there wasn’t some platonic ideal way to bail people out. I’m sure that the possibility exists that there might have been.

It’s just that it was far more likely to result in poor policy.

Yes, yes. I’m sure that those of you who argued for the bailout will point out that you didn’t want the money used like THIS. You wanted it used the way you wanted it used.

I’m just surprised that the government hadn’t made libertarians out of you yet.

If the last 16 years didn’t, maybe the next 8 will.

I’m thinking that the government-owned auto maker will need a catchy name. How about “The People’s Car”?

No, wait, that one has already been used.

n/t

We’d be buying their cars. Note that we’re not planning on bailing out Toyota and Honda, even though both of those companies employ thousands of workers. Why?

Foreign automakers are profitable businesses. Michelle Malkin has an e-mail from a former auto supplier, which is pretty illustrative. The Big3 don’t partner with their suppliers the way Toyota and Honda do. Instead, they try to bully them into submission. And UAW workers get paid whether they’re working or not (!) so the Big3 overproduce cars, since they have to pay the labor anyway.

Bottom line, America has already voted on the auto bailout, with their wallets.

to pay for some UAW worker’s bloated pension and medical benefits. Under what twisted interpretation of the Constitution is it OK to tax one group of citizens (extending their time until retirement) because another group of citizen’s ludicrous PRIVATE pension is unsustainable? Screw the UAW–they got themselves into this mess, now they can get themselves out of it.

Grim

from the last two elections. I am in the camp that McCain blew whatever slim chances he had at being elected by signing onto the massively unpopular financial bail out thus rendering any attempts at defining Barack as a ‘big-spending socialist’ impossible.

This auto bailout will be a similiar situation. The GOP can do one of two things: It can oppose this taxpayer giveaway as a massive bailout of two of the most unpopular entities in the public mind – fat cat businesses and corrupt, fat-cat unions. If they do that, and hammer that enough is enough, that middle america shouldn’t be forced to bail out business execs who made bad business decisions and unions who care only about themselves, they will find themselves with a groundswell of ‘populist’ support (the good kind of populism).

Or, they can be consumed by DC business as usual, meekly go along with the Lib meme that something has to be done, and provide cover for the lib dems when the whole ship springs a Titanic size leak.

I expect Bush to cave (he always does on fiscal matters) I pray the rest of the GOP has learned its lesson and grown a pair in the last month.

Time to hit the phones. Let’s roll!!

Why not buy toyotas for single parents on disability. Or for young adult teens who have aged out of the foster care system. Or to some of the homeless vets from Vietnam. Some of the UAW folks can go work for toyota temporarily with the increase demand while someone else buys the US bankrupt ones. That would at least help some people who are really in need and not just pour it down a drain.

Seriously is there anything we can do to stop the auto bailout? Can we write letters or call or something?