Comments on: When “Bailout” means “Payback”: or, $14 billion just to make it to the funeral?

By: Danny

Danny — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:07:23 +0000

Scott

Democrats – party of tantrums??

Hmm….

Which party is going down in flames again?

Which party is fighting amongst itself?

WHO’S THE MAJORITY AGAIN?

Oh…but I’m off topic, aren’t I?

It’s pretty pathetic that the Republicans rallying cry is connected with tearing down millions of jobs.

Face it Republicans….your party is dead.

By: Jules

Jules — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:11:13 +0000

I’m confused why other countries are helping out their auto makers in the light of the downturn, but in America we want to let them fail.

I don’t understand why Republicans think it is a good idea to take well paying jobs away from consumers.

What I DO understand is that once the unions are gone all of our wages (well those of us who actually have real jobs, not management or pundit-type jobs) will go down as the years go by. Hell who needs a middle class.
Right?

By: E Lewis

E Lewis — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:48:33 +0000

Tom Carr:

The problem is that us liberal idiots didn’t get our way, idiot Republicans didn’t. you opposed increased fuel efficiency standards not us. Gas didn’t go to $4/gallon b/c of the tree huggers, Republicans were in charge for the last 8 years. Bush vetoed any liberal proposal related to fuel efficiency and energy, so don’t blame Democratic control of Congress for the last two years either.

Why don’t you ask Chevron and Exxon why gas went to $4/gallon. and it wasn’t b/c of regulated offshore drilling either,which tends to be significantly more expensive, and energy companies weren’t even taking full advantage of the drilling they were allowed to do on land, which is cheaper. As for SUV’s, it was the big 3 that chose to focus on the SUV market not idiot liberals.

Had we gotten our way, SUV’s and cars would be sporting the kind of fuel efficiency that would be competitive with European and Japanese automakers. I bought a Honda b/c it retains its value better than US autos and more importantly sports significantly better gas mileage. I knew $4 gas was inevitable. maybe you should have listened to us so-called “liberal idiots” and forced the auto industry to produce fuel efficient vehicles rather than protecting them from the big bad liberals who wanted to raise CAFE standards for cars, trucks and SUV’s.

By: Jake

Jake — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:13:01 +0000

Aren’t auto manufacturers throughout the world, with little exception, state subsidized?

By: Eric Rejector

Eric Rejector — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:35:22 +0000

This tissue of lies, exaggeration and fabrication is pathetic even for ‘Pajamas Media’. DEMOCRATS like to spend as much as possible?

WHO squandered a federal surplus? Republicans.
WHO tosses millions per MINUTE away in Iraq? Republicans.
WHO appoints incompetents to tend critical national infrastructure? Republicans.
WHO ignores experienced military advice? Republicans.
WHO fires those who bring concerns to light? Republicans.
WHO gives sweetheart no-bid deals to their cronies? Republicans.
WHO drove the country off a cliff and won’t take responsibility? Republicans.

I can’t decide which is greater: your gall or your ignorance.

Keep the tie: it makes it easier to know who to spit on.

By: Gary in Columbia

Gary in Columbia — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:09:40 +0000

The UAW did what everyone else does – it got as much as it could(the AMerican way, no?). So, why should the burden be put on them to save the auto folks. The burden lies with “big picture” decisions management made along the way over the last 20 or so years and how those decisons lead the American auto industry to be less competitive than foreign counterparts. Matt in Minneapolis maintains American cars are world class – maybe in the last 2-3 years. The Big 3 execs themselves admit to as much. Yet, there they are (still!) with hands out expecting to be rescued/rewarded with acting contritiously as the only consequence? I agree some sort of chap. 11ish process needs to happen but only because current management(and management culture)has shown it has no vision/will/balls. But, to say the workers should bare the brunt of the blame is a bit over the top. Also, as an aside,why is no one screaming for healthcare/insurance to take a (fill in the) % cut in order to bring auto overhead costs down(and just about every other business in the country)? I work in a public school system and healthcare insurance costs eats up a larger piece of the budget pie every year (and for less coverage in return).

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:07:19 +0000

Unions are on the rise now because greedy Republicans put the economy in the ditch (just as in the 1920s). If you don’t like the rise of unions, you should have thought about it before you voted for the kleptocracy that ruled for the last eight years. Viva la change!

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:02:33 +0000

Mr. Archer,
The reason the UAW has not supported Republicans is because Republicans have been anti-union forever.
It’s like asking, “Who don’t I, a Shiite, support a Sunni?” Could it be because he wants to kill me?
You state your point well. Which, since it’s illogical, is quite a task.

By: Bill Archer

Bill Archer — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:41:31 +0000

By far the most amusing aspect of this sad, saga is the reaction of the UAW towards the Republicans. They are frothing-at-the-mouth furious at the callous disregard GOP lawmakers are displaying towards the UAW’s fine, fine members.

Well those fine fine members ought to consider that it’s their craven leadership which has spent the last couple of decades working overtime to ensure that the Republicans owe them nothing.

If there was ever even the slightest chance that the UAW would support a Republican – ANY Republican, ever – then maybe the Republicans, in turn, would be inclined to listen to their problems.

Instead, all you have to do is plop a (D)after a candidates name to guarantee that the UAW will shower him with money and manpower.

Furthermore, if every Republican in Congress stood up tomorrow and proclaimed total undying solidarity with the autoworkers and voted to give them everything they want, come the next election the UAW wouls still be lavishing money on their opponents and telling their members that the GOP is the party of anti-union fat cats.

So the UAW apparently thinks that a bunch of guys they’ve been publicly savaging and trying to get replaced for a decade ought to stand up for them?

It’s not just the contracts that union leaders have screwed up – they’ve played politics about as poorly as it’s possible to do and now their members are going to get hit, badly.

I hope the UAW leadership enjoys being invited back to the White House for state dinners and commission meetings and such.

Because in the end, that’s all that their members hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions has bought them.

By: Mike Alexander

Mike Alexander — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:34:50 +0000

Roger writes: Is America the basket case that the American car industry is?

Well yes it is. Trillions of dollars have been poured into our failing financial system with little signs of recovery.

If $40 billion can keep 2% of workers employed by preventing liquidation of the US automakers, this translates to 2 trillion to keep 100% employed, less than what the Fed and Congress has already thrown in the black hole that is the American financial system and which has done nothing to reverse the decline.

In other words, the 15 billion infusion is a lot cheaper than what we did with the banking industry. And since the car industry is a lot less sick that the financial industry, it is more likely to work.