Let me get this straight… We're okay with writing a blank check for $700 billion dollars to bail out Wall Street, no strings attached (no prohibitions on ludicrous bonuses, no salary caps on multi-million dollar CEOs — who certainly seem to be earning those salaries and bonuses — not even a 'maybe you shouldn't have those executive retreats this year' suggestion). But when it comes to bailing out the Auto industry, keeping those three corporations from going under and taking millions of jobs with them (along with those workers making significantly less than those Wall Street CEOs), well $15 billion is just TOO MUCH TO ASK! Especially with that damn United Auto Workers gunking up the works.
Let's face it, nobody's had anything good to say about this Congress, and I'm sure we're almost as ready for a new session of Congress to begin as we are for Obama to take office. (Well, those of us that aren't still freaking out that Obama won, of course). But Senate Republicans seem to have risen to a new high-water mark for national contempt with their stance on the auto industry bailout.
I'm not sure which notion makes me more disgusted… that this is all about that tried-and-true Republican stance on Union busting (thank you, Mr. Reagan) or the thought that, as was discussed on MSNBC the other night, so many of the Republican leaders on this issue come from states that have foreign, non-union, auto plants in their home states. So they're doing their little bit to help the local economy, and foreign auto companies, at the nation's expense. All at a time when we certainly are in a great position to weather this stunt, of course.
Have they really just abandoned any interest in what's good for the country? Are they all just so disgusted by November's election that they're ready to take it out on the entire country? "F you all! You voted us out of office, well, let's see how you like this?!?" Sadly, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to find this level of pettiness involved in this whole process.
Looks like, once again, I have to stop watching the news. It's just going to give me ulcers.
Let's face it, nobody's had anything good to say about this Congress, and I'm sure we're almost as ready for a new session of Congress to begin as we are for Obama to take office. (Well, those of us that aren't still freaking out that Obama won, of course). But Senate Republicans seem to have risen to a new high-water mark for national contempt with their stance on the auto industry bailout.
I'm not sure which notion makes me more disgusted… that this is all about that tried-and-true Republican stance on Union busting (thank you, Mr. Reagan) or the thought that, as was discussed on MSNBC the other night, so many of the Republican leaders on this issue come from states that have foreign, non-union, auto plants in their home states. So they're doing their little bit to help the local economy, and foreign auto companies, at the nation's expense. All at a time when we certainly are in a great position to weather this stunt, of course.
Have they really just abandoned any interest in what's good for the country? Are they all just so disgusted by November's election that they're ready to take it out on the entire country? "F you all! You voted us out of office, well, let's see how you like this?!?" Sadly, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to find this level of pettiness involved in this whole process.
Looks like, once again, I have to stop watching the news. It's just going to give me ulcers.
Comments
To blame this all on Republicans who want to union bust is both naive and buying into the left-leaning MSM propaganda.
First, let's get the obvious out of the way: The vote failed 52-35. That means 3 Dems voted against it and 5 abstained. Only 31 Republicans voted against it.
And, I guarantee those 31 did not all vote to bust the UAW. Many of them wanted to lower the corporate tax in Michigan as an alternative. What happened to that idea? The Dems instantly killed it. Many of them are the same Republicans who voted against the initial bailout and stand by their principles that the government should not be getting involved.
As for this vote being 'at the nation's expense'? That's debatable. I, for one, think it is not the government's job to bailout companies that can't compete. And, I also think we are past the age of HAVING to have American car companies. The foreign companies who are here are employing millions and paying lots in taxes. And, Ford is going to survive without a bailout. AND, Chrysler is not even a public company. They are privately held. If they want/need help, they can cough it up.
Which only leaves GM. Will chapter 11 immediately lead to chapter 7? Maybe. Maybe not. But, I've looked at their sheet and they suck. They need to get their shit together, and yes, the UAW needs to get in line and help. But, if they don't and they fail...it's not going to kill the country.
I wonder...when the Republican President steps up and gives the automakers a chunk of the original bailout this week, will you say anything at all? Probably not. Netiher will the MSM. Or at least they'll taint the story to spin it anti-Republican.
I'm at least glad that you hold the original bailout in as much contempt as I do.
Perhaps. Perhaps it's just my frustration at hearing the a-hole from Merril-Lynch whining about his $10 million bonus, then hearing Republican senators sniping at the UAW and their hourly rate. At this point, when we're looking at a $700 billion bailout bill for banks, $15 billion to keep blue-collar workers working seems almost like petty cash.
'Nation's expense' could be hyperbole. But when you look at the state of the economy, it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to think that it's a pretty crappy time for American automakers to go out of business.
Will I send kudos to Bush for stepping up and funding a bailout? You're right, probably not. But that has more to do with the fact that what gets me posting, more often than not, is my frustration and contempt for what I hear and read in the news. I'm glad to hear he's working on some kind of bailout… but I'm not going to pretend to be any cheerleader for Bush when he does one thing in 8 very long years that I can applaud.
And I think my contempt for the original bailout grows each time I hear more details, so we definitely can agree on that one.