Hillary: Stand by Your Van?

By Marty Padgett April 15th, 2008

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It's possible her campaign is finding a speck of hope in the weeks before the Pennsylvania primary--and now, Sen. Hillary Clinton's trying to turn that faint hope brighter by appealing to Rust Belt voters in a promise to bail out the Big Three.

The Detroit News reports that Clinton's offering a government-backed bailout for the Big Three automakers to prevent any of the trio from going out of business. The News quotes the Senator's interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Monday, in which she says she wouldn't let General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler go out of business without a fight. But a government bailout wouldn't be free: The money wouldn't come "unless they change their direction," Clinton said with no small amount of imprecision.

The fly in the campaign ointment? None of the three companies involved is asking for any federal money to stay in business. But GM and Ford spokespeople were appreciative nonetheless, in one of the few signs of outreach from the Presidential campaign to Detroit's auto industry. A GM spokesperson was "pleased that the senator recognizes the importance of the domestic auto industry," while Ford's PR said they appreciated the Senator's support.

The comments are in sharp contrast to statements from Sen. Barack Obama, who railed against Detroit's automakers in their own backyard rather famously last year--and even to President George W. Bush, who said two years ago that Detroit should "build a product that's relevant."

Posted in : 2008, Industry News, Shoppers |

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8 Responses to “Hillary: Stand by Your Van?”

Well I guess either way…if she wins or not, we’ll all be unemployed.

It’s just another Democratic statement of wanting to control everything, and having the tax payers end up paying for all of their spending ! Nothing from the Dems is free.

“…saying she would not let any of Detroit’s Big Three go out of business”

So, to you that means the Democrats are trying to control everything?

You prefer that GM, Ford and Chrysler all go out of business, or be bought out by Toyota, Honda and Nissan? Or maybe Tata?

President George W. Bush, who said two years ago that Detroit should “build a product that’s relevant.”

This was GREAT advice, and if the Big 3 and their lackeys in the media and the hate-bush mindless crowd had FOLLOWED his advice,

then it would not be just HONDA who is the only mass producer of cars that is still UP in dismal 2008, but GM and even Ford and Chrysler would be doing well,

because they would have product that people WANT AND NEED,

similar to the Honda FIT and CIVIC, Nissan ALtima and VERSA, and Toyota YARIS and even Corolla.

And it woul dnot hurt them if GM and Ford imported a few million 50 MPG DIESELS that they have been selling in EUROPE for DECADES!

Ed, I completely agree with you.

Blackbird,
If that’s the way it’s supposed to end, then so be it. We shouldn’t have any government ‘balil out’ or involvement at all. Only GM, Ford and Chrys have their fate in their own hands. How they execute their turn around plans is up to them. I do hope to they come up with better products accross the line.

But in the end, if they choose not to do it, or can’t do it, then Toyota and Honda (and may be Nissan) will be the ones to survive.

“Nothing from the Dems is free.”
Nothing from the Republicans is free either. Both parties have worked tirelessly to expand the powers and influence of the Federal Government. That’s what happens when control of the government is limited to 2 parties.

Bush’s statement also needs to be taken in context. The automakers were meeting with Bush to complain about the tarrifs that were protecting the US steel industry (Which originated under Clinton) at the expense of domestic auto production. In general I agree that the Big 3 need to do a better job with meeting consumers demands but in this case I think Bush’s response was a stubborn denial to admit that his policy was damaging an American industry.

Interesting… A U.S. Government bailout of Chrysler… which by most measures is the most troubled of the big three… would by definition be a bailout of one of Wall Street’s weathiest and most secretive PRIVATE equity firms, and its minority partner… one of Germany’s most profitable corporations.

Do Hillary or her spin meisters ever stop to think about this stuff before putting the sound-bite machine (her mouth) into overdrive?

BTW: The last time I saw “W” behind the wheel of a vehicle (for a photo op at the ranch) it was a Ford F SuperDuty… an 8,000 lb truck being used to transport bales of hay. Talk about relevant.

Who remembers when Obama told a croud that the only way we can expect the price of fuel to come down is to learn to use less of it? True, he didn’t kiss the industry’s ass, but he actually seems to understand a few of the real issues.