Borat: you mean “c’est la vie.”

“The Big Three are asking for up to $50 billion in low interest government loans”

So why is GM asking for $50 billion buy then self’s, and…

“Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama where Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Honda all call Alabama home, but none of the Detroit Three have operations there.” ….AND HE DID SAY…. “I do not support the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to reward the mismanagement of Detroit-based auto manufacturers in such a way that allows them to continue and compound their ongoing mistakes.”

What is going on?………..

Check your facts. Former big 3 is out of military biz for a long time. They just want some of taxpayers money to spend, because they’ve already wasted their investors.

You are right. The management that brought us the Malibu, CTS, Enclave, Escape hybrid, Cobalt SS, Corvette/ZR1, Tahoe hybrid, Vue hybrid, etc. needs to go. They are doing everything wrong. None of the products they have introduced or are working on are worth a damn. Ford is preparing to introduce 4 European models starting in 2010 and rolling out a new, more efficient Fusion next year. Ecoboost is also coming next year. Why would you fire Ford’s management? BTW, some of Ford’s management came from Toyota. GM has a ton o hybrids on sale, their best styling in decades and several world class performance vehicles. Why the hell would you fire that management team now? The team that improved the products and got concessions from the UAW should be allowed to stay. Besides, no one has told us who would realistically step in and fix everything overnight as you people want.

You’re generally right but let’s make a distinction between traditional GOP values and the current instance of the GOP, which seems to take a diametrically opposed view of government spending. The current administration spends like Democrats and that’s not in keeping with conservative values.

Problem is that there’s less value in the economy which translates into fewer resources to allocate to struggling companies in the wake of deregulation, shoddy management and idiotic financial practices. At this point, Bush doesn’t even care. It’s the end of the line for the GOP in the White House. He’ll take an opposing view based on traditional GOP values not because he believes in such values but because there’s nothing he can really do anyway.

Obama is in for a rough ride as there’s more immediacy and more pain generally than when Clinton took over from Bush Sr. The current administration has spent the country dry so Obama will have a really difficult time in finding resources to maintain the status quo. In fact, the balance sheet indicates the status quo vis-à-vis standard of living is clear – something must go. What we are witnessing is people’s reactions to this – get to the head of the line for a bailout because if it’s First Come First Served anyone at the back is getting nothing.

If there’s a bailout, it should be in a manner described by the Wall Street Journal — basically, the executives and boards all get replaced, and a federal reciever takes over.

I like the idea of Steve Jobs taking over GM.

Richard Shelby should be nominated for a certain award given by Hustler.

buzzgt: “Let’s not help the auto industry since they got themselves into this situation, but let’s bail out Wall Street that mismanaged their assets in order to pad their wallets.”
Yep. Who EVER thought mortgage-backed securities was anything but a bad idea?

sj79: the GOP has become a southern party. Maybe the Libertarians can bridge the gap.

renzogtr: “They need to make better cars.” To some extent. I think the actually need to SELL more of the good cars they have now, and STOP MAKING THE OTHERS!
” I happen to be an Import guy but I love cars period and I hope that the big three survive.” Boys, it looks like open-mindedness has reared its ugly head.

bada_bing70: I blame everthing on the republicrats!

Need more oil for GM: “Buy GM people, it’s your duty as an American.”
No.
It’s my job to buy a dependable vehicle so I can support my family. That’s why I drive a Buick.

pzimet – Bush did not do anythinig wrong, so get that fact straight. He is right, not to bail out the Automobile at first place cause they make too much money and not find the way to bail themself out the situatioin.

This is call TOUGH LOVE FROM REPUBLICAN, and as tax payer I do not agree we need to bail out the big three, there is way to turn everything around and they have to find it on their own.

Bash Obama, go ahead, but look where we are NOW, another FUCK UP within the Bush presidency. Another fall for the GOP. Face it…Obama is the next president, and he will be implementing policies that will help this, and other situations.

The end.

On the one hand, they’re ideologically opposed to government intervention in private sectors, such as the auto industry, but on the other hand, by not helping to give GM a hand they are risking the destruction of a major American corporation, not to mention the potential collapse of the entire industry as a whole, and millions of job losses stemming from everything from the manufacturing plants to the suppliers.

The GOP cannot afford to take such a stance.

Buy GM people, it’s your duty as an American.

You are a bombastic idiot. While I agree that the big three got themselves into this situation. They need to get it together. They need to make better cars and this all stems from the late 70′s to the early 90′s when they thought they could put out crap and we would buy it. But to bail out Wall Street and not help the Auto Industry just doesn’t seem right. It is funny how all of this has come to a head at the end of the Bush regime but now here we are again. I happen to be an Import guy but I love cars period and I hope that the big three survive. Obama wants to help them and bring them up to compatibility with other manufactures. This can not be a bad thing because the problem with the big Three is management. Get that old way of thinking out the door and bring in new ideas.

The last time this was done the government made millions with Chrysler stock and yet all these republicans are saying they dont want to “waste” taxpayer money. How many republican senators could name 3 current Detroit products? My guess is not many. They are telling us about the poor products and lack of public interest (6-7 million customers a year dont count) in those products but cant cite any specifics. Whats so ironic is that southern states are big on pickup trucks, the exact type of vehicles that GOP politicians are suggesting Detroit shouldnt have been building. The South keeps the GOP in power AND is big on SUVs and pickups but the GOP says Detroit should be building more subcompacts to meet “demand”. These people are idiots.

Your ideas sound great, but the problem is they can’t reorganize due to the lack of creditors out there. It will have to be a Chapter 7, meaning a liquidation, not reorganization of GM/Chrysler. Maybe there is still a miracle in Detroit, but now it’s looking grim. Can this really mean Ford will be the one who lasts? Amazing.