By Drew Johnson
Monday, Aug 27th, 2012 @ 5:19 pm
 
General Motors and Chrysler, both recipients of federal bailout money, have banned presidential campaign events at their factories. The move is intended to side step any crossfire that might stem from the automakers' federally backed bankruptcies.

"This fall, Chrysler will not host campaign events inside its facilities. The company is focused on meeting production demands," a Chrysler spokeswoman told Automotive News.

GM made a similar decision earlier this year. "We're a car company, not a political platform," a GM spokesman said.

GM is also abandoning a longstanding tradition of provide cars for the Republican and Democratic party conventions. No other automotive partner has been named to fill GM's spot.

"We are working with a number of entities, including rentals. Additionally, we have hired a fleet of approximately 450 buses to transport people to and from the convention venues," James Davis, a Republican National Convention spokesman, told The Detroit News.