Rev. Jesse Jackson says that he will attend today’s annual meeting for Ford Motor Company – and he plans to meet privately with some of Ford’s top executives to discuss the preservation of manufacturing jobs in the United States. Jackson says that, although Ford’s position is strong relative to its Detroit rivals, the automaker needs to focus more on keeping industry in the U.S.
“Our industrialization policy must be comprehensive,” Jackson told reporters at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, Delaware, where the shareholders will hold their annual meeting. “Not a subsidy to speed up the closure of plants and taking away of jobs.”
Jackson will also hold a rally in Lansing, Michigan, on June 1 to illustrate the importance of factories on the day General Motors will announce its reorganization plan, which is expected to include numerous factory closures.
“We intend to organize resistance public resistance to the deindustrialization of American manufacturing,” Jackson said.
The civil rights activist has taken a strong stance on the dwindling Detroit automobile industry.
“We must now save the entire industry from itself,” Jackson said last week at the Detroit NAACP’s Fight for Freedom Fund dinner. “We cannot have joy while Chrysler is in bankruptcy and GM is in line. There is a sense of joy because it’s high noon in our politics, but it’s midnight in our economy.”



05/14, 9:28 AM
posted by:
moparsalesman1
Who the f**k is jesse jackson to say what the auto industry needs to do. Give me a break, he has no more right to be there giving advice than I do
05/14, 9:31 AM
posted by:
MercMark
Jesse knows about as much about anything as Obama so this can only turn out well.
What we really need is a magic eight ball, at least there would be some intelligent leadership.
05/14, 9:34 AM
posted by:
moparsalesman1
Im going to hold a rally after work at the bar during happy hour to protest! Who is with me? Sign up below
05/14, 9:36 AM
posted by:
beatusmongous
Jesse is a tool, but for some reason, the media loves him. Maybe he’s their tool.
05/14, 9:37 AM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
The only thing that could lend more credibility and impact to this article is if geraldo Rivera reported it.
Jesse Jackson? Please LLN – are you looking for a flame war or is news that slow today?
Kermit The Frog knows more about cars than Jesse The Prostitue Pandering Jackäss.
05/14, 9:45 AM
posted by:
CajuRican
Jesse Jackson? I’d rather see Ford execs meet with Janet Jackson. Nothing more would get done, but at least there might be a chance for a wardrobe malfunction.
05/14, 10:00 AM
posted by:
geralddasylva
Wow! a lot of love in the air.
05/14, 10:00 AM
posted by:
HoosierHero
lol is JJ still relevant?? I think Ford needs to work on their bottom line more than “keeping industry in the U.S.”
05/14, 10:05 AM
posted by:
geralddasylva
I think that M. Jackson’s intentions is not about mechanical expertise or marketing plans; but rather about his expertise; lives without jobs and the misery that ends up in disastrous social conditions for all. Spend a little more on helping your poor people and save on police and security, guns, theft insurance, surveillance cameras, guard pit bulls, shrinks, pills, armor plating, and replacement purses.
05/14, 10:08 AM
posted by:
greg
Jesse should focus on improving the productivity of his work force ,job rules and wage concessions if he wants to do anything to really help. Just bitching about everything gets him no respect!
05/14, 10:16 AM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
The ONLY reason Jesse Jackäss is up there with Ford is he has some form of shakedown planned. The man is nothing but a con-man shakedown artist. Ford should tell him to go to hell.
05/14, 10:21 AM
posted by:
tob
My cat is also meeting with Ford too. They will discussing the finer points of looking out the front storm door and watching birds and grounds squirrels. Jesse your talking to the wrong people talk to the union about why all the automakers want to get the hell away from them and talk to the politicians about NAFTA. Ross Perot was right I guess – maybe if he wasn’t so goofy people would have listened. The Giant sucking sounds was larger than he could have imagined.
05/14, 10:23 AM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
My he certainly uses a lot of big words. I wonder if the people he’s trying most to help have a f*cking clue what he’s talking about?
05/14, 10:46 AM
posted by:
Madcapp
Bring a bucket of fried chicken with you.
05/14, 10:47 AM
posted by:
JakeK66
LOL@Johnny…. Sorry bout the ‘Nucks btw.
You can’t stop free trade, and with that, force our companies to keep factories that are unprofitable. It’s only getting started and if you try to stop it now, well, I hope you like standing in line for government bread, cause that’s what you’re going to get.
High Noon for politics? HAHAHA, he’s got a future in comedy! I guess that’s why everyone approves the Congress now more than ever and feels the bailouts are ALL WORKING… Oh, wait!
05/14, 10:52 AM
posted by:
Bubs Solo
I here Jackie Childs is also speaking to Ford Execs at the annual meeting…
“So she’s walking around with nothing but a bra on? You’re driving along get distracted wreck and ruin your dream of being a golfer!”-Jackie
“Do you think we have a case?”-Kramer
“I don’t know…”-Jackie
“She’s the heiress to the Ole Henry candy bar fortune.”-Kramer
“Really? I love Ole Henry bars! It has peanuts…nugget…chocolate…yes we definitely have a case!”-Jackie
05/14, 10:58 AM
posted by:
Bubs Solo
The reverend went of to say that the deindustrialization of American manufacturing, is lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!
05/14, 11:08 AM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
Is JJ just trying to be relevant by getting on the news again?
Was the phone conversation with Ford like… “Hey Ford, tell everybody that we’re sitting down to talk something important sounding over and I won’t start a media frenzy claiming you’re a bunch of racists”
05/14, 11:41 AM
posted by:
shaver
He should go away now that he got what he wants. But instead he is going around telling people he laid the ground work for Obama to become pres. In reality, Obama distanced himself form Jesse as much as possible, as to not offend those of us who actually realize Jesse is a blow hard who never actually says anything of substance. Not to mention, preaching about anti-racism is not a platform, its an insult to most Americans. Ponderous, freaking ponderous.
05/14, 12:00 PM
posted by:
anti-believer
Mopar and some of you…
Despite the hate towards Jesse, you should probably check yourself. You might be a bigot. The hate should be towards Ford for sending production to other countries. Also, since you forgot, we’re in a recession where many people are out of work like myself. It doesn’t matter who wanted to sit down with Ford. Could me or you and would want the same thing and more.
05/14, 12:15 PM
posted by:
04focus
“might” be? i think the person who made the fried chicken comment IS.
agreed that he should probably be talking to Washington about NAFTA instead. despite the well known “$5 workday” that Henry implemented to create the middle class Ford is not in a position to keep jobs in the US unless the government put in disincentives to put factories elsewhere in the NAFTA region.
I’m a bit pissed about Cuautitlan and Hermosillo and Oakville, but that’s NAFTA’s fault.
05/14, 12:28 PM
posted by:
Borat
I recall Jesse wanting to cut Obama’s balls off for mentioning morality issues. perhaps he’ll cut Bill Jr’s. nuts instead.
05/14, 12:32 PM
posted by:
eal2009
If you want to keep jobs in the USA, put tariffs on anything made outside the USA. This way
Toyota, GM, Ford, VW, Honda etc and the suppliers will build factories here, instead of Mexico and China.
05/14, 12:42 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
Run, Jesse Run!
MercMark: “Jesse knows about as much about anything as Obama so this can only turn out well.” certaily, he knows at least as much about the auto industry.
geralddasylva: “Spend a little more on helping your poor people and save on police and security, guns, theft insurance, surveillance cameras, guard pit bulls, shrinks, pills, armor plating, and replacement purses.”
You’re kind of right there, but the Prison guards union prefers the status quo.
mayer_ray_nagin: “The man is nothing but a con-man shakedown artist.”
By his own actions, he has legitimized that attitude.
tob: my wife had a pet ground squirrel.
Madcapp: (drum roll)
2WheeledSpeed: Henry Ford pissed off a lot of racists.
anti-believer: My mome is three-fourths black. You can despise Jesse Jackson without being a bigot.
I hope you find something soon.
05/14, 12:51 PM
posted by:
hfry
Thank Jesus, for Jesse Jackson.
05/14, 1:39 PM
posted by:
Struggle
With all the positive notes about JJ, can I use my Chimp reference now?
NOTE TO LLN Editors:
Chimp reference is not a race oriented one, just so you guys can figure that out.
05/14, 2:04 PM
posted by:
A4
“George Bush hates black people!
oh… hes not? the new guy is black?
****…”
05/14, 3:01 PM
posted by:
Borat
eal2009, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai all build factories in US and producing as much if not more vehicles for US market right here in US as “domestic”.
05/14, 3:05 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
a fried chicken comment? that’s great…very classy…please remove yourself from the gene pool immediately, ty…
05/14, 3:08 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
i’m actually surprised the leftlane staff lets comments like that go, because on some forums that’s permaban level of stupid…
05/14, 6:30 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
REV. JESSE JACKSON SHOULD BE TELLING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO BUY FORD’s, CHEVY’s, CHRYSLER’s, DOSE HE EVEN OWN ANYONE OF THEM?
WHO THE FUNK HE THINK HE IS TALKING TO FORD EXECS. ABOUT KEEPING JOBS STATE SIDE?
THEY NEED TO BE SELLING CARS 1st., THE JOBS ARE ALREADY HERE, THE WORKERS NEED MORE WORK, THE UAW STILL NEEDS TO 100% WITH THE “DETROIT-3″ AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN SEE ABOUT REOPENING ASSEMBLY PLANTS STATE SIDE AND MAKE NEW JOBS STATE SIDE…
SOME TIMES I WISH COMMAND SCENE WAS LIKE A DISEASES, AND THAT EVERYONE WILL GET IT, THEM JUST MAYBE I WON’T GET SO MUSH OF A HEADACHE LISTENING TO SOME PEOPLE….
05/14, 7:35 PM
posted by:
swamprat
geralddasylva – 100 percent correct although Jesse Jackson does not have a whole lot of credibility on anything. Carmakers have been digging their own graves for years by advocating moving plants to Mexico and other countries overseas. I find it absolutely disgusting that GM and Obama are taking more money form taxpayers to build cars in China. As for the high wage structures for autoworkers – Newsflash – they’re not really that much higher than other automakers who manufacture here. The difference is that the American carmakers have to pay for healthcare for retired personnel. That’s pretty damned expensive. I say cut that crap and put them on Medicaid.
05/14, 8:15 PM
posted by:
ASIMO
A friend of the dude who sold my best friend his puppy is black, so I think I’m qualified to say this:
Our black brothers and sisters seem to have a higher per capita ownership of domestically branded automobiles than other Americans, particularly among minorities. Hence, the JJackson tie in.
I kid, I kid. I think.
05/14, 8:47 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
^^^now that’s funny. I think.
05/15, 5:54 AM
posted by:
The Stig
I’d recommend that none of the Ford execs be women, else Ford will have additional, and unintentional, obligations for maternity leave.
And before going into the meeting, why not take the good Reverend down to the assembly line where he can strut his stuff torquing up a few nuts.
05/15, 8:40 AM
posted by:
HoosierHero
@eal2009 – That’s a good way to nose-dive the economy into the dumpster permanently. Remember, the other countries can raise their tariffs too and America imports a ton of crap.