Top GOP leaders sending message to Big 3: Drop dead

[Bozita]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060823/AUTO02/608230382/1148

August 23, 2006
Daniel Howes
Top GOP leaders sending message to Big 3: Drop dead

Big-name Republicans are tramping around Michigan -- Karl Rove is expected at a fundraiser today in Grosse Pointe, Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman is campaigning for Senate hopeful Mike Bouchard and President Bush is rumored to be planning a campaign swing next month.

But meet with Detroit's automakers? Nah, why should the president care whether U.S.-owned automakers, burdened by fierce foreign competition and cumulative decisions that threaten to swamp them, are fighting for their collective lives? Instead, key Republicans and the White House are reprising President Ford's message to New York back in the mid-'70s: "Drop dead."

Such cynicism toward a bedrock industry -- let the Blue-Staters wither -- would be comical if it wasn't so misguided, even dumb.

-snip-

Here? The president won't meet with the bosses of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Group. But he'll sit astride a Harley, visit a Nissan truck plant, herald the Toyota engine that won the Indy 500, campaign for Republicans and then have his press secretary swear there's no snub of Detroit.

-snip-

more...

[liberal N proud]

1. Here is why IMO: The Big Three represent Labor - Big Labor

The bu$h regime and the Republicans want to kill labor. Kill the big three automakers you kill labor. They will not do anything to save an US industry

[derby378]

7. Aren't American unions now interfacing with the Japanese automakers?

Some numbers on this either way would be very helpful.

[OzarkDem]

2. Corporate American eats their own

Its a myth to assume corporations band together to monopolize markets and control government for their own profit. They're also just as likely to screw each other over in the process.

A perfect example is high energy prices that are hurting many businesses, like transportation and manufacturing. Having Bushco in power, supporting the energy industry has actually been bad for most US businesses, but you don't see them doing much about it.

OTOH, most Dem administrations have helped many sectors of the US business community and prevented them from being exploited by big energy and the banking industry.

[unblock]

4. corporate america has essentially been divided in two

the banana republican part -- defense, energy, credit cards, healthcare, etc.
the democratic part -- pretty much everything else.

the ones who say both parties are controlled by corporte america miss this vital distinction.

[xchrom]

3. republican elites want to see the death of the manufacturing sector

in this country.

they are banking -- under the guidance of ''futurists'' like gingrich -- on a ''service'' economy -- the u.s. will be the worlds leader in businesses like banking and insurance.

high tech will be an invention made to service the previous two -- and pharma.

that's what repuke elites are interested in -- and that's all.

[RufusEarl]

5. The Big Thee

Seems the big three could shake the Bu$h admin if they would produce an elect car, such as the one developed back 20 years ago.

The country could use an inexpensive elect car, and imho it would sell and be profitable. And of course one of the side effects would be, it would put people back to work.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[derby378]

8. Easier said than done. For example...

The Mazda Miata and all incarnations of the Toyota Corolla since the early 90's are American-designed and largely American-made. Many GM/Ford vehicles were manufactured in Canada or Mexico while plants in America were closed down.

Welcome to the world of the globalization. It ain't pretty...

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[Bozita]

10. kick for the evening shift

[Raksha]

11. I guess the Big Three aren't multi-national corporations,

so screw them. AND, as someone else pointed out, they represent Big Labor. So double-screw them.