More on Obama at the Oval

Hey MaryD, its called having an open presidency. I know it seems completely unfamiliar after 8 years of Bush but get used to it.

MaryD….You MAKE ASSUMPTIONS…when you say…”Already Obama’s team is leaking information from conversations that were to remain private. Real classy —”…….would it surprise you that this Administration founded in Karl Rove style sound bites and strategically placed leaks would be the FIRST to do a “leaking information” move. WHY? The man in the White House right now needs time – time to complete his pardon list – time to spend some of the billions that HIS administration appointees have not disclosed where – time to do the shredding (unreal, sorry sister look at the shredding machine appropriations through the GSA in the second quarter) and the same old Republican tactic – make the Democrats defend themselves while the wolves kill the last of the chickens. My first suggestion for those who want to know – ask the current Press Secretary (and Mr. McClellan can certainly fill you in on the blanks on that one.)
Posted by: MaryD

MaryD, How do you know that the conversations were private and how do you know who eaked them?

Does anyone know anything about the Columbian Trade Agreement President Bush is pushing in order to sign a new Stimulus Package? I’ve read a few articles stating he’s told Congress ( the Dem leaders) that he will veto any stimulus package that doesn’t include this new trade agreement. What’s that about?

it’s amazing how you all can think Obama is so great. i would love if he could give us all he promises. one thing is nagging at the back of my mind, how can you even think of putting someone in the white house who is close friends with the people who bombed the trade center. any of you hear of that

I hate to pile on here, but MaryD, perhaps you need to look at this a little differently. Let’s say this was a leak and not just the transparency Obama’s promised. I seriously doubt that’s the case, but let’s just say it is. If “leaking” the details of this conversation means Bush feels the pressure to DO something to help us before he leaves office, I’m really okay with that. In fact, and ironically, it may be Obama who gives Bush his last chance to leave office on a note. I think this is a classy move on Obama’s part because he cares more about helping the American people than he does about being the one to collect all the credit. What a nice change.

Obama shows his immaturity by leaking details of private conversations with the President. Obama obviously cannot be trusted and is just playing politics. President Bush gave him a warm welcome, said nice things and then Obama stabs him in the back. Obama is nothing but an old time corrupt politician but of course, many of us knew that months ago.

Hey Transparency- Obama will keep lots of data private when he doesn’t want you to know what he is doing. He will release data when it benefits him politically.

Two heads are better than one? Neither heads are good. Both are idiots. One problem into a worse problem. Gotta love this A$$ backwards country.

I’m so glad to have a elected a man to the Presidency who is actually going to take the job seriously.
This is change we can believe in folks!

Bankruptcy is a perfectly good option for the automakers. The airlines have used bankruptcy to deal with the same problems (up/down economy, fuel prices, labor issues) for years. What happens when we give them the money and they still end up in bankruptcy? IT’S GONNA HAPPEN!

What big secret was leaked, Mary? Obama has been saying this for awhile-because it’s the right thing to do. Pressure is on Obama to take over now. The world knows Bush will not do what’s right and this is Bush’s chance to end a completely incompetent political career on a high note. Doing what’s right…a concept Republicans still can’t get a grip on.

“how can you even think of putting someone in the white house who is close friends with the people who bombed the trade center.” uuuummmm what?? How can you believe anything from a party that for YEARS insisted that there were WOMD?? Spied on their citizens illegally? Squandered TRILLIONS for a war and idiotic campaigns that went nowhere? Move to Alaska and revel in the illegal $160K spending habits and rhetoric of your late and great Palin. It’s obvious that’s where your getting your information from and McCain has already tucked tail and hid under Obama’s desk

The only way the auto makers should be given anything is for them to show on paper their plans to move forward with affordable cars with higher MPG than today and their transisition plans on how we get to the days of roads dominated by fuel-cell/electric/hybrid vehicles which are affordable.
These plans should also include their recommendations for what resources are required and the time needed to put in place the infrastructure to support such vehicles.
We do not need to bail out the American auto industry, if it refuses to wake up and begin to focus on the vehicles needed for energy independence. If they are going to keep giving us hybrids that give no improvement over current vehicles in rergards to MPG but are more than twice the price, let them sink! We will only be prolonging the inevitable.

Wow I can’t wait until Obama enacts some more stimulus checks, that extra $300 is reallllllllly gonna help pay the bills.
And to the first post, we were the only ones thinking there was WOMD. You can’t use the information we have now to say we made the wrong decision then.

hey guys,what is obama saying DIFFERENT yet that clinton and bush have been saying for the last 16 years…..im looking to hear someone talk about RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS…….bo is just another DC power broker that talks about problems GOVT SHOULD SOLVE!!!!!

Most of you who post on here think you’re making objective comments and everyone else is bias. Obama is not “providing an opportunity for Bush…”. Bush was the one who invited Obama to the White House for this meeting. As for Bush “doing the right thing if he listed to Obama”.. it would e the right thing for the Democrats. There are pros and cons to every decision made. The majority of decisions are not clear cut. People complain about how our country’s going down the drain. The reason why is because of people who view everything through their political party’s eyes rather than trying to look at it objectively. When you think your party/politician can’t do no wrong and the other will always do wrong… we will get nowhere and that is the reason why we are where we are.

This is the bigger story:
“The ASSOCIATED PRESS quickly followed with details of the conversation, citing “aides who described the discussion on grounds of anonymity, citing the private nature of the meeting.”
from Drudge
That sounds so collosally stupid it make one laugh.
Hubris.
It’s what for dinner.

Pushing Bush to bailout the failing auto industry to avoid bankruptcy (where it could restructure, and more importantly renegotiate its contracts with Obama’s key supporters, the UAW). In turn, the government gets an ownership stake in the auto industry so it has more leverage to help the UAW and micromanage the industry’s business. The added bonus, Obama can blame Bush if (when) it all fails and everyone realizes this is welfare for the poor decision making of rustbelt corporations with trickle down benefits for the UAW. By the way, didn’t Ford just enter a deal to open a $3B plant in Mexico.
What happened to Obama’s promise of punishing, rather than rewarding, all of the companies sending jobs out of the country?

VERY GOOD IN OHIO, the more things change the more they stay the same…we already see one week after the election that bo is already distancing himself from many of his campaign promises!!!!!! why cant we ever elect someone who will take care of the countries finances like we the citizens have to budget in our own lives??????????

concerned,
My point is that there is no need to give them anything at all if all they are going to do is build cars that cost more double the car i have now and dont give me a significant increase in MPG.
An even larger point that has been left completely untouched is the overhaul of gas stations in the country to support the Hydrogen based fuel cell technology.
Also the need for Many Many more electric charging stations on the nations highways for the rechargeable battery technologies that are emerging.
Also no one seems to be talking about the cost its going to take to train mechanics and body shops across the country to handle cars with these alterative fuels.
There is a lot more to this problem than just dropping 25K on the table today for a car that gives you nothing extra than a 10-12K normal car.

Bail out America’s big three auto companies so they can continue to send america’s jobs and money to Mexico? When does the sanity end?
Posted by: A Realist
It ends when the liberals wake up and discover that some foreign auto makers are building cars here in the US! How exactly can they be doing that?????
Hmmm….I wonder!!!!!

Obama won the election because he promised the voters he can fix the economy quickly. Now he said there will be no quick fix. What does this mean??? Another broken promise.

“It ends when the liberals wake up and discover that some foreign auto makers are building cars here in the US! How exactly can they be doing that?????”
No one ever asked Obama where we’d be if Honda, Nissan and Toyota got punished by Japan for taking jobs overseas.
Gee, I wonder why that is?

50 years, not 5.

Candy, Candy, Candy, ….
We love our Greatest Dearest Smartest Leader to stimulate us more with Candies. The first time did us a great deal of good, equalizing the poor and the rich by 50% in stocks.

Sure go ahead give to the auto industry- we’ve given to everyone else except Lehman which was dumb. Considering there are 5-7 workers for each auto worker affected, we don’t need more people on unemployment. So think of it was welfare before someone hits the welfare rolls. But I think the everyone that gets a bailout either has to fork up stock or take the money as a loan. And Obama can say look at all of the debt the previous administration put us in. I can’t possible fulfill any of my promises. Of course by january 20 it could be too late for the auto industry. Eventually we will be able to buy a GM-Ford-Chrysler auto. It will all be 1 company.

the reality is that change,whether up ,down ,left,or right dies in the US SENATE..i was fotrtunate enuff as a youth to be a page there and i can tell you NOTHING MOVES FAST and you have 100 people regardless of party who think they should be president…and upon closer look you will also notice that many dems are from consrevative states ie mccaskill ,toter,and the newly elected hagan who has already stated she will not march lockstep with bo. U MOVE ON .ORG PEOPLE BETTER HAVE THICK SKIN!!!!!!!!

I would have much rather have seen the auto indistry bailed out insted of the banks 2 months ago. I also believe that much better fuel efichency and emisions standards should be tied directly to any bail out of the big 3.

Obama ‘s arrogance knows no bounds. Bush has been more than gracious in this transition process. Obama, as usual takes advantage of it.
Jake, why don’t you comment on the fact that every leak is from Obama’s vantage point. He goes to the WH and he has the meeting agenda? Give me a break. It was a time for him to appear gracious and listen to what President Bush wants to tell him as the tansition begins. It’s not the time for him to push an agenda while Bush is still president. His team leaking is so typical of his character.
Obama even tries to look more presidential by putting his arm on the back of President Bush while walking (while photos were taken of course). Several newspapers pointed out how this is a habit of Obama’s that he used with every leader in Europe to look like he is the “leader”. I was interested to see if he’d do it with Bush during the photo-ops, and sure enough he did.

Where are you people???? Obama is friends with the terrorists who took down the twin towers? Because of his name (?) are you assuming this?????
Why should we keep bailing out these companies? Who pays for it? AIG bailed out, goes on trips and then wants more money? What kind of deal is this? I would like the government pay me for bills and then go on a vacation.
Give Obama a chance, he is not even in office yet. He has been working to get the very best in his cabinet.
Would we be better with McCain or Palin? I think not. Palin doesn’t know what a vp does, nor policies.
If they had faced the issues during the campaing instead of slamming Obama, they may have had a chance, yes only a chance.
Palin dragged McCain down, whether you like it nor not. She does not have the knowledge to be vp or pres. Heaven help us, if she ever gets in office.
I think the most important thing, we can do is back our President-Elect. Give him a chance, he is walking into a horrendous mess. Just because he is part black many are jumping around.
I support Obama and I think he will do all he can to help us and our country. Remember, others have been in office and have had NO experience.

I remember a time shortly after 9/11 the American people were angry and wanted revenge. Plenty of Democrats came out saying Sadaam needed to be taken out if he didn;t disarm. And Congress voted for war. So don’t say this is Bush’s war. There are plenty of Dems that approved it and pushed for it. And guess what? You voted a lot of them back in.

$ 40 Billion to AIG but no $ 25 Billion to aid the auto industry. Yes, they made mistakes, but not to the degree of the banking industry that we are pumping money into while they party in Arizona. A point to remember is that hundreds of small businesses that have provided parts and services to the auto industry are also going out of business if the auto industry tanks.
Posted by: Harley
Harley,
If the US auto makers croak, does that mean the demand for cars dies as well?
Many of these smaller companies will still have a market for thier components. It just that they will also have to adjust and make components for foreign cars at a more economical price.

Bail out BIG 3 Automakers?…
1. Any bailout would only secure the union wages and benefits that MUST go away if the automakers ever hope to compete globally.
2. Why should taxpayers pay to “retool” when the big 3 should pay for that themselves? If a company refuses to plan and finance change…then they find themselves liquidated by an efficient market!

vancav- my guess is that Ford and Gm are building plants overseas to sell cars overseas. That make perfect financial sense. If they built a car in the US to send to mexico or Russia, it could not be competitive. This is similar to Honda, Nissan and Toyota building plants here to sell cars here. I don;t think you can say GM and Ford are shipping jobs outside of the US by building a plant overseas. If they built a plant overseas to build cars sold in the US, then you have an argument. But building plants overseas is no different than building computer, TVs overseas except in those cases computer and TVs are being built for US companies to sell here. If you want those to built here, than you better be willing to pay the higher price.

So conversations between presidents is no longer confidential? Obamas people are leaking anything to undermine bush at this point. Shows you they have no class. They used the media to brainwash the public, and now they are going to show their real face. It gets ugly from here on

To address some of the uninformed on this blog:
1) The media were allowed into a portion of the meetings yesterday, following the two around taking pictures and collecting tidbits to publish. Therefore, the only people that “leaked” this information was the media, who was placed there to REPORT.
2) Obama is not a terrorist and is not affiliated with such. Out of all the countries and world citizens who learned of Obama’s election results, those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran were not thrilled. Journalists even reported that terrorist websites overseas had blog comments about how the terrorists wished McCain had won. No joke, look it up.
3) Of course Obama looks Presidential, he’s SUPPOSED to! If he didn’t look the part, act the part, and hit the ground running some of you would be at his throat even worse than you are now.

I still think the best solution to this housing crises is simply to weather it out. They’re not making more land. Rather than save the big 3, allow them enough money for a “furlough” of three months where everybody (including execs) accepts a minimal furlough pay and production is cut drastically to better meet low demand. Is anybody thinking creatively?

great – a two headed snake – why can’t hillary have been nominated? boys….

SPIN…. Since it was JUST the two of them in the room….It’s BO story… he and his lackeys can spin it anyway he wants…… and I’m sure he wants it taken care of before assumes office…. that way if it fails.. He’ll blame it on Bush…. if it works he will take credit for it…. and the bias media will help him do it….

I still think the best solution to this housing crises is simply to weather it out. They’re not making more land. Rather than save the big 3, allow them enough money for a “furlough” of three months where everybody (including execs) accepts a minimal furlough pay and production is cut drastically to better meet low demand. Is anybody thinking creatively?
creative solution for 3 months…nothing more
They are in this position because they building cars people do not want to buy! Your solution is only going to postpone this until the next quarter.

Ah yes…finally a ‘real’ President. Can’t wait to see Bush get the hell out of the way so we can finally get back on track.

jschmidt wrote: “I remember a time shortly after 9/11 the American people were angry and wanted revenge. Plenty of Democrats came out saying Sadaam needed to be taken out if he didn;t disarm. And Congress voted for war. So don’t say this is Bush’s war.”
But Bush mislead the Congress and American people by hiding or outright misrepresenting information gathered by agencies controlled by the White House. So, yes, it was Bush’s war.
The CIA’s Joseph Wilson investigated and told the White House that the Nigeria-Iraq uranium paper was a forgery. Yet Bush had that paper displayed at the UN. And Wilson’s reward for speaking out was to have his wife, Valerie Plame, put in danger by the White House when it leaked her name. I could go on and on.

dan: Yes, that was my original point. “Cannot afford” is Ford’s excuse while paying its president $40 million per year. But why is Obama seeking to reward Ford which is sending jobs overseas when he expressly promised not to continue the failed policies of the Bush administration? Is that why he wants Bush to do it on his watch?

For thse who are uninformed as to how things really operate in Washington, “sources” are 99 times out of 100 inside people.
Posted by: Mike_C | Nov 11, 2008 12:05:37 PM
—————————————-
If that’s the case, then at least people are informed enough to know Republican party leaders aren’t intelligent enough to make strategical leaks since everyone swears it was the Obama camp.
It could have been either party. Where’s your press pass? If you know it was Obama’s camp then you must have been the media person they leaked to…
(Not directed at you personally Mike.)

Bush ought to step aside right now so that a real president of 95% of American people can take over. But wait, I forgot, Bush wants to have his final going away party with his 5% of ‘haves and have mores’ so they can toast the financial rewards that they’ve raped away from the good American people’s pockets.

Bob- 95% of Americans? Obama had 46% vote aqainst him. It wasn’t a mandate. So stop being ridiculous.Maybe 95% of the media wanted him and they voted him in with their propaganda.

snazzy,
No offense taken. This is the way Washington works, for BOTH parties. Nothing new here at all.
A much larger issue that Obama should be focusing on is the Move by Pelosi/Reid to broker this auto makers deal without involving him!
He should make a public display of them coimng to meet with him. In private he should be blasting them for even thinking about doing this without publicly seeking his council on the matter.
Pelosi seems to think she is in charge of the country. That was very evident back around the Labor Day weekend, when she REFUSED to stay in session and work on an energy bill. Gas was over $4 at the time and threatening to go even higher. She did NOTHING to help, but send the house home to campaign.
Now all of a sudden, with a new President-Elect barely a few days into froming his team and beginning the transition, she decides its a good time to go off on her own (Well…with Reid) and try to broker a deal of this magnitude!
This is one reason why I felt Obama was not ready yo be president. He has already allowed this to take place, without a public display of “taking them to the woodshed” as it were.
Now they have forced Obama into dealing with this now, when technically its still not his job yet!

jschmidt: Of course the American people fell for those lies, especially after Bush told us the Saddam was the onbe who placed the anthrax in our mail. We trustyed him at the time toi tell us the truth, but his bold faced lies ended up costing us over 4,000 more American lives and nearly 1/2 million Iraq civilian their lives, plus the complete destruction of their country.

vancav- I don;t have the information- but I’d like someone to do a study and state why Toyota, Honda, Nissan can build a car in the US and make a profit while Detroit Can’t. Then maybe we can concentrate on the differences and equalize the game. Is it union cost only or does Japan subsidize the parts and labor to build the cars. I would guess union costs are a big factor and the union pensions and health costs are big. To subsidize the auto companies to continue to pay the same high costs makes no sense. But would Obama expect the unions to put up some givebacks for this bailout? I doubt it. I also seem to recall that Congress gave the auto industry 25billion in loan guarantees just before the big bank bailout? Anyone remember that?

jschmidt There have been plenty of books, some by the president’s own inner staff, documentation, and investigations that have proven Bush intentionally misled congress and the world into going into Iraq by using only information that he wanted to use, because quite frankly he just wanted to go into Iraq. I’m sorry it has all passed you by. Try reading sometime.

mike_c–the reason there was so much “whining” about Bush after the 2000 election is because he did not win the popular vote. Not only did Obama win the popular vote, but he did so by a pretty wide margin.

we cannot keep bailing out failed/corrupt/ industries/ceo’s/and companies.
as far as the auto industry they have not kept up with alternative energy options in manufacturing-why pay them to keep cranking out gas hogs?

Scotti- it is opinion not proof.

DebNStPaul- I would argue that any car that sells is good for the economy. Detroit built the big cars because they sold and the margins were higher. Unfortunately they were also gas guzzlers. In the small car business, Detroit can’t be as competitive. What needs to be found is can the be competitive in the small car business or will they always lose out to the foreign makers.

But to say Bush mislead everyone even those intelligent Democrats who always touted Bush as stupid is unbelieveable. Doesnt say much for their intelligence.>>>> You tell a lie often enough and the public will begin to believe it. Before the invasion of Iraq, Saddam even pleaded with Bush not to invade and that he would go into exile if need be, but good ole Bushie wanted to have his way just like a rich spoiled rotten kid. Consumed by his greed, he couldn’t get all that black gold off his mind. Most people didn’t know how ignorant he was until he declared ‘Mission Accomplished’!

mike_c–the auto industry is going out of business because they are not making fuel efficient cars, not because they are paying their workers 75-100K

mike_c–the reason there was so much “whining” about Bush after the 2000 election is because he did not win the popular vote. Not only did Obama win the popular vote, but he did so by a pretty wide margin.
TJ,
Again, liberals whining…the president is elected but the vote of the Electoral College. You dont have to like it, but it is the LAW. Kennedy only won the popular vote by a little over 100,000 out of a total vote of almost 69,000,000. And he did not get over %50 over the vote. Yet, he won huge in the electoral vote! No one was whining about it then!
In 1968, Nixon won with 43% of the vote, but again a big win in the electoral college. in 76, Carter got more than %50 of the vote, but won a close electoral college vote. In 92, Clinton only got %43 of the vote but had a landslide win in the electoral college. He did the same in 96 – landslide electoral win, but didnt get %50 of the vote.
I dont recall whining after those elections. No people screaming to overhaul the system because they lost! People stood up as Americans and supported the new president.
This syem has been in place with this kind of flaw for over 200 yrs. It works – get over it already!

mike_c–the auto industry is going out of business because they are not making fuel efficient cars, not because they are paying their workers 75-100K
Posted by: tj
—————————–
Hmm….sarcasm…study the concept!
th epoint is unless you want some version of a socialist society for everyone, there will always be some people who are making more than others.
What no one wants to stand up and admit here is the simple fact that you cant have a HS graduate who has is working an entry level positon in a company making the same amount of money as a college graduate who is working in a position demanding a higher skill set than the HS grad.
Scale it out any way you want to, the system will not work if those two individuals are making the same wage!
If you insist on maing the minmum wage say $25/hr, what do you think a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk is going to cost ?
The simple fact of life is the is no system of labor that works that in not some form of a pyramid.

mike_c–have you lost your marbles? I never said that a HS graduate should make the same as a college grad. My point is that the auto industry needs to make a better product period. Why does Ford make a very fuel efficient vehicle in Brazil, but not the US? That’s the point I’m making.

Bob- Bush’s oil war- wow that is the biggest misconception. So Bush started the war to get Iraqi oil. There were a lot easier ways to get oil. And yes ant oget Halliburton rich- yes I guess if you do say something long enough people will believe it. The left has been publishing the oil and halliburton war for years now, so people are believing it. But of course it is all untrue just more propaganda from the left. Of course we’ll never agree on this. I believe Bush has been tarred unjustly. After 9/11 and the tech bubble bursting he did his best to get the economy on track and that cost money. The tax cuts helped and along with the war on 2 fronts and creating Homeland security increased the deficit. We had prosperity with low unemployment, rising stock prices. The wars were not executed correctly with the worst thing being done was disbanding the Iraqi army. But that’s another story. Then came the subprime crisis, the cause going back into history with the 70s when Dems forced banks to give loans to the unqualified if the banks were going to be allowed to expand. The mortgages were securitized in the 90;s with both parties and Clintons approval.In 2005 Democrat Frank said Fannie was a great company while taking Fannie campaign contributions. And this year, with Democrat Dodd getting a special mortgage from Countrywide, the Dems controlling Congress for 2 years,Murtha knowing about the crisis 6 months before it peaked, the subprime crisis peaked. Of course Pelosi denies that it is anyone elses fault but the Republicans. Now we have bailouts and another recession. Combine that with the worst hurricanes in years that forced evacuations of 3 states, and you have a lot of money spent and a deficit. Since the worse thing to do in a recession is to raise taxes on anyone, we will have more deficits. So Bush has been a target of the left but the very people who caused some of these issues like subprime such as Dodd, Frank, Pelosi are still in power to do more mischief. So now that Bush is not going to be President, who will the left target as the cause of everyones problems??? Probably the american people who are greedy, bitter and embrace guns and religion. Where did I hear that before?

nevada2- who is doing the artifcially lowering of gas prices? I thought it was tied to supply and demand, but silly me.

“mike_c–have you lost your marbles? I never said that a HS graduate should make the same as a college grad. My point is that the auto industry needs to make a better product period. Why does Ford make a very fuel efficient vehicle in Brazil, but not the US? That’s the point I’m making.”
Their failure began with giving into the unions and allowing union workers to make outrageous amounts of money in comparison to what foreign auot makers were doing. Ask yourself this, why are foreign auto makers having better success making cars in America. One part of it is there are NOT unionized. There are paying good wages, but not wages out of line for the work being done.
Second, they are indeed making a superior product. Again, the US auto makers have not learned the lesson, and now they are about to collapse. As I stated, even the hybrids are pretty much a waste as far as appealing to the real US market.
The fuel cell technology is still a very long way form the every day person. Even Honda’s is still astronomically expensive to build, and only available in exteremly limited quanity for lease…at $600/month for 3 years! And at that, Honda is hand picking who gets them. They are targeting families with an income of at least 150K.

hhmmm i read here.. “impeach obama” i hear it is alll obamas fault and bush is a nice guy!!! i REALLY hear a load of whining republicans who will not accept that they have LOST!!! impeach obama??? FOR WHAT??? HE HAS NOT EVEN TAKEN OFFICE YET but your hero bush has taken our constitution and flushed it and has screwed us up so badly FOR 8 YEARS!!! i did not hear you calling for impeachment of bush! i really truly understand why your party has been purged and the american people have shunned you!

I really don’t understand how bailing out all these companies (auto & banks) really is going to help. If no one can afford to pay their mortgages, credit cards, etc, how in the world are they going to purchase new cars.
Give us $300.00 stimulas package will not help. If they just gave everyone who paid taxes a quart million dollars, it would have been a lot less then what this bailout is, plus I’m thinking a lot of people would be able to pay off their debt and purchase new cars and other items.

MaryD ..What exacly in the leaked conversation should be private?

Mike C–Ford, an American car company, already has the technology to make a more fuel efficient car. They are already selling them in Brazil, where there is an abundance of alternative energy vehicles. Why can’t Ford sell the same car in the US? There ability to sell these cars in the US has nothing to do with the Unions.

In 1908, the Ford Model T got 25 mpg. We are no better off than we were 100 years ago, no wonder the US auto industry is failing!

TJ – the cars made in other countries by GM and Ford? Do they live up to our stringent EPA standards and our stringent crash standards? If they were produced in the US would they cost the same? My guess is no. The labor costs in the US are much higher. The union members get much higher wages and much higher benefits. While the auto makers were making money they promised great benefits to employees including paying for people just to show up and sit in a room, and to pay retire health benefits. The unions exacted a price and the corporations are now paying for it. The auto makers wanted the unions to take over health care costs for retirees and gave them lump sums in the last contract to do it. That money came off the bottom line of the company. Now you can’t renege on the contracts with retirees. But someone needs to identify the costs incurred by union involvement in comparison to non-union auto makers. We also need to move health plan selection to the individual. Right now the workers are not the consumers. THe unions and companies are the consumers as they deal directly with the insurance companies. The workers need to be the consumer. COmpanies need to pay into a fund to provide a base amount of coverage. THe consumer than can decide to pay more if they want. The base coverage needs to be adequate to handle preventive, emergency and in depth care without bankrupting the individual. None of this will change as the unions will have a lot more clout in an Obama adminstration

Since Bush has not given a damm for the common man, rest assured that he will not raise a hand to help anything or anybody in the last days.
President-elect Obama had a few great thought/ideas for Bush but par norm he closed his ears to it. No suprise!!
—————————————-
Hey, maybe if Obama had spent the past few years in his senate seat doing what he was supposedly elected by the state of illiois to do, soem of his “wondeful” ideas would have been enacted by now!!!!

My two(2) cents worth. The issue of big american and gas guzzling cars kept recurring because it fails to consider the framework of american lifestyle. If america will move into small and fuel efficient cars it will have to re-engineer a lot of infrastructures, roadways, long distance travels and other related ways which are incompatible to the american image and lifestyle. other countries such as Kapan or Singapore are designed for mass transport, hence the need for big vehicles such as SUV’ and big engine cars is more for status rather than functionality.The american auto industry’s woes will keep recurring unless they can find a cheap source of fuel or invent an entirely new kind of engine to maintain the american image and lifestyle. I believe this is easier than re-engineering the american infrastructure. It is not the fault alone of the auto industry.
The american car maker woes

Ford doesn’t produce a single fuel-efficient car that they make money on. They were the truck people, producing big pickups and SUV’s, and when fuel prices skyrocketed nobody was buying anything they made anymore.
Why did they put all of their eggs in the truck basket?
I’ll tell ya… because it’s what YOU WANTED TO BUY. It’s where you put your money. Companies will make anything that people want to buy. You forgot all about the ’70′s. Well, now everyone’s going to pay for it.
I say no. I say let them go bankrupt. Let them solve their problems like big people do. It’ll teach ‘em a lesson.
Perhaps it’ll teach organized labor a lesson, too… but that’s not bloody likely.

There are several reasons why the US auto makers are doing so poorly. Of course the first one is their late of foresight in producing fuel efficient vehicles. The others are all related to exorbitant union contracts and the money crisis created by the Democrats on the House and Senate Banking Committees. Barney Frank and Chris Dodd should be in jail for the mess they caused.
The first requirement for any bailout should be the nullification of the current UAW contracts. These should be redone to match the UAW contracts with the Japanese auto makers in the US. What Frank and Dodd don’t want us to know is that auto workers for the foreign companies producing vehicles in the U.S. make $20 AN HOUR LESS is salary and benefits than do auto workers for the Big 3. Eliminating that difference alone will save the Bib 3 and put them on a more equal footing with the foreign competitors.
Any rescue plan that doesn’t include substantial cuts in compensation for UAW workers will not be a plan to rescue the Big 3 American auto producers, it will be a rescue plan for the UAW, period. As a 25-year union member, we can’t let that happen.

Hey, maybe if Obama had spent the past few years in his senate seat doing what he was supposedly elected by the state of illiois to do, soem of his “wondeful” ideas would have been enacted by now!!!!
Instead he has spent the past few years preparing to make a greater impact as President! ;)