Dear White House: No means no
The Bush administration apparently didn’t understand the message last night.
No means no.
Senate Republicans drew a line in the sand on bailout mania. And now the White House is scrambling to erase it and expand the crap sandwich once more to rescue the UAW.
No means no.
The White House switchboard:
202.456.1414.
***
Puke. Here’s the White House statement.
It is disappointing that while appropriate and effective legislation to assist and restructure troubled automakers received majority support in both houses, Congress nevertheless failed to pass final legislation. The approach in that legislation provided an opportunity to use funds already appropriated for automakers, and presented the best chance to avoid a disorderly bankruptcy while ensuring taxpayer funds go only to firms whose stakeholders were prepared to make the difficult decisions to become viable, competitive firms in the future.
Under normal economic conditions we would prefer that markets determine the ultimate fate of private firms. However, given the current weakened state of the U.S. economy, we will consider other options if necessary – including use of the TARP program — to prevent a collapse of troubled automakers. A precipitous collapse of this industry would have a severe impact on our economy, and it would be irresponsible to further weaken and destabilize our economy at this time.
While the federal government may need to step in to prevent an immediate failure, the auto companies, their labor unions, and all other stakeholders must be prepared to make the meaningful concessions necessary to become viable.
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Trackbacks
- BizzyBlog » If The Administration Does This …..
- Blog @ MoreWhat.com
- President Bush Still A RINO on The Automakers Bailout « Jane Q. Republican
- The Other McCain: No bailout for union goons
- Grand Theft Auto Bailout: The Day After « JoHNBRoDiGaNDoTCoM
- NO SURPRISE: UAW AUTO BAILOUT NOT DEAD | The TIW Blog
- Reverse_Vampyr » Senate votes down UAW welfare
- Below The Beltway » Blog Archive » One Final Betrayal By George W. Bush
- The Automotive Bailouts: The Other Side of the Story | Political Byline
- And the White House to the rescue (updated) | skewred.com
- There's My Two Cents
- ButAsForMe! » Dear White House: No means no
- Administration’s Unilateral Auto Bailout: Illegal or Unconstitutional | OpenMarket.org
- Illegal, Unfair Auto Bailout That Harms Retirees and Taxpayers Challenged in Chrysler Bankruptcy | OpenMarket.org
- Court Rebuffs Challenge to Illegal Chrysler Bailout and Takeover; Pension Funds Will Appeal to Supreme Court | OpenMarket.org
- Illegal Takeover of Chrysler: Pension Funds Have Standing in Indiana State Police Pension Trust v. Chrysler, LLC | OpenMarket.org
- Supreme Court Stays Illegal Chrysler Giveaway to UAW | OpenMarket.org
- Supreme Court Vacates Stay in Chrysler Case; Illegal Actions May Escape Review | OpenMarket.org
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What’s wrong with Bush? He started out pretty good. But in his last year in office he’s becoming almost as liberal as democrats.
Why does that building have such
a problem with two letter words? “No” “Is”.
It’s busy…I’ll keep trying…
Bush is a Democrat who is NOW out of the closet. He is punishing AMerica for NOT granting 90 million Illegal Aliens instant citizenship.
Kanye West said Bush hates black people?? NO, Bush hates American Citizens.. if New Orleans was an Illegal Alien Sanctuary after katrina, he would have had the whole US Military mobilized and had that thing whipped out in 2 hours.
I wouldn’t be surprised one iota if Bush does this just to spite what was once his base. The McCain non-vote and Congressional shift even further towards the dark side was a pretty vicious slap as much to Bush as it was to McCain.
I don’t know if any of his former supporters wish him ill, personally, but there’s no denying that he is professionally viewed as a failure on all but defense at this point.
With the very notable exceptions of how he handled 9/11, post-9/11, and India/Pakistan, Bush’s presidency, objectively, compares with Carter’s.
Open borders. No educational bar set too low. Bailout-palooza with the Creeping Socialism Quartet (Bush, Pelosi, Reid, and Frank – backed up by a fine Treasury and Fed orchestra).
We have a train wreck on our hands, and Wrongway Peachfuzz is at the wheel, enabling the ne’er do wells in congress. Nice…
Bush has turnt into a dissapointment, the only reasson I supported him was as Kerry and Gore were not fit to be of service in War time and were pursuing a game of cut and run, which would bite us on the Arse. But Bush is panhandeling to any group with cash now. And seems to be paving the way for a smooth transition for Obama.
Wait….maybe it’s like “It depends on what the meaning of “is” is.” Or more recently from the Obamessiah, “I had no contact with the Governor…”. I guess those pictures of the two of them standing chatting don’t constitute “contact.” Depends on what the meaning of “contact” is.
Bush knows better. He is being led by morons and imbeciles down a path, and he seems to think that no one is a bad person doing so.
Words mean things. You say it, it means something. C’mon Mr. President.
KP
“Virtuous motives, trammelled by inertia and timidity, are no match for armed wickedness.”
Sir Winston Churchill
“Memoirs of the Second World War”
Compassionate conservatism SUCKS!
And whats with the Post 9/11 pre 9/11 stuff? Why isn’t there a pre 12/7 after 12/7. People now are too soft and complaciant. This is not the last war nor is it the first, there is nothing special about it at all and targets of little importance were hit. Yes people died but ask yourself, did the lose of that building actully bother you?
Or would it have be worse to turn on that TV that day and seen the statue of liberity broken. The world moves on reguardless of the actions of man, nothing is forever and I am sure some day and event will happen when 9/11 will happen that more panic striken people will slap a date on for a pre of after world.
Indeed.
But rapists don’t take “no” for an answer.
I’m not trying to be rude, crude, or insensitive to rape victims.
It’s just true that the rapist usually ignores the victim saying “No!”
There has to be something else to stop the rapist. Something that injures the rapist or makes him fear that he will get caught.
The leadership of both parties has been taken over by Democratic Socialists.
“We the People” are being raped by our government.
Telling them “No!” isn’t enough.
We have to find ways to make them feel the pain and/or fear being exposed for the Communists that they are.
Had to leave a message – line was too busy. Told them not to use TARP funds which never should have been approved. Said we should use the laws in place instead of trying to make up the rules as we go along.
I am glad President Bush is going-he started out wobbly letting that Kennedy-Townsend mouthy cow rip into him at the RFK building dedication–Islam is a Religion of Peace–holding hands with that damn goat herding Saudi Prince.
We need a man with a backbone and have been too many years without one.Weakness led to the Obamination. Can we recover? We are in for one big fight trying.
First on my agenda for 2010 is trying to stop Juan Hernandez McCain from getting the Republican nomination for Senate. Perhaps we shall get lucky and he will retire.
Amen to that. It has single handedly destroyed everything the conservative movement built over the past 20 years. What has it gotten us? Out of control spending, back breaking deficits, entitlement growth not even imagined by the libs, amnesty push after amnesty push, open borders, massive increases in immigration from muslim and other nefarious 3rd world countries, pervasive PC, pandering………. And bush (along with rove) is the head idiot of this movement.
Dear President Bush,
Please leave right now!!! We can make it 5 1/2 weeks without you.
Sincerely,
CCS
Republican Senators from non-union states had the courage to destroy a hundred thousand American jobs. I don’t think they will win any national elections any time soon.
BUSH REVERSES — MAY USE WALL STREET BAILOUT TO SAVE BIG 3?
On December 12th, 2008 at 9:49 am, Paul Revere said:
Compassionate conservatism is tithing and giving to the charities of your choice.
I’m all for helping my fellow man, but government is the wrong institution for the job.
Our world would be a better place if Government-run social programs were shut down, those tax dollars returned to the taxpayers, and the taxpayers gave that same money to the charities of the their choice.
It’s not “Compassionate conservatism” that sucks, it’s BIG GOVERNMENT that sucks.
Don’t you understand that Bush sold out conservatism long ago? The Republican Party has failed to show that it is the party for conservatism. This country has already drifter into socialism. Obama will reign as king soon but that ship sailed long ago thanks to Bush
I really want to see the end of Manufactured Crisis being used to Socialize American businesses.
Brilliant analysis. Of course, you must ignore the fact that every poll showed the majority (overwhelmingly in most cases) of Americans opposed the bailouts. Facts schmacts. Seriously, I hate to see the quality of students you produce with logic like that.
LGM, you are a fool. Those hundred thousand jobs connot be sustained by government handouts. Handouts do not fix any problems, and this bailout is primarialy a handout to the UAW and a corporate entitlement mentality. I do not want my taxes to subsidise these loosers.
Most americans opposed the auto bailout. Personaly I don’t care because after spending 2 trillion with no coverage, 14 billion just doesn’t seem that important. Besides, bush will bail them out. Or obama will. either way it will happen.
We don’t have enough people here in Oklahoma to fill all the jobs, from fast food to professionals. Nursing crises here, not enough nurses. People keep crying about the economy but I don’t see it. We wait at least 2 hours to eat out at any established on any given night. Malls are packed so badly that I avoid them at all costs. The joke around here is this pseudo recession.
I don’t se the difference between Bush and Blago. They are both only interested in themself.
Got thru, kinda, tried to leave a message, let it ring 100 times no luck…I’ll try again…
There is NO such thing as a non-union state.
YUP
That’s right lgm. this is about busting the damn unions. After the UAW, your teachers union is next. Get over it.
Knowing that a nut like lgm works at NYU, has made me cross NYU off the list of schools my kids can attend.
The problem I have with unions is that have become too powerfull. They need to be there to help balance against owners abusing thier employees, thats it. They have become corrupt political entities.
So we give $700 billion to Wall Street but there’s not a small fraction of that to save middle class jobs (you know, the people that actually buy the cars) and retirees. I’m middle class, and a blow like this to this many middle class people hurts all of us. Millions of jobs down the toilet isn’t going to help anyone.
So McCain voted against it. Doesn’t matter since he voted for the very bailout bill that Bush is going to use to temporary bail out the Unions.
This is a 2 month, 14 billion dollar bill. Meanwhile the auto manufacturers will continue to produce cars NOBODY wants.
Redpill, so true. If the pols won’t HEAR the warning, then they must FEEL the consequences.
W is killing his brother’s political aspirations.
Seems almost pathologic.
Jeb is already dead meat nationally but still has some political capital here in Florida. Jeb recently expressed interest in running for Martinez’s Senate seat in 0′10.
Breaking with the GOP over these Union issues is a great way for W to undermine Jeb’s bid here in a “right to work” state like Florida.
“A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth”.
President Bush, throws us conservatives down the toilet. That’s the payback we get for supporting him in 2004 and defending him against liberal nut jobs.
The unions have LONG outlived their usefulness in this country. Now their mission is only to save their own sorry butts.
Yes, suicidal and masochistic, too. A fine “thank you very much” from Mr. G.W.B. to all of us who supported him through these past 8 years.
Do you actually buy this rhetoric? First of all this 14 billion will only last TWO months. You will need 200 billion to save those jobs for the next TWO years. Thirdy, those are useless jobs since they are producing a product that NOBODY wants. Fourthly there is a bankruptcy court established by the constitution for handling this. No doubt they would close down factories for at least 6 monts while workers collected unemployment, rather than 80 percent pay. JUST LIKE THE REST OF US.
pure idiocy. get back to class.
Is Bush out of his mind? The attempt was blocked. It’s done. Detroit can declare Chapt 11 and get bought out by Honda or Toyota and learn how to run a business successfully.
So true.
Yes, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to back away from this foolishness gracefully, protesting that “the people have spoken,” etc…but NOOOOOO. He can’t seem to help himself, he has to self-destruct the party before he leaves office.
It’s welfare for people who pay taxes, funneled through the UAW, of course. Why not just give the workers a check directly??? It’ll be cheaper.
To what end?
So those jobs can be lost in March instead of December?
The three companies are a lost cause. Their ONLY hope is to restructure their businesses from the bottom up. If they are allowed to continue, the UAW will continue to suck their blood like Vampires. They’ll never be free and all it will means is that the UAW is a large block of Welfare Recipients.
Yes.. WELFARE. That’s what a UAW job is today. It has to stop.
MtsEdge… yes… I think we are of one mind.
1. We here opposed that bailout, too.
2. When does it stop? Is the government obligated to bailout every incompetently managed industry and greedy union?
3. Where does the money come from? Sure, we could print up $100 Trillion and “bail out” the entire economy, because that’s the “compassionate” thing to do? Do the words “Weimar Republic” mean anything to you?
Bush has turned into the latest crap sandwich, sad to say.
Just ignore the perpetual wet blanket, WC; it’s what the GOP sends him here to do.
LGM is flat wrong: KY reelected Mitch McConnell last month by a very comfortable margin, and I imagine it was the same story for many other representatives from non-union auto states.
Besides, if Democrats really want the UAW bailed out – and that’s really what this bailout engenders – then let them do it. They had no problems in raising record amounts of cash for Obama, they should have no problems raising equal amounts for the unions over the next century or two.
Light up those torches and sharpen those pitchforks. You thought the one million man march was alot of people.. How about 10 million or 50 million! Maybe we should say NO in spanish!
Hi, what’s your name? Bend over. Hi Ben, how are you?
We must file a lawsuit in federal court to stop the treasury dept. from spending money that they do not have the constitutional right to spend! The constitution gives congress sole control over our tax money! They don’t have the authority to give away this responsibility, thus usurping our voices via our elected representatives!
If Bush and Paulson run an end game and give away more of our money, then the time has come to take up arms against a renegade government!!! STOP THE LOOTERS!
Perfect capitalist solution! Only problem is, who would donate to this lost cause??? (We know the answer, that’s why the gubmint thinks it needs to “do something.”)
The initial bill, for the 700 BILLION BAIL-OUT went down if you remember… A little “FINE TUNING” and it was a GO… I look for this to go the same way… Look for a MINOR TUNEUP, and quick passage, the public BE DAMNED!!!
If the Treasury gives the big 3 money, then whats the purpose of having a congress or government at all? Seems like a waste of time. The new drug of choice for every problem in the US is throw money at it. MAybe we can file a discrimination suit against the treasury. Why them on not us…Fairness will be the next bitch.
I find it telling that the UAW would rather the industry shut down before they take any cuts in pay or benefits.
If memory serves me, the pilots took pay cuts to help save the airline industry. They got no bail out.
For what it’s worth: I simply don’t think that Bush is thinking conservative or liberal. His attitude truly seems to be one of compassion, to help people. The problem is that too many people expect a handout, especially when they see others getting a handout. Welfare has been extended from the individual, to the family, and now to the corporations, and it has no end. The incentive to work hard to succeed is gone if the government is always the safety net. The compassion will soon “change” to fascism, that you can believe! Until the federal government learns to say “no” and realizes it is not a problem-solver, this is what we will have. The government has become a parent with bad parenting skills, and as a result, creating a very spoiled child.
AP: Treasury stands ready to ‘prevent an imminent failure’ of auto companies
Bust the UAW. We the tax payers demand no bailout. Chapter 11 is the only constitutional way.
Are you listening Bush?
lgm, if you want the Big 3 to be saved, why don’t you invest in them. I don’t want my money used, thank you very much!
Recall, the crap sandwich gives the Treasury Sec’y the ability to “ensure … protection of home values, college funds, etc.”. Therefore, since someone could ties these to the auto industry, Paulson, I think, has the authority to grant the auto industry this loan. Dick Morris was right when he said Bush had a lobotomy a couple of months ago.
U.S. Two States Away from Constitutional Convention?
Same here in Louisiana.
I placed my call against the bailout. They sound pretty tired up there, especially once I told the operator that I’d never buy another American car if President Bush pushed this poorly conceived bailout through.
Watched the UAW president in his press conference this morning. Did you guys see his, whoa, whoa, whoa schtick when a media guy had the audacity to ask about wage cuts? $79 an hour to $49 an hour is unacceptable and there are other areas the employers could cut. Man, all i could think was
Mr. Bojangles….dance!!!
Who here would complain about making $49 an hour? I’d take it.
Leave it to a moron like you to believe it’s Republican senators who are destroying Big 3 jobs.
Dude, if you offered your brain to the scarecrow, he’d say no thanks.
Does any one know what the average yearly salary for a non union auto worker is? Couldn’t UAW workers live just as comfortably? It can’t be that much less.
Or, put another way, who here would agree to take a 38% pay cut?
Once again, Republicans have brought America to the brink of ruin for political gain. This time, they are being bailed out by the US Treasury, which will give the autos a bridge loan.
This stunt does not make Republicans look, has not in the past and does not now. When Gingrich wanted to default on US treasuries in the ninties, Robert Rubin found a way to save our financial system. Gingrich looked petty and dangerous. During the campaign, McCain temporarily scuttled the financial bailout, which made him look petty.
better than a 100% pay cut
LGM, GOP Senators did not destroy those jobs, the UAW did with their greed, and ignorance! Yes, the Big 3 management teams get some of the blame as well. But, my biggest complaint is the fact that the auto workers don’t even buy the crap they are building. I live near a Chrysler plant in Belvidere, IL. and everytime I drive past I notice the employee parking lot. Very few of the vehicles in it are the model they build at that plant. Hell, a lot of them are not even Chrysler products, and several are foreign brands! So, if they won’t even buy their product, why should we? We should definately not have to buy it with taxpayer money!
I’ve heard it said that Bush believes he will be vindicated by history. I suppose I can let him have that emotional crutch, because at the rate he’s going, that delusion will be all he has very soon.
I don’t know what he thinks he’s doing, but this liberal needs to go. He’s calling this one wrong, just like he did most everything else.
Any fool would if the alternative was not working. That is the alternative chap.
Dunno how you could do that unless you have a candidate in mind with good name recognition and popularity. Don’t see many other than Jeff Flake, Shadegg, JD Hayworth or maybe Rick Romley.
Last year during the immigration fiasco, I toyed with the idea of starting a recall petition after getting an e-mail back from him telling me basically to f*** off, but didn’t get too far. I’d feel bad for Cindy though…she’s a really class act. One of my neighbors was recently hospitalized with stage 4 spinal cancer and during the campaign she called him to offer encouragement and support. I’m not sure how many employers take care of their employees like Hensley does.
True, but wouldn’t you agree that 38% is a bit deep and maybe just maybe there could be some room for compromise there?
Why is it only the unions you guys seem to have a problem with maximizing profits? Was that not a negotiated contract between two willing and sophisticated parties?
According to what I’ve read much of that 38% is due to UAW job banks that pay people not to work and health care coverage with little in the way of deductibles and co-pays. I recently heard a union worker talk about how much the UAW was compromising because he now had a $20 co-pay to see the doctor. Most non-union workers in hmo’s have been making these payments for years. If the UAW leadership cared more about saving their member’s jobs, instead of filling politician’s war chests they would make the concessions necessary to keep the Big 3 solvent.
The bankruptcy courts are designed to determine that and not the congress.
I told you that it wasn’t really dead!!!
lgm; i seem to remember those mean republicans giving the auto companies 25b a few months ago, but those heartless democrats in the house won’t let them use those funds to bridge the gap, because those funds are to green up the industry. of course if there is no car industry, that’s really green. so don’t get high and mighty and say this is republicans killing the industry, because dems have mandated cafe standards, pollution standards, and safety standards which have crippled the business for decades, all the while advancing the foreign toy car business here. but we will kill the teachers and the gov’t workers union during this depression, or it will bankrupt the gov’t. IF PRINTING MONEY TO COVER BAD DEBT WORKED, ZIMBABWE WOULD BE THE RICHEST NATION ON EARTH.
This is the error in your judgement. The unions DO NOT maximize profits, if they did the big 3 wouldn’t be in this mess. They only maximize COST, that is their problem. There are 4 retirees for each UAW worker to support, they charge union dues that are used for political purposes, If they cut out these costs, the men and women who build cars could get by on alot less!
Hey Chapoutier, we blame the UAW because they are the ones who caused this mess! They are a bunch of strong arm(Chicago Dem style) thugs, who used the media, and the dems to strong arm management into giving them more and more, even when the companies were selling less and less. Everytime the contracts came up, analyst, and management would tell them they were going to bankrupt the companies. They did not care, because they needed more money to buy democrats with. Now that they have been proven right, you want to blame Republicans???
Foreign competition, baby! Time for the UAW to play ball according to the rules laid down by Europe and Asia, or go the way of the dinosaurs.
Um…make that the Hudson, the Studebaker and the Oldsmobile – three car makers whose closures did not stop the nation’s economy and there were no bailouts involved.
I’ve noticed the same thing…Bush must be nuts or on drugs…as it is he is flushing my respect and his legacy down the drain.
I read somewhere today that GM said their employees make about $29.00 per hour actual wages which is supposedly on a par with Toyota and Honda (there was something said about older factories in the calculation).
The overall hourly wage was $69 when benefits and retirees were included ($49 for Toyota and Honda). One reason GM was higher is they have a lot of retirees to support whereas Toyota and Honda don’t.
My guess is if the UAW would take less generous health benefits; cut their SUB pay totally; cut the so-called job pool fund; agree to retirement at an older age then 55– something might be able to be worked out. At least they might narrow the gap between $49 and $69 total pay and become more competitive.
That to me is better than throwing the baby out with the bath water and not working at all.
Bush is the decider.
He decided long ago that the law did not apply to him, and the Constitution is only a hurdle if you let it be.
It is totally and entirely illegal, but unless anybody knows a SCOTUS lawyer willing to petition the Court for an injunction, we the people are just going to lose another few thousand dollars.
We need a real leader. You’d think that somebody with designs on the 2012 election would be seizing this opportunity to lead, but they’re not. They’re part of the political machine that’s marching us into socialistic poverty.
Don’t forget about the guest worker expansion that he snuck in a couple nights ago. It goes into effect 1/18/09 and lessens the bureaucratic burdens placed upon employers seeking to hire temp foreign farm workers.
Bush has lost his mind. Period.
Then the Big 3 should have told them to stuff it. But they didn’t, so excuse me if I don’t feel a whole lot of sympathy for the awful situation they just happened to find themselves in. The UAW extracted the best deal it could for itself and its members. Pardon them for not voluntarily being charitable to management.
And I don’t see in any of my posts where I blamed Republicans. You can kindly check your preconceptions at the door.
It is going to help me and my grandkids avoid paying 100% of our income in taxes!
Let them file Chapter 11 – either they’ll make it work, or some new efficient business model will be ushered in. Trying to save the horse and buggy makers is only impeding progress.
We’ve been saying for years that union wages were strangling the auto industry. I really thought it would be a lot more fun to say “I told you so,” though.
Fine, but WE’RE the ones paying for their “lack of charity to management.”
You’re right about this, Chap. This whole stinking mess has a LOT to do with the Pig 3 management being gutless doormats in union negotiations. Neither the Pig 3 nor UAW is blameless.
Please also note I never said I supported this bailout or any other.
Good.
None of these economic and political decisions are making sense. Its just like the little dutch boy that puts his finger in the dike to stop a leak – the dike needs to be rebuilt. This isnt immigration where everyone is yelling about comprehensive reform before we can guard the border.
The Connestoga Wagon company, the Whale blubber oil lamp and the candle industries are pretty much dead. So I guess even if millions lose their jobs – if the car industry cant compete in the global market, then it has to die too. The Dems have slowly killed the car industry over the past few decades, (labor, regulation, free trade, most favored nation, illegal immigrants, bailouts, subsidies, bad trade negotiations with APAC) so I guess you reap what you sow.
Like I tell my kids, India and China are gonna kick our butts, because the liberal as-long-I-dont-hurt-anyones-feelings agenda is decimating us.
Get used to it. Its only going to get worse over the next few years.