Detroit Auto Chiefs to Meet With Bush, Press for Aid (good gawd)

[rodeodance]

they put profits ahead of the enviroment and now they want a handout!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20061114/pl_bloomberg/amtsefroohqi

Detroit Auto Chiefs to Meet With Bush, Press for Aid

Jay Newton-Small and Brendan Murray Tue Nov 14, 1:10 PM ET

Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Leaders of Detroit's automakers finally sit down with President George W. Bush today to air their ideas for helping their ailing industry -- at a moment when Bush has become less relevant to the discussion.


The meeting comes a week after Bush's Republicans lost control of Congress in midterm elections. Reflecting the new reality, Washington representatives of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's U.S. affiliate met yesterday with Representative John Dingell (news, bio, voting record), a Michigan Democrat who's in line to head the House Energy and Commerce Committee next year.

``Bush has to establish that he is a friend to the industry and that's going to require some significant changes in policy,'' Dingell said in an interview. ``It's also going to require the establishment of a relationship with the leaders of the industry.''

Today's meeting, which Bush had twice postponed citing fears that it would become embroiled in election-year politics, brings together the chief executives of the automakers with a president who's leery of industry bailouts. Meeting with Bush at the White House will be GM's Rick Wagoner, 53; Ford's Alan Mulally, 61; and Chrysler's Tom LaSorda, 54.

The auto chieftains and Bush have ruled out a direct bailout or government loan guarantees. So the executives want steps to help the industry compete against foreign imports..........

[Demeter]

1. Universal Single Payer Health Care

That's all they need, they keep bitching about the cost of health care for employees and retirees. $5000 per vehicle, they said, that's what it costs.

Fine. Give them what they NEED, not what they WANT. Just like the dependent children they want to be.

[crikkett]

2. Maybe they can build electric cars again.

They worked too well the first time.