House Passes Auto Industry Rescue Package-- 20 Fake Dems Join The GOP Effort To Bust the Unions
>
Earlier in the day we looked at some of the arguments GOP union busters are making to justify wrecking the auto industry and dragging the rest of us into a full fledged Depression. We looked at the procedural votes that led up to the final bill, which passed 237-170. Thirty-two Republicans, mostly from Michigan and the Midwest, joined the Democrats in passing the bill. I still have deep reservations about the concept of allowing Bush to appoint a car czar who can do whatever he wants and not be held accountable to anyone. Judging by history, this is a recipe for complete disaster. But the 20 treacherous nominal Democrats-- actually 17-- from deep, deep in the darkest bowels of the Republican wing of the Democratic Party who crossed the aisle and registered their contempt for the aspirations of working families, didn't vote with the GOP because they oppose the car czar. Except for progressives Filner, Stark and Kagen, they voted with Republicans because they are spineless reactionaries in red-leaning districts. (Paul Blumenthal did some interesting research and found that an inordinate number of Democrats who voted with the Republicans, have foreign car assembly plants in their districts, both right-wingers like Shuler and the liberal Stark.)
We should remember these members of Congress in 2010 when they come begging for money, volunteers and votes.
Allen Boyd (FL)
G.K. Butterfield (NC)
Dennis Cardoza (CA)
Travis Childers (MS)
Jim Cooper (TN)
Artur Davis (AL)
Bob Filner (CA)
Gabby Giffords (AZ)
Stephanie Herseth Sandler (SD)
Steve Kagen (WI)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Jim Matheson (UT)
Mike McIntyre (NC)
Harry Mitchell (AZ)
Colin Peterson (MN)
Nick Rahall (WV)
Ciro Rodriguez (TX)
Heath Shuler (NC)
Pete Stark (CA)
Tim Walz (MN)
Although Texas conservative Silvestre Reyes stuck with the Democrats on this, he's even worse than the ones who voted against the American manufacturing sector. Reyes, the horrid selection Pelosi made to head the House Intelligence Committee, is urging Obama to keep war criminals Mike McConnell (Director of National Intelligence) and Michael Hayden (head of the CIA). Reyes apparently has learned absolutely nothing about torture and he should be booted off the Intelligence Committee immediately. That won't happen.
UPDATE: McCONNELL KILLS THE RESCUE PLAN
Suddenly even Miss Mitch is breaking with Bush. The Republican Senate Minority Leader seems to think his profitable ties with his Chinese patrons, who want to buy up pieces of GM if the company is forced to liquidate, are worth more than his loyalty to the lame duck president he has rubber stamped for 8 years without so much as a squeak. Since he just won re-election last month, he won't have to worry about Kentucky auto industry workers for another 6 years.
Labels: Auto Industry, Blue Dogs, government bailout, reactionary Democrats, Republican wing of the Democratic Party
posted by DownWithTyranny @ 7:30 PM
6 comments
|
Reddit
6 Comments:
Why Pete Stark? He's very liberal.
Yeah, I mentioned that 3 of the 20-- Stark, Filner and Kagen-- probably refused to vote for it because of the car czar provision. I mean, who in their right mind wants to hand this kind of unchecked power over to Bush and whomever he appoints at this stage in the game?
I would assume that is also correct re: Filner.
Does anyone know in whose district the Nummi plant is located? I know it's in the East Bay somewhere.
Time will tell whether the Democrats that voted against the Auto Bailout were right, but it’s not to early to tell that the $700B TARP Bailout is not working … just listen to any of the hearings that Barney Frank has held … including yesterday where Republicans and Democrats attacked the Treasury leadership.
Voting against the TARP program and the Auto Bailout included :
Travis Childers (MS)
Bob Filner (CA)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD)
Steve Kagen (WI)
Colin Peterson (MN)
Ciro Rodriguez (TX)
Heath Shuler (NC)
Pete Stark (CA)
Tim Walz (MN)
They were right on TARP. It has solved nothing and actually has set-up tax breaks for banks. (PNC Bank is entitled to a $5.5 billion tax break in acquiring National City that is almost equal to National City’s purchase price, and will also get National City’s share of $7.7 billion in bailout money. Wells Fargo acquisition of Wachovia would have the same effect. See also Capital One acquisition of Chevy Chase Bank.)
And like the TARP legislation, the Auto Bailout has provisions involving IRS section 382 whereby the federal government would serve as the guarantor in Sale-in-Lease-out (SILO) tax shelters … and who benefits from this … yep, banks !
The TARP legislation essentially created a “CreditCrisisCzar” in the form of the Paulson … do we really want a “Car Czar” … haven’t we learned the lessons when Jerry Bremer was given all the power as Iraq’s Czar? And Senate Republicans, like Norm Coleman, are concerned that the Car Czar doesn’t have enough power.
That’s two good reasons why the list above deserves credit (and why I voted for Tim Walz).
Should tax dollars be used to save the Auto Industry, or improve the economy? Although, Americans have concerns for Detroit operations, I have more concerns for operations that support the auto industry. How will any of that money maintain lower tier businesses? A massive infrastructure program makes sense … providing money for two car makers does not. What would it take for you to buy a new car now (ignore the question if it’s a Big-Three vehicle) … unless Congress enacts tax cuts to promote vehicle purchases, the Big-Three will just bide time. The monies would be better spent by providing the states with monies for unemployment benefits and food programs … since the lower tier companies will have workforce reductions. Long term, the Big-Three is suffering from retirement and medical programs … that is something that this Bailout will not address … but something the 111th Congress must.
The NUMMI plant is in Pete's backyard knocking out the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Tacoma, and GM's Pontiac Vibe. So, I think he's doing some of what the other pols are doing in the southern right-to-work states: protecting jobs at foreign owned auto manufacturing plants.
I say screw the transplants. Did Toyota or Honda ever build anything in the USA as cool as the 59 Tunderbird or the muscle cars of the late 60s and 70s? No!
Freakin' Americans invented the auto industry and the kick ass cars we all drove and wrecked as teenagers.
They can take their non-union plants and head back to Asia for all I care. And the Germans can take their over-priced pieces of junk with them as well.
Hollywood can find new status symbols like the 100 percent electric Tesla (see http://www.teslamotors.com) It cost over 100K (that should appeal to the Hollywood elite)
It goes from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, burns no oil (are you listening Ed Begley), and it gets 244 miles per charge. Plus, it's made in California.
Go home transplants!
Post a Comment
<< Home