Bailout cloture vote: Republicans hold the line
posted at 11:12 pm on December 11, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The Senate just held its long-awaited vote on cloture for the auto bailout bill, and it failed 52-35. Good.
A few surprises: The Maine Sisters voted to end debate and not to support the filibuster, but Montana’s two Democrats, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, sided with the Republican filibuster. Norm Coleman voted to support the filibuster, which surprises me just a little. Richard Lugar voted in favor of the bailout. Bob Corker, who tried to fashion a last-minute deal, voted in support of the filibuster. Sam Brownback, George Voinovich, Arlen Specter, and John Warner all voted for the bailout. I knew it had failed when Harry Reid voted no, a parliamentary maneuver which allows him to reopen the vote.
Harry Reid says he won’t be offering any more business in this session of Congress, which means this bailout died a well-deserved death. He urged President Bush to use his executive powers to offer the bailout from TARP funds, and as early as tomorrow, with any conditions he sees fit. I’d bet we’ll see just that within 24 hours.
In the meantime, congratulations to Senate Republicans. Most of them, and a few Democrats like Baucus and Tester and Blanche Lincoln, must have read their Robert Byrd Pocket Constitutions and realized that the federal government has no role in bailing out private enterprise with taxpayer money.
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Too bad they didn’t do so when blowing $700 billion a few months back.
lorien1973 on December 11, 2008 at 11:15 PM
It’s really amazing (and rare) when good news comes out of a Democrat-controlled Senate. The problem is spelled: UAW.
perroviejo on December 11, 2008 at 11:16 PM
If it’s so urgent, why didn’t that happen to begin with?
ddrintn on December 11, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Good news.
eucher on December 11, 2008 at 11:17 PM
What does this mean for the market tomorrow?
Yossarian on December 11, 2008 at 11:18 PM
Good. 14 billion saved, 1.4 trillion lost.
Hey, at least we salvaged something.
MadisonConservative on December 11, 2008 at 11:18 PM
Don’t worry. Bush will give them everything they want and more, then Bambi’s Senate can give them more.
SouthernGent on December 11, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Benedict Arnold, The dwarf senator and Dick Turban are whining on the Senate floor
and they are saying:
we need green cars! and more environmental standards
good grief
joey24007 on December 11, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Consumers are supposed to “bailout” producers by purchasing their worthwhile goods.
If producers can’t manage the deal, they fail, and the buyers go with more competent suppliers.
How did the government think to interject itself in this fundamental capitalistic transaction?
profitsbeard on December 11, 2008 at 11:22 PM
This was just bad legislation- even before Reid added salary increases for federal judges into the mix. Putting forth legislation propping up the Detroit automakers while ignoring all the other car companies doing business in the US was just absurd. Making demands for the automakers to drop their lawsuits to overthrow idiotic environmental standards in California was a mistake. Most importantly doing all this without putting any real demands on the real culprit- the UAW and excessive labor costs was criminal malpractice.
highhopes on December 11, 2008 at 11:24 PM
Dick Turban defending the UAW right now
joey24007 on December 11, 2008 at 11:24 PM
woot repubs!
Drunk Report on December 11, 2008 at 11:24 PM
Sanity restored?
Hog Wild on December 11, 2008 at 11:25 PM
It will go down in the morning, and end up.
Capitalism will win the day… at least tomorrow!
singlemalt_18 on December 11, 2008 at 11:26 PM
Ed, the “Maine Sisters” is no surprise.
Not saying this to you – it’s all about the unions. This is why, if GWB interjects himself intot this, is will be inconceivable. My honeymoon with him ended with shamnesty.
If he does this, we’re 98% divorced. I’ll always give him two points, one for our safety/security, and one for lowering taxes. I’ll take the last point away, because those taxes will go up tremendously, to pay for all the crap he and Obama will load upon us.
Entelechy on December 11, 2008 at 11:26 PM
Dick Turban just uttered the 9 scariest words in the English language
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help”
joey24007 on December 11, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Funny how all of this garbage pops up before the election and then before Obama is inaugurated. The Dems just want to hang it all on “the past 8 years”. The sad thing is, Bush will probably oblige. The narrative will be official: inept management in Detroit and wildly greedy Wall Street types, aided by the insanely pro-business, anti-regulation GOP put us in this mess. What a crock. Maybe someone 50 years from now will tell the truth.
ddrintn on December 11, 2008 at 11:28 PM
A glimmer, no matter how dim, of hope for free markets, is still alive.
Unsustainable is unsustainable, bailout money has no effect on that fact. Maybe a bankruptcy judge will see that point as well.
tarpon on December 11, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Well said.
JeffreyLloyd on December 11, 2008 at 11:30 PM
I’ll counter your whining with this comment.
The initial discussion was for $25B which escalated to $34B in the next round and settled on a paltry $14B this week.
That’s a swing of $20B in need. Even in DC that’s “real money.” You can’t possibly suggest that there was a well-thought out strategy with all stakeholders on board with that kind of swing in the amount of money necessary to “save” the Big Three. The honest and legitimate approach would have been for the corporations and the unions to reach agreement on a plan BEFORE coming to Congress and asking for a bailout that is unpopular with over half of the public. It could have been sold as an industry plea but organized labor never EVER got onboard to the “dire need” suggestion and never offered up substantive changes in the contracts that had been negotiated with the automakers. If GM dies, it is because of UAW greed not because of Senate Republicans holding the line against this onslaught of bailouts.
highhopes on December 11, 2008 at 11:31 PM
That’s like Mrs. O’Leary defending the cow.
highhopes on December 11, 2008 at 11:33 PM
We need to organize a boycott of any auto company that accepts bailout money. A bailout only helps out the UAW with taxpayer dollars. So GOP supporters are supporting public funding of the opposition.
From experience and observation I am certain that Conservatives buy more American branded cars than Liberals do: we have more kids, tend to be the majority in rural areas, and don’t worry about global warming. So why would the majority of Americans, us, opposed to the bailout turn around and support the auto companies and by default the UAW?
Conservatives, via a boycott, could kill the Big 3. Michelle can you support a boycott to bring the UAW to its knees? Why make cars if there are no buyers?
DerKrieger on December 11, 2008 at 11:33 PM
@ Entelechy on December 11, 2008 at 11:26 PM
If you havent already taken away that second point, you will never take it away. The trillion he borrowed from the Chinese over the past 2 months weren’t enough?
muyoso on December 11, 2008 at 11:33 PM
wow… what a spine… standing up to stop what represents 2.14% of the $700 BILLION give away…
At this point, who gives a crap anymore…
Get a good gaming system and clock out of politics – it doesn’t matter
gatorboy on December 11, 2008 at 11:34 PM
As a long time conservative, to read that this is “good news” is maddening how is it “good news” when millions of jobs with be lost from blue collar to white collar. Many families are and will feel the consequneces if GM and Chrysler go under and it will spread from Detroit to all regions of the States, this is not “good”.
Tobias2012 on December 11, 2008 at 11:35 PM
Good to see you’ve adjusted your paradigm to post-bailout Washington. Excuse me for “whining” about the worst congress in history giving out money like kleenex to worthless CEOs who have driven businesses into the ground. How could I have been so misled?
MadisonConservative on December 11, 2008 at 11:35 PM
Now its just up to the worst president ever to do yet another liberal thing that both violates the constitution and every conservative ideal.
muyoso on December 11, 2008 at 11:36 PM
It’s a good start.
BiasedGirl on December 11, 2008 at 11:37 PM
@ Tobias2012 on December 11, 2008 at 11:35 PM
UGH. First of all, if they go bankrupt, people still have jobs, they dont shut down the factories. Even if they DID ultimately fail though, you seriously think no one is gonna step in and scoop up the 50% market share that the big three represent?????
muyoso on December 11, 2008 at 11:38 PM
Organized labor refused to take a pay cut – this disaster is on them. Of course the MSM and the other sheeple in this country wont see it that way. It is always ChimpyBushHitler’s fault. I bet he is glad this thankless job is almost done.
HawaiiLwyr on December 11, 2008 at 11:38 PM
Sen. Tom Coburn (OK) : “In 2007, GM sold 9.37 million cars worldwide. Toyota, that same year, sold 9.37 million cars worldwide. GM lost 38.7 billion. Toyota made 17.7 billion. Therein lies the problem.”
Propping up the travesty is just another welfare program.
ddrintn on December 11, 2008 at 11:39 PM
Toby – we don’t support anyone losing their jobs. The current labor agreements between the Big 3 and the UAW are killing the companies. If something isn’t done to bring down the total cost of labor the Big 3 will never survive without federal funds. Are you advocating turning the automakers into a government jobs program? Where does it end? Perhaps you support the unionization of the transplants just to make things fair. Bank of America announced that it will lay off 35,000 people. Do they get any consideration? NO because they aren’t in a powerful union that gives hundreds of millions of dollars to Democrats.
Bankruptcy will lead to job losses but there will still be a lot of ex-UAW members working in US auto plants. The Big 3 do produce tens of millions of cars annually after all.
DerKrieger on December 11, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Has anyone in DC read the Constitution lately? Talk about “shredding” the Constitution.
DerKrieger on December 11, 2008 at 11:42 PM
With the help of Team Republican,
the American Taxpayer, has won this round,
the score is 0 for Team Liberal,and -0 for,
Team Autoworkers!
Now the ball resides with Team Reid/Pelosi,
and, we will soon see,how quickly,or not,
Team Pelosi tries to blame Bush!
———————————————-
Just remember, keep your eye on the bailout ball,
after all, its the ‘Liberals Mess’,and its laid
right at the feet of Barney “Banking Queen” Franks!!
canopfor on December 11, 2008 at 11:43 PM
Hooorahhh! The last hope for private enterprise….Thank you
brave Republicans!
dec5 on December 11, 2008 at 11:43 PM
The economic apocolypse is a bunch of BS.
Supporters kept trying to pose the question in terms of “who” will service the cars, and “who” will be able to get parts, and “who” will honor warranties…
In the end, if there is a buc to be made, in a vacuum created by the failure of ANY of the big three, a market will be created to fill the void.
Its known as creative destruction.
singlemalt_18 on December 11, 2008 at 11:44 PM
Thank GOD!
It is about time republicans side with the people and not the socialist union.
The car companies will survive if the government and the union will get off their backs.
jencab on December 11, 2008 at 11:45 PM
And thanks to all those who had the sanity to vote against this giant, smelly, festering, diseased turd of a giveaway to the UAW!
1) dump the unions, pay realistic wages based on the industry and the locations of the facilities.
2) dump unproductive or marginal product lines.
3) produce a line of cheap, high mileage cars for new consumers entering the market (20 somethings) so they don’t have to buy crappy old used cars
4) stop paying your executives 20 million dollar salaries when the company is failing!
5) and finally (to the government), stop telling them how to build cars and get out of the way. Oh, while your at it start using tariffs for what they were designed for; the only constitutional taxes!
Duh, if I can figure it out, why can’t you?
Falconsword on December 11, 2008 at 11:46 PM
So did McCain vote? Or was he too busy with Letterman this time? Guess this wasn’t “as important” a vote as the bank one…
Skywise on December 11, 2008 at 11:46 PM
The Big 3 will thrive if they could get rid of the UAW. But the Dems won’t allow it because the UAW give Dems so much money.
DerKrieger on December 11, 2008 at 11:47 PM
YEAH!!!!!!
BIG THREE… GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!
UP YOURS, YOU OVERPAID, GREEDY, SELFISH PIGS. THE WHOLE LOT OF YA – MIKIE MOORE, UAW, THE CEOS, ALL OF ‘EM. LET MICHIGAN RUSTAGAIN :-).
JUST GO TO BANKRUPTCY COURT. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT BENEFITS & CHRISTMAS BONUS. JUST FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY.
HotAirJosef on December 11, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Well, for starters, somebody sold you a bogus bill of goods to think that the demise of the big three was utterly preventable by the current crop of auto executives. The problems at GM, Ford, and Chrysler are far more complex than you suggest. Organized labor, excessive governmental interference in enviornmental standards that run counter to public demand, technological advances without resourcing, lack of a coherent national energy policy are just four areas you gloss over when you make it sound as if the GM CEO is completely to blame for the company’s problems.
highhopes on December 11, 2008 at 11:51 PM
Apparently, they were getting close to agreement on the bailout in the Senate when the UAW said they would not accept the wage cuts that might make the automakers competitive. So that was the breaker. I’m sure Republicans will be the culprits according to the MSM, but we should applaud all the Senators who put a stop to both pouring our money down a black hole and nationalizing our industries.
Christian Conservative on December 11, 2008 at 11:52 PM
Agreed that the UAW have sold their souls to the Dems but this fail still will cost people their livelihoods (both conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats) all will feel the drastic lose of jobs if two or three of the big 3 go under then it will spread like a plague radiating from Michigan.
Tobias2012 on December 11, 2008 at 11:54 PM
@ Tobias2012 on December 11, 2008 at 11:54 PM
When do the zombies come into play? As long as we are discussing things that will never happen that is . . .
muyoso on December 11, 2008 at 11:56 PM
The economy is squeezing my job, I think I will lose it…could you send me $100?
Thanks, let me no Tobias if you can, and I will give you the address to send it to…also if that is not enough, I may ask for more, Ok?
right2bright on December 11, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Okay, what about bankruptcy court restructuring these companies to make them profitable again?
Or some other package that is attached to reform?
HotAirJosef on December 11, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Don’t think that a friend that has a wife and kids to support and just got laid off last week from Chrysler is a “zombie” and that it will never happen when it did and is happening already is the reality of the present time.
Tobias2012 on December 12, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Arrrggghhh – layoffs happen all the time. People suffer short term butin a vibrant, socialist free economy they get back on their feet relatively quickly.
Until 3 weeks ago I worked for Alltel. I left because Alltel is about to be bought by Verizon. About 3,000 of my colleagues will lose their jobs and there are no other employers in Little Rock that can absorb them all. Should the government stop the buyout so they don’t lose their jobs? No! This the USA, not France.
DerKrieger on December 12, 2008 at 12:02 AM
I’m also subject to being let go at any time; I’m not a member of a union, and can’t expect any sort of taxpayer bailout to save my bacon. Woe is me, right?
ddrintn on December 12, 2008 at 12:07 AM
Here is a fact Tobias,
99.7% of all employer firms are small business
60-80% of all new jobs in the U.S., in the last decade have come from small business.
Half of the nonfarm money contributing to the GNP is small business
45% of the total private payroll in the U.S. comes from small companies.
50% of all retail come from franchises
Small business is what is getting ripped apart in the economy, not the big business, with their big incomes and bonuses…small business can’t get loans because of archaic SBA rules, and because the focus is on “big” business…the people who own and run small businesses are the ones who buy these cars…
If you want to pump up the economy, loosen the lending restrictions on small business, let them have the money that is now denied to them.
You talk about an auto industry that is less then 10% of the GNP, and GM and Chrysler (the only two looking for money) is probably less then 4%.
Compare that to 50%, auto is glamor, but small business makes the economy run.
Small business is the ones that need the bail out, in the form of new banking regulations, and all that money going to the banks…it ain’t getting to the small businesses.
right2bright on December 12, 2008 at 12:09 AM
If it’s already happening then pumping more money in isn’t going to help. They were going to lose the jobs no matter what.
Gianni on December 12, 2008 at 12:10 AM
No one celebrates the loss of jobs. However it is a fact of life that circumstances change and like it or not we have to adjust, we can’t just expect that our Neighbors want to pay our wages.
I’ve lost my job before, as has my husband, you know what we did? We went and found a new one. Even if that meant…Moving!
Growing up in Western PA, all I ever heard was how bad the economy was in my area, yet no one left. It’s like that book from a few years back, “Who Moved My Cheese?” The whole town was just sitting around waiting for the factory and Coal jobs to come back instead of going out and finding new jobs.
BiasedGirl on December 12, 2008 at 12:10 AM
People have been telling the UAW they are asking for too much money for decades. It finally caught up with them, basically the same as the $50 Billion scam guy.
pedestrian on December 12, 2008 at 12:11 AM
One of my primary reasons for opposing the auto bailout from the beginning (not a really popular position here in Western Michigan) was the fact that Congress was dealing exclusively with the automakers’ CEOs when the UAW should have been at the same table and also grilled about what the unions were willing to do to ensure the survival of the industry.
There should have been some sort of industry plan crafted with substantive reform (including labor costs) before ever approaching Congress for a handout. Instead we got idiots like recession architects Barney Frank and Chris Dodd (who have never worked an honest day in their lives) lecturing about what the Big Three needed to do to secure money. The idea of an “auto czar” compounded the absurdity because all the names being floated would have had huge influence over the big three but virtually no power over the non-union plants in the South. In short, any federal assistance needs to be part of a comprehensive and realistic plan- not some sort of a scheme designed to ensure that the UAW membership is happy when Obama takes power in January.
highhopes on December 12, 2008 at 12:12 AM
So the UAW wouldn’t accept pay cuts until 2011.
amerpundit on December 12, 2008 at 12:13 AM
Your last comment bothered me.
So President GWB (R) is going to abandon his own party and give them TARP money anyway?
Sad legacy if it happens.
Starlink on December 12, 2008 at 12:14 AM
Oh and Tobias let’s not forget these companies could just File for Bankruptcy and your friend probably wouldn’t loose his job. But they won’t…Why is that? The story often floated is because people won’t buy cars from Companies in Bankruptcy. Nonsense. I’ve bought GM my entire life and if they take this bailout I will never give them another Dime of my Money.
BiasedGirl on December 12, 2008 at 12:16 AM
It’s true that American labor costs are out of synch with the global marketplace and everybody has known it for decades. Any attempt at rational reform was thwarted by the UAW and their hired guns in Congress. Something has to give ultimately and it appears that will be hundreds if not thousands of union jobs because the UAW leadership is unwilling to reform an obsolete system.
highhopes on December 12, 2008 at 12:16 AM
Smack dab in the middle of the next Presidential election when no candidate (particularly a corrupt socialist incumbent) is going to hold the UAW to any promises made in the waning days of 2008.
highhopes on December 12, 2008 at 12:18 AM
I want to organize a boycott if they take the money. We’ll kill the UAW one way or another.
DerKrieger on December 12, 2008 at 12:20 AM
In principle I say no problem, but the selfish part in me says my brand new GMC Truck with 5 year 100,000 mile warranty suddenly loses a lot of value and my warranty is no good after the bankruptcy…I wish I had not be guilted into buying American. Should have stuck with Toyota,,,f’in UAW…I bet those wage cuts will look a little different when you’re waiting for your unemployment checks…!
jwp1964 on December 12, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Sam Brokeback, George Whinybitch, Arlen Sphincter, and John Mind-Wanders: the RINO caucus.
The Dems must be feeling brilliant to run two Montana conservatives who vote … conservative.
Jaibones on December 12, 2008 at 12:24 AM
Nationalization postponed for 40 days.
kcewa on December 12, 2008 at 12:24 AM
“jwp1964 on December 12, 2008 at 12:23 AM”
here’s a crazy thought — worry about that IF GM declares bankruptcy — not as some hypothetical maybe!
Buckaroo on December 12, 2008 at 12:31 AM
Good enough. It’s doomed to fail anyway, and better that Obama and the Dems get “credit” for it.
ddrintn on December 12, 2008 at 12:31 AM
OT: Rahm Emanuel and Blagojevich spoke about filling Obama’s Senate seat and discussed candidates that were okay with the President-elect, a source close to the investigation tells MxFox Chicago. The timing of the conversations makes it likely, the source says, that they were taped and are in the hands of the FBI.
amerpundit on December 12, 2008 at 12:34 AM
Agreed.
kcewa on December 12, 2008 at 12:35 AM
amerpundit on December 12, 2008 at 12:34 AM
Good news. I’d love for Rahm to take a fall for this. Might even be better than seeing Obama implicated.
kcewa on December 12, 2008 at 12:37 AM
I just read the roll call vote over at Michelle’s, and one of my senators didn’t vote. He was supposed to be at a Wreaths Across America thing in my town tomorrow that I’m helping with, but backed out because he was ‘caught up in the auto bailout.’ So where the hell’s his vote then?
meltenn on December 12, 2008 at 12:38 AM
A temporary reprieve at best, but appreciated the
. Education is time consuming and although I really really really hate that we passed the TARP, this is better late than never-or better never than late I suppose.
canditaylor68 on December 12, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Barry’s putting the bus in gear.
Mark1971 on December 12, 2008 at 12:41 AM
300 Billion for the white collars at Citigroup and not a question asked-still flying around in all those jet planes.
Little consolation nailing a bunch of blue collar workers but so much joy here just the same.
Goodale on December 12, 2008 at 12:41 AM
Its clear that the union is $55 billion overpaid.
This is all UAW’s fault.
e-pirate on December 12, 2008 at 12:44 AM
I am very happy about this! I know that jobs will be lost. But that happens. Americans dealt with it before. Maybe this might make some less lazy. And realize that some jobs don’t pay a mint. But this Union is not right. They need to kill the Unions. The Car Companies did this to themselves! Maybe they should sell their Jets too. Seems like so many that had or have high paying jobs. Live the High Life. Some had made millions. Greed is what it is. Is odd though that Bush can give them the Tarp money though. I hope he doesn’t do it. But if he does. They might still be Government involved. This I don’t like. There is way to much Government! If they shut down some of their nonsense Government projects. That could help us. If the States quit plans for stupid crap. That would save money. But now Ca. is talking about adopting a sweeping climate change! What a bunch of crock. Here we are supposedly bankrupt. And they are going to do this now. The stupidity of all our Reps. in all of our States. This was good news to hear. Sorry about the spew. I just get fed up with this illogical tactics to keep spending our money. Then raise taxes and steal more of our money. And trying to spend more of our money!!!!!!! Where is my super hero?
sheebe on December 12, 2008 at 12:47 AM
I opposed that bailout also, but at least they admitted that they would take the haircut and skip bonuses. Many companies lost nearly everything. The UAW’s $75/hr defiance is way past old now.
pedestrian on December 12, 2008 at 12:51 AM
Blanche Lincoln is reading the tea leaves for 2010.
CP on December 12, 2008 at 12:54 AM
McCain voted against the bailout! I can’t believe it
clnurnberg on December 12, 2008 at 12:58 AM
The money was bad enough but the greatest victory is stopping for now at least, the socialist tentacles that would have assured nationalization, later.
Speakup on December 12, 2008 at 12:59 AM
Which is why AIG is still offering people 4 million dollar severance checks. Why top execs at all the big investment banks are still pulling down at least 7 figures this year. And why, despite the release of 350 billion dollars ALL of those investment banks are going to post a loss, most for the first time ever. This is absolute BULLSH*T! Democrats are no great friend of the working man, but alot of these Republican senators come from states where their constituents work for the auto industry. To be blind and pretend that the largest base of manufacturing left in thi country can just “declare bankruptcy.” It’s ironic. Conservatives claim they want people to earn wages and be independent. But they don’t want to create laws that support that. They want to pass laws that support massively wealthy investment bankers. But support industries where middle class Americans work? Nope. We can’t do that.
DeathToMediaHacks on December 12, 2008 at 1:04 AM
Looming Bailout Is the Death of the Big Three
As we learned so clearly while watching the implosion of the communist bloc countries nearly twenty years ago, the whole reason companies and economies grow is precisely because there’s no government bureaucrat overseeing the myriad decisions that lead to the production of anything, let alone a car. The former Soviet Union had all sorts of product czars, and the result was horrendously bad products of insufficient supply. As Hedrick Smith noted in his essential book, The Russians, Soviet citizens waited in line for every consumer item, and were regularly unsatisfied assuming they were able to purchase anything at all. Thanks to a policy crack-up in Washington, we’ll now get to see the failure of Soviet-style planning up close.
MB4 on December 12, 2008 at 1:07 AM
Most of the opposition to the bankers bailout in the congress was from conservatives/Republicans.
MB4 on December 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM
Celebrate now. Come January 20 with Obama in and a bunch of Republicans thrown out of office-it will be party time again at the UAW halls. If necessary, I have no doubt Bush will give the Big 3 what they need from TARP to tide them
over to January. His last betrayal of the conservatives just like he and many of the Republicans have done so many times in the last 8 years. Which is why they are now the clear minority party and will soon have little influence in the next 4-8 years.
Goodale on December 12, 2008 at 1:11 AM
If you are a retired autoworker who did his time at the company, per your contract, and expected your former employer to cover your medical expenses during retirement as they had agreed to do during your employment, well guess what?
You might not have medical insurance anymore, after the big three go under and the slate gets wiped clean. However, when you’re applying to be a 65 year old cashier at McDonalds, you can take solace in the fact that conservative principles held strong!!!!!one!!!!
e-pirate on December 12, 2008 at 1:11 AM
From all that I have read at RedState, The Corker Amend-
ment was not accepted by the UAW. Senator Bob Corker from
Tennessee put together this and had support of the Dems
and Republicans. There are a couple of links in the
comment section of the thread that reveals all of the hard
work he did to put this amendment together. The UAW did
not want to accept his plan, because it contained a date
certain for compliance. This was true reform. Great work
from him!!!
bluefox on December 12, 2008 at 1:12 AM
The UAW is bound and determined to kill the Goose that has laid their Golden Eggs.
MB4 on December 12, 2008 at 1:16 AM
We should definitely pass an amendment if the senator worked really hard to put it together.
e-pirate on December 12, 2008 at 1:18 AM
If the UAW persists in their greed at some point they will learn that pigs get fat but hogs get slaughtered.
MB4 on December 12, 2008 at 1:24 AM
Big Three Bailout – Give Me a Break (Video) (5min) (John Stossel, 20/20)
Poptech on December 12, 2008 at 1:27 AM
Congratulations to the Republicans, and thank you for taking on a stand on an issue that matters.
RightOFLeft on December 12, 2008 at 1:36 AM
MB4 I agree; from what I have read in the two articles they
were the cause of the talks breaking down, so the Republicans stayed together in voting on cloture. We will
just have to stay alert because it can come up again. Reid
says not until next year, but trust is something you don’t
give him.
bluefox on December 12, 2008 at 1:39 AM
e-pirate, you still here? I don’t post often, but enjoy
reading the comments. I just thot I would put out some
information about what the Senator from Tennessee did and
add to the discussion. I took the time to read the two page
interview with him that Businessweek did on 12/09/08 and the article from Politico tonight after the vote; so yes, I
do think he deserves much credit. Just a question, did you
bother reading the articles??? By the way e-pirate, the
amendment was part of the bill, that is why it didn’t pass.
Just an FYI
bluefox on December 12, 2008 at 1:46 AM
Folks, this is far from over. The UAW is not going to take this very well. Look for lawsuits to be filed. I have spoken to many UAW members here in St. Louis and they believe it simply would unfair to not bail them out. Our government gave $350 billion to the (white collar workers) financial companies. This fact alone emboldens them to push the issue. It’s almost as if we are discriminating against them if we don’t. They believe the Federal government did not protect them from foreign companies and through regulations made the American made car less competitive. I know it doesn’t make any sense.
Look for the victim card to be played. There are a lot of UAW jobs on the line here in Missouri. If a lot of these folks become unemployed then look for attempts to increase and extend unemployment benefits as well as medical insurance etc…. This is far from over.
Oh, my senators Bond and McCaskill thanks for nothing….
Bogeyfre on December 12, 2008 at 2:08 AM
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