Broadcast Nets Panic over Second-Guessing of Obama Administration's Chrysler/Fiat Deal

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If you stand in the way of President Barack Obama's agenda, beware because there may be a litany of consequences that could result from your act - regardless if the obstacle is legitimate or not.

On June 8, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg issued a stay to review an appeal by a trio of Indiana pension and construction funds that own a part of Chrysler's secured debt. They claimed the administration's handling of the deal that would have sold Chrysler's assets to Italian automaker Fiat (BIT:F) arbitrarily threw 150 years of bankruptcy law out without process of law.

The Supreme Court later vacated her order, which cleared the way for the deal. But during the 24 hours in between, there was a sense of panic coming from the broadcast networks, fearing the worst.

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Immediately following Ginsburg's order to put a temporary hold on the deal, ABC's "World News" host Charles Gibson asked ABC's legal correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg on the June 8 broadcast if this ruling put the entire deal in jeopardy.

"That's right and that would devastate the deal," Greenburg said. "Obviously, an appeal if the court got involved and it took up this whole case, it would take a long time, much longer than next Monday, as Chris pointed out, when this deal has to go through or Fiat can walk away."

On the June 8 "CBS Evening News," correspondent Anthony Mason warned Chrysler could be headed toward liquidation if immediate action weren't taken to satisfy the will of the Obama administration.

"Because the this deal is not closed by June 15, which is only a week from today - Fiat does have the right to back out," Mason warned after being asked by "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric if the clock was ticking on the deal. "And Chrysler maintains that if it loses Fiat then the only alternative for the company would be liquidation."

CNBC's Phil LeBeau also warned Ginsburg's decision could result in Fiat walking away on the June 9 "NBC Nightly News."

"It's unclear whether the full court will take up the case," LeBeau said. "The Justice Department argued today the Chrysler sale should go through or the automaker could be liquidated. Fiat's CEO said yesterday he would never he would never walk away from the deal, but today Fiat claimed the deal could unravel if it is not approved by Monday. Chrysler claims everyday it spends in bankruptcy is costing the company $100 million."

There was some doubt as to whether or not Fiat walking away was a serious threat to the ultimate deal in the wake of the initial Ginsburg order. Reuters had reported the sentiment that had been said repeatedly by Fiat despite the reports from the three broadcast network - they would not walk away from the, even if the Supreme Court still stood in the way beyond the June 15 deadline.

Bondholders Not Yet Out of Options

The path hasn't completely run its course for the secured creditors in the Chrysler deal. Immediately after the Supreme Court announced it would not hear this case, CNBC's Phil LeBeau appeared on the network's June 9 broadcast of "CNBC Reports" and called it a "win-win day" for the federal government.

However, host Dennis Kneale had his own interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling, stating that he read it to mean this would end the battle between the bondholders and government. LeBeau explained that there were still legal options for the bondholders.

"I don't know if you can ever say anything is permanently over," LeBeau said. "Nothing is to stop the bondholders from going and filing suit in another court and saying, listen, we think that we were not given the actual treatment we deserve - that preferred treatment was given to some of the unsecured creditors. Nothing's to stop the Indiana pension funds from doing that. All that happened today is the Supreme Court merely said that there was not the legal threshold met by the pension funds for at least four of the justices to say, ‘OK, let's bring up this case and discuss the merits of this case.' That's all that was said today, so essentially the stay has been lifted."

Nonetheless after the Supreme Court's decision, pursuing these options doesn't appear as promising as they might have prior to the June 9 announcement.

"If they want to go back and try to stop this in another court, there's nothing to stop this, or stop them, from doing that," LeBeau continued. "They can certainly try to do that. I'm not sure - once you have the Supreme Court basically say we don't see the legal threshold being met, you probably have to think twice about whether you want to try some other action in the court."


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Constitution

On Wednesday, when I first heard of Justice Ginsburg's action, I felt that there was a possibility that the Supreme Court MIGHT uphold the United States Constitution, in the face of an all out assault by a Fascist administration.

I was wrong.

Now, the only answer remaining seems to be a constitutional convention, with enough states voting to uphold the constitution, or face the federal government with secession.

Reality may be trumping all doubt that this United States of America is under full frontal assault by Marxists, that reside in the White House. Our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves.

It was just the new game, Supreme Court Whack-a-Mole edition

Ginsburg was first up, got slammed and the game jammed.

"Now let's go play Skee-Ball!" 

many things can be over come-

once we do not follow the rule of law-we as a society are done. looks like that is the case of the High Court not following the rule of law in the State of Del. concerning the bond holders and corporations registered in Del.

BHO- the one term DIMOCRAT

 

 

 

many things can be over come-

once we do not follow the rule of law-we as a society are done. looks like that is the case of the High Court not following the rule of law in the State of Del. concerning the bond holders and corporations registered in Del.

BHO- the one term DIMOCRAT

 

 

 

If the SCOTUS won't uphold the Constitution, we're doomed

-Dave

Obama's health care "reform" plan is to blow up the building in order to fix a leak in the roof-Herman Cain

News flash

Fiat will build the new ambulances.  Hybrids that plug in.  When the 1.2 liter generator runs low, they will have to stop at a Chrysler dealer to charge up and continue at the top speed of 20 miles an hour to the Hospital. 

Re Fiat

Chrysler is screwed, because the union thugs demanded and got a commitment that Fiat would not import small efficient cars into the USA and thereby offload US factories. That means that Chrysler will not be able to build a small car that can compete with Toyota or Nissan, because the Chrysler will have the 400-pound UAW contract in the trunk to haul around.

This is not a bailout of Chrysler or GM. Chrysler and GM are no more. It is a bailout of the UAW; they have given up nothing and are the same UAW as before this all started.

Am I The Only Person???

Am I the only person who is wondering what the hell the Supreme Court is talking about when they say the pension funds have not met the legal threshold for at leas four justices to agree to hear the case?  Tell us what threshold your talking about?  Is there a secret code?  What the hell did the plaintiff's need to convince the Court that there were serious Constitutional issues raised by the heavy handedness of the administration in jamming this 'sale' thru.  I remain totally baffled and very disappointed by the Court's response. 

The more that comes out and

The more that comes out and develops since last fall and has snowballed since January the more it seems to coincide with Left Behind.  I see the scene where the main character is in a room with a lot of others and just before he stepped into the room he accepted Christ.  Where the antichrist kills two people in full sight of all people and only he remembers what happened.

Its seems that reality and the world we know is out of kilter with what the Obama admin is getting away with.  It seems that not many see that he is killing the two people in the room.  This SCOTUS descision is very scary with no disent among the judges.

The Indiana pension fund either presented a lousy case or poor arguments or Obama has some hold on them.  Any way you slice it Democracy and thepeople of the USA lost.

As a Bondholder of GM

It really is like being in an alternate universe,  what about the CONTRACTS?  They don't meet the threshold?

On what legal grounds is

On what legal grounds is the prefernce of the UAW over secured creditors based?  I can't believe this SCOTUS story has not gotten more play in the media over the last 48 hours, at least by Fox.  O'Reilly brushed it aside as no big deal.  I view it as the fall of the final line of defense on our path to fascism.  Checks and balances in the federal government are gone.  We are witnessing the fall of Rome, the fall of our formerly great Republic.  Am I overreacting?  Talk me back from the ledge please!

 

Enforce Term Limits if They Won't:  Vote Against ALL Incumbents in 2010.

Don't Jump!!

No, you're not overreacting.

But, as an aside - IMHO (and I'm boiling it way down) O'Reilly is a boner.

Now come back in from the ledge.

I am coming around to that

I am coming around to that view on O'Reilly.  He is becoming too much of a ratings whore.  He is toeing the line on Obama trying to be agreeable to everyone.

 

Enforce Term Limits if They Won't:  Vote Against ALL Incumbents in 2010.