For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: GM wants more!
General Motors Corp. is pushing for union and creditor concessions as it races to complete a report that asks the U.S. to increase a $13.4 billion emergency aid package, people familiar with the plan said. Plunging U.S. auto sales, which fell to the fewest in 27 years in January, have increased cash consumption by the Detroit automaker, and GM will need additional U.S. aid to survive, said the people, who asked not to be named because the plan isn’t final. The total request in the Feb. 17 report to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner may exceed the $18 billion GM sought in a Dec. 2 government appeal, they said.
Wow! What a shock! Here's the money question: as Democrats demand financial service companies receiving government funds limit executive pay, will they require union workers reduce their hourly rates if the companies they work for are bailed out?




















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Comments Policy
Excellent point
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:38 ET by KC MulvilleOnce you go down the path to the dark side, forever will be your doom.
With each step toward socialism, things you hadn't imagined before will emerge. There's a reason we didn't want to go down this path.
Freedom
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:41 ET by cvgbuckeyeThe auto industry has done and will do more for The United States of America in 1 day than any government agency or Marxist, democrat, MSM conglomeration has done in the last 100 years.
Even with a leach society called the UAW hanging around it's neck like an albatross, which by its ancient structure, is more to do with Cuba and The Soviet Union; having nothing to do with a Democracy.
COMMENT REGISTRATION AT HOT AIR OPEN RIGHT NOW!!!!
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:59 ET by R D HelmAlert your friends, neighbors, pets and loved ones!
They don't open the gates over there very often, so if you want to storm the castle, now is your chance. :-)
Better hurry too, before Ed pulls the plug:
http://hotair.com/ar...
-Dave
Our clueless political leaders are about to drive us all over a cliff. The time to HITM is now-before we go over.
Hay Dave i did it. left a comment in a blog that had 650 comment
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 16:38 ET by upcountrywateron it...
pURPLe pINKy
Time for GM to do the honorable thing and file for bankruptcy
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:56 ET by R D HelmThey need to be turned away from the public trough once and for all, as do all the rest.
As for the UAW, they can go pound sand.
-Dave
Our clueless political leaders are about to drive us all over a cliff. The time to HITM is now-before we go over.
Union workers will need to look
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:56 ET by FastEdVERY carefully at their union reps - and they will need to understand that a pay cut may be better then a pay end. The other perks will need to be understood, as they relate to the rest of us who don't have union membership - things like holiday pay, sick pay (lots and lots) vacation pay, strike pay, pension and healthcare pay. With intillectual honesty, they need to understand that there are a very large segment of us who don't have what they have, and would take their job (a job that americans don't want, remember, cause it's dirty, hard, etc.) in a NY second, just to get part of their bennies.
They, like the rest of us, need to make our voices known, that mis-management and mis-reperesentation, can no longer be tolerated, and we really do hope for change - less government, less taxes, less empty words.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
More Than One CAR CZAR
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:07 ET by botgis needed per B-HO; you know since the gubermmit does everything just so efficiently. Maybe they can do for the auto industry what Barney Frank did for the housing market
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20090216/D96CN3MG1.html
Obama to appoint panel for auto recovery
Feb 16, 9:02 AM (ET)
By STEVEN R. HURST
WASHINGTON (AP) - It will take more than one "car czar" to help get the embattled U.S. auto industry back on track, President Barack Obama has decided.
Have you driven a Yugo lately?
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:24 ET by mizflame98Yeah, I can see it now, Le Car dealerships, Yugo, Renaults, and any other crappy government run car dealerships as far as the eye can see. Get ready for the Congressional Motors Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAqPMJFaEdY
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
I'm thinking 'she' might be
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:20 ET by FastEdtrying to manufacture one of these - see her with latest test model.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Autos
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:41 ET by jaywlThe Dems in Congress get wackier by the hour. I came across an article in Freepress (?) concerning comments by Pelosi and good 'ol Barney Frank directed to GM and Chrysler. They told the companies to submit plans that "meet tougher fuel economy requirements set by California and other states"and "commit to “protecting and sustaining the health and pension benefits”
of workers and “an additional assurance that taxpayers benefit as
corporate conditions improve and shareholder value increases." Are these people in the same world as the rest of us? That kind of crap is what got them into this mess. Of course, I keep hearing of how the companies are supposed to start building the "cars consumers want." That really means cars the wackos in Washington think we should have. Electrics? What the hell are they going to say to 300,000 GM employees and 600,000 ancillary workers if an electric car can be made of plastics, DC motors, batteries made in the lead/toxic metal fields of Red China, and produced entirely robotic-ally--and it costs less than $20,000? Will they be singing "Green, Green a three day drunk" or trying to figure out why an Army is forming in Michigan?
PS: Why is Barney Frank on all the news shows now? He should be hiding his face given the massive error of forcing banks to lend to anybody that breathed.
Let us not forget that in order
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:23 ET by FastEdto power these things, we'll need more electricity - and where will THAT be coming from? The wackos that these dummies listen to won't allow new plats to generate what we need now, can we see a brown-outing of america, in order to commute?
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
when will the outrage start?
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:51 ET by SouthJersey1953I figure at the rate BO is operating, the public is going to start getting upset soon....
First he demands that the congress rush the bill, so much rush that they didn't have time to completely read it. Then he decides to fly to Chicago for a holiday weekend (I'll sign it after the weekend).....good grief! He has been on the job for three weeks and he already needs a three day weekend?
I also think the public might start to talk about his excessive flights around the country on Air Force One.....he has been acting like he is on the campaign trail.
Call me naive, but I think Americans are smarter than they often act..it won't be long now until the MSM can no longer cover for their messiah.
--looking for a good tagline--
AND, he wants us to become more
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:27 ET by FastEdGreen - how is he setting the example - got it, do as I say, not as I do.
The people need to understand that a FRAUD had been foisted on the electorate, under the guise of "economic stimulus". IF, this were really true, then the 1% retail up-tic would not have occured last month.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Political Control
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:51 ET by KJ_sezAnyone care about this today?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090216/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_refer...
Coming soon to Capitol Hill, courtesy of Pelosi, Reid, Obamination, and all the other treasonous bastards in the U.S. Congress...
Those people in Venezuela
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:56 ET by R D HelmThose people in Venezuela just voted to turn themselves into a third-world country.
Kind of like we did back in November.
-Dave
Our clueless political leaders are about to drive us all over a cliff. The time to HITM is now-before we go over.
Those who voted "yes" today
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:00 ET by ThisnThatThose who voted "yes" today voted for socialism, for revolution," Chavez thundered to thousands of ecstatic supporters.
And Obama is taking notes, saying to himself "How can I use that template"? And the MSM is answering: "follow our lead -- as Newsweek has said, we are all socialists now, anyway"....
___________________________________
The challenge is to follow a consistent plan despite inconsistent prices - Sarah Palin, State of the State of Alaska speech
Step 1: Stuff the ballot
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:08 ET by KJ_sezStep 1: Stuff the ballot boxes. Check.
Step 2: Force children into public education, and replace the "3 R's" with propaganda, newspeak, and derision for anything outside of these. Check.
3. Make real voters (as opposed to those listed in #1) fearful of the consequences of not taking your word about whatever you'd like to pontificate. Check.
4. Make sure the populace isn't armed. Working on it, then... checkmate.
Pakistan caves in
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:56 ET by ThisnThatPakistan caves in to the Taliban. The government agreed to impose Islamic law and suspend a military offensive across a large swath of northwest Pakistan on Monday in concessions aimed at pacifying a spreading Taliban insurgency there.
Will Obama protest? Or cheer?
___________________________________
The challenge is to follow a consistent plan despite inconsistent prices - Sarah Palin, State of the State of Alaska speech
Octuplets
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:00 ET by LionKingWith these 8 more babies, the single mother now has 14 children for the state of Kalifornia to support. No tears here, they allow it so she is taking advantage of the system.
Personally, however, I feel it was irresponsible of the doctor to implant all of the embryos in her that resulted in all of these babies. I think the doctor should assume the burden instead of the taxpayers. He had to know that she could not afford the medical and hospital bills, let alone providing for these children.
I consider his actions far more reckless than an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. He knew that she would be pregnant because of him; he should be held accountable. JMHO
Octuplets
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:07 ET by QueenMumSorry. Double post. See below.
Octuplets
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:05 ET by QueenMumFrom what I've read regarding the doctor, he's not the same one who did the IVF procedures for the first six. And he's engaged in pioneering a new method for implanting the embryos that increases the chances for a successful pregnancy. If this is true, this crazy lady found someone who may have provided some sort of compensation for her participation. Likely this would be in the form of covering the cost of the prenatal care, delivery of the babies, and aftercare for all. But not necessarily continued financial support. I've not heard much more on this angle lately. My guess is that the doc has got himself lawyered up and staying below the radar.
The Iranian national Dr.
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 00:12 ET by stratmanThe Iranian national Dr. Michael Kamrava is purported to be the fertility specialist who performed both IVF procedures. ABC has a Feb. 13th story which quotes Nadya Suleman as stating that the same doctor did both procedures and links to documented proof that Kamrava was her physician during the first IVF.
Kamrava went to medical school at Case Western Reserve university in Cleveland, Ohio. Wow, I missed taking classes with him by about 20 years!
It seems the folks at CWRU are NOT happy about Kamrava's connection to the school, his ethical standards, nor his methodology. Can't say I blame them or disagree. Not only is Kamrava ethically challenged and his methodology may be directly related to the injuries of Suleman's earlier IVF, the very questionable doctor also has a lousy IVF success rate!
Just how did he pay for his Beverly Hills address??? Enquiring minds want to know.
Ohh, now I know. Beverly Hills-type folks will try anything, believe anyone. IIRC, Priscilla Presley, had auto mechanic-grade silicone injected into her face by a fraud (not a doctor) now known as Dr. Jiffy Lube.
Octo-Mom....this is a local issue here.........
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:47 ET by BEGRUNTSo I'm privy to more info than those nationally. This woman is mentally disturbed, had procedures performed on herself to look more like Angeline Jolie, has sent correspondance to Jolie, supposedly modeled herself after Jolie. Octo-Moms own mother pleaded with a different invetro doctor to NOT implant anymore embryos, saying she felt her daughter was disturbed, and already had 6 kids, some of which have disabilities. Octo-mom shopped around till she found this guy (Who is going to have his license yanked), to do the procedure. She has bilked the State of California out of $200,000K so far in "disability" payments.......on top of the $1.5 Mill hospital bill us California tax payers have to pick up. Have you seen the "hovel" that these kids will have to live in????? This woman is clearly unfit to raise those children. There is a lot more to this, and more and more comes out every day.
"Blago got in touch with his inner dirt bag"
Dennis Miller
GM needs
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:29 ET by Delsato declare bankruptcy thereby getting rid of the ball and chain, aka THE UNION, from around their necks.
They should say screw you to the government money too.
Start over by downsizing and keep all employees who want to work with good pay and benifits WITHOUT the UNION calling the shots!
Meet the new boss, even dumber than the Old Boss
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:30 ET by Jack BauerThis just about guarantees a couple of things if I may predict...
#1 Any financial institution which can RELOCATE to another sophisticted finacial center with looser regulations, like the City of London, will do so.
#2 A massive hike in creative accountacy firms who will spend forever working out dodges and schemes to avoid anything Congress can produce. Not too difficult to outmaneuver politicians, by the way.
Oh -- and isn't the constitutionality of Barney Frank deciding on the bonuses/wages of employees in a private company going to be successfully challenged in court?
Jack... Barney Frank of
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:38 ET by bigtimerJack...
Barney Frank of all people, along with Dodd should be in jail...let alone be the critters do the answering to the committees in congress.
This had better be challenged in court...successfully.
bt -- I think Barney would
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:58 ET by Jack Bauerbt -- I think Barney would rather like jail. So we'd have to think of a more suitable punishment.
Barney Frank and jail
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:03 ET by DelsaKeep club Gitmo OPEN and send him there.
Question? Ever notice Barney's initials?
just sayin?
Jack... LOL! I forgot
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:04 ET by bigtimerJack...
LOL!
I forgot all about that line, which is most likely true too.
Think I first heard good old Rush use it way back when the Fred/Fannie started coming to light regarding a huge part of all of the cause of the mess.
Jack
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:37 ET by ricklailSeveral years Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act. PREA was passed to give states money to eliminate rape and sex in prisons. Would Barney violate the law he helped to pass?
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. RWR
rickl... LOL..he would do
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:41 ET by bigtimerrickl...
LOL..he would do that gladly, after-all he has a 'D' behind his name...no consequences for breaking their own laws.
Do as I say...not as I Do syndrome.
Jack!
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:50 ET by DelsaWhen did the Constitution matter to these guys? Who is going to stop them?
"They won" remember?
The Constitution? ha!
And I love "I am NOT a tax crook"
by Thomas Milhous Daschle
I'm cracking up laughing
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:01 ET by bigtimerI'm cracking up laughing here!
Did anybody else hear Rush's last caller...I think his name was CJ from Texas.
What a character...he made my day!
Y'all wanna see what a real conniption fit looks like?
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 16:51 ET by R D HelmI heard about these from my grandmother when I was a child because she was always threatening to have one, but I have never actually seen one until now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbVw7entkxg&eurl=http://www.worldnetdaily...
LOL-It must have been something in her tea.
-Dave
Our clueless political leaders are about to drive us all over a cliff. The time to HITM is now-before we go over.
Dave... LOL... I
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 16:55 ET by bigtimerDave...
LOL...
I couldn't listen to all of that...
I did get a kick out of some of the comments...especially the one where she must have heard the Stimulus passed.
Priceless.
bt,
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:00 ET by R D HelmLOL-I nearly had one when that stupid bill passed, too.
May yet have one tomorrow when its signed. :-O
-Dave
Our clueless political leaders are about to drive us all over a cliff. The time to HITM is now-before we go over.
Hey Dave...when my
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:04 ET by bigtimerHey Dave...when my grandmother warned she was going to have a conniption fit...it wasn't in this way, know what I mean...Katie bar the doors...lol.
bt,
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:10 ET by R D HelmLOL-I just noticed Allahpundit posted that vid over at HotAir.
He even called it a conniption.
Gee, and I thought I was being so clever, too.
-Dave
Our clueless political leaders are about to drive us all over a cliff. The time to HITM is now-before we go over.
Hey Dave... GMTA! ;-)
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:15 ET by bigtimerHey Dave...
GMTA! ;-)
Dave
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 16:56 ET by botgjust be glad you're not married to her
“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” -- Chief Justice John Roberts
Just in time !! A new drug to forget..
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:24 ET by upcountrywaterThis is the real link.
What "they" hope the drug will do tryphorgettin
pURPLe pINKy
"They" hope it will finally
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 18:16 ET by KJ_sez"They" hope it will finally cure those nasty conservatives of memories of things they learned in history and civics classes, like the wording and purpose of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the administrations and (lack of) achievements of FDR, JFK, Johnson, Carter, Clinton(s), all of the already-broken campaign promises of Obamination, and anything any liberal a*sclown might have said more than five minutes ago.
→ Bama better dance
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 21:11 ET by Cool ArrowMr. President better do some serious dancing tomorrow.
Asian Market is down second day in a row, and Europe will probably do the same overnight.
CNN reporting GM & Chrysler, UAW, and creditors have till tomorrow to submit their profitability plan, but here's the kicker:
Count on all these losers calling Obama's bluff and going in empty handed.
What else can he do but give them a big wad of cash and tell them to get back to bargaining. He'll already be under the gun with a tanking market.
We'll see just how stout this guy is tomorrow.
Cool, I heard about some
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 21:22 ET by bigtimerCool,
I heard about some of how the market was doing over-seas this morning, let alone the other things going on tomorrow with the UAW/GMC, Chrysler plans needing to be submitted...going to be interesting on the market the next few days, let alone weeks to come.
Hang in there...wishing you and others the best when it comes to the market.
Good evening Cool
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 21:33 ET by cocodrieI'm going to pray for you to come out OK because I believe Present Obama is going to dance worse than Navin R. Johnson.
Jesus Loves You