U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said today that the firing of General Motors Corp. CEO Richard Wagoner doesn’t address the failure by the Obama administration to move GM toward a more sustainable future.
“Firing Rick Wagoner is a sideshow to distract us from the fact that the administration has no progress to announce today,” Mr. Corker said. “The administration is pursuing much of what we pushed for in December, but the delay of several months has increased the severity and sent billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain. Now any investment is likely unrecoverable, and we are putting more and more jobs at the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and the supply chain at risk in a politically charged environment.”
Mr. Corker is a member of the Senate Banking Committee and was the lead Republican during Senate negotiations last year to aid the domestic auto industry.
“With sweeping new power the White House will be deciding which plants will survive and which won’t, so in essence, this administration has decided they know better than our courts and our free market process how to deal with these companies,” Mr. Corker said.
The Tennessee senator also raised the prospect of whether the Obama administration may use the federal loans to GM to direct the auto maker to help Democratic states over states that voted Republican, such as Tennessee.
“It’s been a long time since Washington has seen the kind of kowtowing that’s about to occur among members of Congress trying to curry favor with the administration to keep plants in their states open, and it will be interesting to see if the administration makes these decisions based on a red state and blue state strategy or based on efficiency and capable, skilled workers at each plant,” he said. “If they use the latter, our GM plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee should do very well.”
What Dumbo is doing is hardline socialism wherein the government controls industry. He has banking, Wall Street, auto industry -- and soon -- medical care and the power industry wrapped up.
This is happening now, folks. Great changes coming, right? Hope you make it through OK.
Don't worry though...The One will explain it all on his next TV spot with Leno or whoever; provided his teleprompter is working, otherwise he will remain speechless.
This story has a remarkable lack of balance. (Where are dissenting opinions?)
Senator Corker should know that the firing is actually more than a side show, but part of a larger plan. Comments like Senator Corker's are a sideshow, designed to detract from the other work also being done.
He then goes on to say that Obama has failed to act, then all but contradicts himself by saying the administration is pushing policies outlined by the Republicans.
This sequence of what is offered by Corker in this statement makes him look like someone who is just trying to make the administration look bad, not find a solution.
I think Republicans would have a larger voice in what is occuring if they said something like, "I certainly don't think that the firing of Rich Wagoner will be enouch to turn around the automotive industry. And while I think the President could move faster on this issue, I'm encouraged to see that he is giving strong consideration to ideas put forth earlier by the Republican party."
"I encourage the president to give equally strong consideration to some of our other proposals and seek our advice and support in these issues."
"The problems facing the banking and automotive industries are big, and I think it will take all of us to fix them."
This kind of language would be much more likely to bring about workable solutions. The lack of language likes this makes Republicans seem suspect in genuinely wanting a seat at the table.
It seems they're practicing tidal politics. As erosion accumulates on the shores of the American economy, it seems that the Republicans are more interested in reminding that the current erosion is taking place with the Democrats at high tide.
The Republicans seem content to let the democrat tide subside, then sweep in on the new-rejeuvenated tide that will inevitably come for the republican party.
This seems to be how politics have been played out over the past few decades. Rather than figuring out ways to really move this country forward, the party in power simply relies on the frustration of the American people with the party in power to propel the minority party to the front again.
This article makes Mr. Corker seem more interested in protecting the status quo.
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