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April 6, 2009
GM's New Board Drives Foreign Cars
Given that the Democrat Party has now assumed Soviet-style control of the auto industry, maybe party apparatchiks should familiarize themselves with the industry — by driving its products.
Oops, it seems that many on President Obama's team, including those seeking to save the American automobile industry, do not actually drive vehicles from the American automobile industry.
According to a study by the Detroit News and a White House parking lot survey by Politico.com, neither do Obama's White House staffers.
Before leaving for Europe (where the Secret Service had pre-placed Obama's new armored Cadillac), the president dished out rhetorical tough love to U.S. automakers.
He canned the chief executive of General Motors (the United Auto Workers president remained, not receiving bailout money), gave the giant carmaker 60 days to reorganize, and directed Chrysler to merge with Italy's Fiat in 30 days to remain an American company. (Let it go, it makes sense in Washington.)
The Politico survey of cars parked next to the White House found only five U.S. brand cars out of 23 — a Dodge, two Fords, a Jeep and a Cadillac. The News found that Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, who didn't have the money to pay more than $20,000 in back taxes until they became a confirmation problem, did acquire a 2008 Acura.
Lawrence Summers, head of the president's National Economic Council, drives a Mazda. Budget Director Peter Orszag drives a Honda and a Volvo. Economic advisor Austan Goolsbee drives a Toyota. VP Joe Biden's economic advisor Jared Bernstein prefers a Honda.
At least Chairman Zero rides in an armored Caddie. No doubt when shoveling $billions of our money into the UAW's gaping maw and putting Nancy Pelousy in charge of design fails to turn Government Motors into a profitable enterprise, tariffs will be employed to ensure that only bureauweenies and trial lawyers can afford to drive foreign cars.
On a tip from Byron.
Posted by Van Helsing at April 6, 2009 7:37 AM
Comments
Ford owns Volvo Car Corp. and a portion of Mazda.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 6, 2009 8:18 AM
Volvo is owned by Ford, which also has about a 35% stake in Mazda. Many Honda and Toyota models are built in the United States, but since those are built in non-union factories by non-union workers, I guess we don't count those. Nor do we count Volvos or Mazdas, which are built overseas while the profits come home. Ever notice, by the way, that outsourcing (basically what this is) is bad when the auto industry does it, but no one bats an eye when practically every other industry does it?
Someone should probably tell BHO that Chrysler is deader than dead. Their facilities are out of date, their cars are horrible, and they have zero direction. They are hemorrhaging cash even faster than they turn out crappy cars; they remind me of AMC at the end of their life, when they were bought out by...Chrysler. And how is it OK for Chrysler to merge with a foreign automaker? I thought this was about saving the American auto industry! It turns out that all Zero cares about is saving union jobs, which surprises me not at all.
Posted by: CoderInCrisis at April 6, 2009 8:33 AM
They should let Chrysler vanish and focus on Ford and GM.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 6, 2009 9:06 AM
I'm kind of surprised any of them actually drive themselves to work instead of being chauffered.
I would think the only driving these elitists did was on weekends in their Ferraris and whatnot.
Posted by: Parley at April 6, 2009 11:14 AM
The Big Three their leaders drive forgein cars now what will they do have forgein made items at home
Posted by: SPURWING PLOVER at April 6, 2009 11:35 AM
The future for American cars:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebant
I drive a Saturn. BUY CONFEDERATE! (Hee hee)
Posted by: KHarn at April 6, 2009 1:11 PM
Honestly, I can't understand why anyone who lives in the United States would buy a foreign branded automobile. I'm not bashing the foreign cars. I'm just saying that the American manufacturers put out some really nice cars that are incredibly durable. Sure they sucked 20-something years ago, but their quality these days is as good, and oftentimes better, than their foreign rivals. I've put about 500,000 miles on various Fords, Dodges, and GM vehicles and the only problem I ever had was an alternator that went bad in one of them. The only times I've ever been stranded on the side of the road were in a Toyota (transmission) and a Nissan (water pump). Unfortunately, people remember the crappy cars that were made by the Big Three in the 70s and 80s and so they won't go back and give them another chance. I would just encourage people to test drive them before they decide to buy foreign...
Posted by: Townley L. at April 7, 2009 12:25 PM
.........Interesting
Posted by: Andrew at April 7, 2009 4:31 PM
