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Mitt Romney is working to stress his Michigan roots and empathy for the state's auto industry as part of a new offensive ahead of the Great Lake State's Feb. 28 primary.
In a new television ad and an op-ed Tuesday in the Detroit News, Romney reminded Michigan Republicans of his upbringing in the state, while working to better couch his opposition to the 2009 bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler engineered by President Obama.
"I grew up in Michigan; it was exciting to be here," Romney says in the ad, in which he appears driving a Chrysler 300. "Michigan's been my home; this is personal."
In the ad, Romney also addresses the federal bailout of the auto industry in broad terms, asking, "How in the world did an industry and its leaders and its unions get in such a fix," while accusing Obama of having done "all these things the liberals had wanted to do for years" without adding specifics.
Joshua Lott / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign event in Mesa, Arizona February 13, 2012.
It's a sentiment echoed in Romney's piece in today's Detroit News, in which he expands on his opposition to the 2009 bailout.
The effort seems directed at softening some of the attacks directed at Romney by Democrats associated with the former Massachusetts governor's opposition to Obama's handling of the bailout, outlined famously in a New York Times op-ed titled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."
Obama and his campaign count the revivals for GM and Chrysler among the administration's greatest successes in its first term. Obama trumpeted Chrysler's early repaying of some bridge loans and improved balance sheets by both companies, although the government maintains a significant equity share in both automakers.
"Does anyone believe what Mitt says: that the American auto industry would be better off today if the president hadn't intervened in 2009?" Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod tweeted Tuesday morning.
Other Democratic surrogates attacked Romney for trying to soften or even reverse his position ahead of the primary.
"All of them are wrong," former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said of the GOP field during a DNC conference call Tuesday, "but for Romney in particular it shows that the man has no principles, no core."
"Remember, that was then and this is now. Then he said let them go into bankruptcy," said Michigan Rep. John Dingell, seizing on a portion in Romney's op-ed hailing GM and Chrysler's revival. "He is now finding that success is here, and he wants to rush out and claim success, and claim participation in that success."
Romney's opposition to the bailout does little to distinguish him from his competitors in the Republican primary in Michigan.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who's surged nationally versus Romney since scoring upset victories in a trio of nominating contests last week, appears poised to take a run at Romney on his home turf in Michigan. Santorum's on the air in the Wolverine State, and some automated polls (which aren't recognized by NBC News) suggest Santorum is within striking distance of victory in the Michigan primary, which Romney won during his presidential campaign of 2008.
Moreover, Santorum's position on the auto bailouts is virtually identical to Romney's. "I called for a structured bankruptcy from the very beginning," Santorum said in January on C-SPAN. "They could have gone through a structured bankruptcy. And the only difference between those two companies coming out of bankruptcy versus the bailouts Obama put in place was that the unions wouldn’t take ownership share of the company. The bondholders who were all in line under the rule of law should have gotten their fairer share of the company."
Former House Speaker Gingrich has also voiced opposition to the auto industry bailout.
Romney has homed in now on the treatment of unions as a main point of criticism toward Obama's handling of the managed bankruptcy. Romney says the president had eventually pursued the managed bankruptcy option Romney had preferred, but did so in a way that unfairly advantaged the UAW and organized labor over Chrysler and GM's secured creditors -- most of which are located on Wall Street.
"While a lot of workers and investors got the short end of the stick, Obama's union allies — and his major campaign contributors — reaped reward upon reward, all on the taxpayer's dime," Romney wrote in the Detroit News piece, in which he calls for the government to sell off its shares of GM.
But Romney's new strides this week appear more directed at responding to attacks by Democrats, not his rivals in the presidential campaign. The bailout remains generally popular in Michigan, and even some congressional Republicans who represent the issue are on record in favor of the Obama administration's support for GM and Chrysler. Democrats' attacks are meant to saddle Romney in parts of the Midwest where the auto industry remains dominant, and drive up his negatives both for the Republican primary and the general election. (Obama led Romney, 48 to 40 percent, in a January 2012 EPIC/MRA poll of likely Michigan voters, erasing an advantage that Romney had held over the president in 2011 polls.)
Those efforts to define Romney might be aided by Romney's own history on the issue, now trying to largely take credit for the path the Obama adminstration pursued after having pleaded for Washington to ease the path for automakers during the 2008 GOP primary in Michigan.
"The question is, where is Washington?" Romney said during that campaign, according to an account by the New York Times, specifically decrying new fuel efficiency standards for Detroit's Big Three. "Where does it stop? Is there a point at which someone says 'enough'? Or are we going to allow the entire domestic automotive manufacturing industry to disappear?"
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Denial of what is reality does not make it any less real, truth is constant. There are alot of "truths" that caused the downfall of Detroit. Unions are as much to blame as the executives who agree to sign the contracts. Politicians are as much to blame as the environmentalist who demand more regulations on the auto industry. I am a union member and when it came time for our contract to be revised, we all expected our wage agreement would include a 3 year " chicken raise", buck, buck, buck an hour. If you make say, $15 an hour, who would not want to have that raised to $30? But there are truths that regulate whether it is possible that the industry you work for can justify that raise. In my industry, sanitation, those cost will be passed onto the customers monthly bill. But again "reality" sets in and at some point the customers refuse to pay rate hikes. Simply put, I receive a pay raise, which in turn my employer passes that cost onto the customers, lets say an apartment manager who pays for garbage service, in turn that cost increase is then passed off as a rent increase to those living in the apartment complex. For the auto iindustry, to see the effects of union contracts, you need to look no farther than a "sticker price" that used to be what you paid for a house. What was the full price of a brand new car in the 60's, $5000, and now $30,000 base price? No matter what side you are on, whether liberal or conservative, you cannot deny truth and reality, and that is the costs the auto industry is expected to absorb is "unsustainable". Unrealistic "cafe standards", environmentalists demanding less emissionsand more MPG, and thats not suppose to effect costs? Most people want to drive a muscle car not a "smart car" or a prius. And if customers are expected to pay the price of a "house" for a car, they don't want a pedal assisted "clown car" that you have to plug in every 40 miles.
True who wants a Volt at $39,000 when this summer you will be able to buy at Tesla Model S at $57,000 or $49,500 after the $7,500 dollar tax credit. The Base Model S Tesla has 160 mile range and does a zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds all with out using a drop of gasoline. Go for the Signature sport version for $20,000 more and it will do zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds with 300 mile range. Romney and MCcain are both moderates "RINO" and Mitt "flip Flop" Romney has changed his stance more than McCain ever did. Santorum is too much of a social conservative to win against Obama in a nation election. How come a start up company "Tesla" is going to make a powerful stylish electric car and Nissan plans to introduce a new more powerful electric car as well. Toyota is also going forward with its new expanded plug in Prius line to compete with the Volt. Face it man you are a dinosaur and don't even know it. When Iran tries to shut down the Strait of Hormuz you will appreciate cars that get good gas mileage or use no gasoline at all. Also BMW is planning on making an EV soon as well as Mercedes. The Tesla Roadster will smoke the Camaro in zero to 60 4.8 seconds as well as the base model Corvette zero to 60 is 4.2 seconds so the Tesla Roadster's zero to 60 at 3.9 seconds got them both beat. I agree the Smart Fortwo Cars suck big time so does the Prius. Give me a powerful EV that looks sexy and I will drive it over a gasser every day since Gasoline could soar to over $5 dollars a gallon and it would sure be nice to have a technological solution other than having to go to war to secure our rights to oil. Go Tesla. Show Detroit how to build a good EV
I am not a Romney "fan" and do not want another RHINO McCain running against Obama, however the truth of the message in this case doesn't change because of the messenger. GM should have never agreed with unsustainable contract demands from the UAW. Forget the obvious pay raises, unsustainable retirement promises should never have been agreed too. It is unrealistic to promise someone that you will pay someone, lifetime retirement benefits you cannot afford. Up to this point reirement promises were simply passed onto the sticker price, but cars are becoming increasingly unaffordable. GM should have filed bankruptcy and then re-negotiated existing and future union contracts. As painful as that may have been for everyone, as I said before, truth is undeniable and at the end of the day truth is constant. You can promise someone you will pay them, lets say $70,000 a year fro the rest of their life, but if the reality is if you aint got it, you cant pay it.
GM agreed to the UAW unsustainable pension system because they knew the taxpayers would get stuck paying for it. The Democratic Congress pushed through a law several years ago making it mandatory the taxpayers pay for ANY failed corporate pension systems. Yep, you don't have a pension but you are going to pay for theirs right down to the letter of the private contract they signed with corporate executives who knew this law existed.
Because of this miserable law Congress was forced to decide it was cheaper to bailout GM than take over the pension system. It is the penions system with 3 retirees for every current worker that is killing GM and making any sane decision impossible.
The GM pention, as with any corporate pension, simply has to fail. This crap of emptying one taxpayers bank account to support the failures of anthers is insane. The worst think is the winners are chose by their lobby interest loyalty and nothing else. The rest are thrown under the bus.
If I were Romney I would tell the truth. Obama bailed out union GM and let non union Saturn go out of business because the unions send money to him.. It was not fair to Michigan's non union workers. We must do what is fair. For instance Washington State and Seattle will raise taxes because of unions until Boeing moves everything to South Carolina. We need discussions in Michigan about fairness. Obama says he wants fairness. Does Michigan want fairness? Most politicans lie because they have no faith in the voter. Ken Krieger Cape Coral, Florida
Controlled bankruptcy!! Who in the hell would buy a car from a bankrupt company? Certainly not the American People of the United States! The Republican corporate thieves knew better, that's exactly why we, the American People, had to bail them out! This has nothing to do with our wishy-washy Mexican Republican corporate puppet. THE CORPORATES ARE CONTROLLING the american peoples' government! If this had been brought to a people-vote do you think there would have been a bailout? So, Michigan voters, do your thing! Vote the thieves out! Or, better yet, DON'T VOTE! You'll still be considered a faithful American citizen who chose not to vote because this multi-millionaire could care less about us. We, the American People of the United States want our country back! Our illustrious polititions who care less about us better listen-up!
We want an 8% flat Fed. Income Tax for EVERY working individual, EVERY corporate/business AND ESPECIALLY EVERY so-called "NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION/FOUNDATION" which is nothing more than a tax shelter. We want NO MORE LOBBYING, SUPERPACING, CPACING OR ANY OTHER HIDDEN CORPORATE TACTICS!
We want to be given our right to select WHO WE WANT to run our country, NOT WHO THE CORPORATES WANT TO RUN OUR COUNTRY!! Just look at the mess we're in! All because of uncontrollable corporate greed! Capitalism DOES NOT WORK FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE; IT ONLY WORKS FOR THE CORPORATES'GREED!
MODIFY OUR CONSTITUTION SUCH THAT No more than $5 million dollars a year for any one man and his family. If they can't live on that, it's just too bad! Including bonuses and other hidden incentives shall all go to charity! Every last penny to be used for the charities, NONE TO BE USED FOR THE COST OF RUNNING THE CHARITIES! Just honest charity, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS!!!
IT'S TIME TO GIVE BACK TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WE MADE THE CORPORATES SUCCESSFUL THROUGH OUR HARD LABOR AND SACRIFICES! IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO GIVE BACK! GIVE OUR PENSIONS BACK, GIVE OUR FORECLOSURES BACK AND GIVE OUR LIVES BACK!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE, AND THAT TIME IS NOW! NOT LATER, BUT RIGHT NOW!
Controlled bankruptcy!! Who in the hell would buy a car from a bankrupt company? Certainly not the American People of the United States! The Republican corporate thieves knew better, that's exactly why we, the American People, had to bail them out! This has nothing to do with our wishy-washy Mexican Republican corporate puppet. THE CORPORATES ARE CONTROLLING the american peoples' government! If this had been brought to a people-vote do you think there would have been a bailout? So, Michigan voters, do your thing! Vote the thieves out! Or, better yet, DON'T VOTE! You'll still be considered an faithful American citizen who chose not to vote because this multi-millionaire could care less about us. We, the American People of the United States want our country back! Our illustrious polititions who care less about us better listen-up!
We want an 8% flat Fed. Income Tax for EVERY working individual, EVERY corporate/business AND ESPECIALLY EVERY so-called "NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION/FOUNDATION" which is nothing more than a tax shelter. We want NO MORE LOBBYING, SUPERPACING, CPACING OR ANY OTHER HIDDEN CORPORATE TACTICS!
We want to be given our right to select WHO WE WANT to run our country, NOT WHO THE CORPORATES WANT TO RUN OUR COUNTRY!! Just look at the mess we're in! All because of uncontrollable corporate greed! Capitalism DOES NOT WORK FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE; IT ONLY WORKS FOR THE CORPORATES'GREED!
MODIFY OUR CONSTITUTION SUCH THAT No more than $5 million dollars a year for any one man and his family. If they can't live on that, it's just too bad! Including bonuses and other hidden incentives shall all go to charity! Every last penny to be used for the charities, NONE TO BE USED FOR THE COST OF RUNNING THE CHARITIES! Just honest charity, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS!!!
IT'S TIME TO GIVE BACK TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WE MADE THE CORPORATES SUCCESSFUL THROUGH OUR HARD LABOR AND SACRIFICES! IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO GIVE BACK! GIVE OUR PENSIONS BACK, GIVE OUR FORECLOSURES BACK AND GIVE OUR LIVES BACK!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE, AND THAT TIME IS NOW! NOT LATER, BUT RIGHT NOW!
You are totally deranged. A corporation cannot elect anyone and neither can the rich. They are less than 1% of the population. The lower class voting majority elect all the crooks you see in office. That along with the other deficit junkies.
We have 47% that pay zero federal income taxes and use the most entitlements/services. Then we have all the federal employees, federal retirees, military, military retirees, defense contractors, other federal contractors, union pensioners that were bailed out, corporations that were bailed out, retirees of bailed out corporations, banks that were bailed out etc etc etc.
That makes up about 60% of the voting population. How do you ever pass responsible legislation when 60% of the country is dependent on and addicted to deficit spending?
The wealthy and corporations simply sit back and watch the politicians buy off these deficit junkies with a completely unfunded $1.7 trillion dollar deficit. They pay for their votes using borrowing on the backs of the middle class taxpayers. When that well goes dry the politicians ruin the credit and inflate the currency to pay off the deficit dependents. All the corporate campaign money comes from the $1.7 trillion dollar deficit too in the form of federal contracts and bailout money. They payoff the politicians with our bailout money!!!
We tried to remove all the crooks in 2008. Despite orchestrating, executing and covering up the largest financial meltdown in the history of mankind the deficit junkies reelected every incumbent right back again. They simply will vote for anyone who will not cut their deficit. Once in office the crooked politicians raid the Treasury and throw around trillions in bailout money for the corporations who then toss the politicians millions in lobby money.
The crooks and thieves are those who cast their votes for deficit spending. The rich never elected a single person to office. Look no further than your neighbors content with tax payer borrowing to support themselves.
We have to find a balance between greedy unions, and abusive employers. Without labor, there will be no capital. Obama/Biden/12