E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Emmanuel Dunand / AFP - Getty Images
Mitt Romney holds a rally at Defiance High School in Defiance, Ohio, on Thursday.
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Under the bright lights of a high school football field here in Northwest Ohio, Mitt Romney's opposition to the 2009 auto bailout reared its head again as a campaign issue that could help decide the result of this critical swing state.
Sen. Rob Portman, introducing Romney, brought up the bailout, telling a crowd of more than 10,000 supporters that "we need to talk about this tonight" in an effort to clear up what he said were dishonest attacks by the president at the last debate.
"First, it was President Obama who actually took GM and Chrysler through bankruptcy. That’s a fact," Portman said. "Second, Mitt Romney did propose government help. He proposed government guarantees for loans. He proposed the government backing up the warranties, and folks, all the independent fact checkers who have looked at this agree: President Obama was wrong."
While on the trail today, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney accused President Obama's campaign of not having a plan, and ignored questions about Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's controversial remarks on rape. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
Romney did not mention the bailout explicitly, but did voice his support for the U.S. auto industry, saying he would stand up to China on trade issues that affect auto companies and mentioning reports today that automaker Jeep was considering moving its operations entirely overseas.
"I saw a story today that one of the great manufacturers of this state, Jeep, now owned by the Italians, is thinking of moving all production to China. I will fight for every good job in America. I'm going to fight to make sure trade is fair, and if it’s fair, America will win," Romney said.
Democrats quickly seized on any mention of the auto industry to reinforce Obama's bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, looking to capitalize on an issue they believe is particularly resonant among voters in this corner of Ohio.
"While Barack Obama bet on the American worker and saved the American auto industry and more than one million jobs, Mitt Romney would have just ‘let Detroit go bankrupt.’ Voters in Ohio won’t forget how—at a make or break moment for one of America’s key industries—Mitt Romney would have turned his back and watched GM and Chrysler go under," Obama campaign spokesperson Lis Smith said in a statement.
The Obama campaign also forwarded reporters a statement from a Chrysler spokesperson claiming there were never plans to move assembly lines to China.
“Let’s set the record straight: Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America to China. It’s simply reviewing the opportunities to return Jeep output to China for the world’s largest auto market. U.S. Jeep assembly lines will continue to stay in operation,” Gualberto Ranieri, a spokesman for Chrysler said in the statement posted on the automakers' blog.
Reuters, Getty Images
In the final push in the 2012 presidential election, candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama make their last appeals to voters.
Coincidentally, after the Thursday night rally, a group of Detroit newspapers announced they would be endorsing President Obama, shredding Romney for his position in opposition to the bailout.
"It is an unforgivable and unconscionable [sic] position by a man with the audacity to claim himself a son of Detroit. Romney may have grown up here, but he left long ago," the editorial on MLive.com read in part.
All this serves to highlight how the auto bailout legacy continues to be a political minefield for Romney here in the industrial Midwest.
On Friday, Romney will return to safer ground in Iowa where he is scheduled to deliver a speech on the economy, debt and deficits, which could serve as a summation of his views on the election's most important issue as the campaign moves into its final full week.
Leave a Comment:
The big irony here is that GM would have recovered much more quickly if they had been allowed to go through a normal bankruptcy (as Mitt advocated). Free government money just let them perpetuate their inefficient ways. A bankruptcy would have forced new management practices and fewer people would have lost their jobs.
Of course the UNION will never tell anyone that. Remember that socialism is usually called the "Socialist Workers Party". It is a meld of all-controlling government and labor union bosses.
Other than you just making shiite up do you have a credible source or peer-reviewed study to support your GOP fantasy??
@WilliamOfRites
motoricker is right.
How this for one? GM is headed toward another bankruptcy. So much for the bailout eh?
www.forbes.com/sites/louiswoodhill/2012/08/15/general-motors-is-headed-for-bankruptcy-again/
Billions of tax payer dollars wasted on a failing auto industry that today is still partially owned by the goverment and who still owes billions in unpaid bailout money.
" Romney Romps " Newsvine changes their Green Blog Star to Blue , Blogers confused mayhem occurs.
Jen 37162 Ryan and Akin sponsored a bill that would make all abortions illegal as a result of rape; and don't forget planned parenthood that provides contraceptives,mammograms, cervical and uterine cancer screening for poor women would lose its funding. Think Richard Murdoch whom Romney supports and refuses to disavow. For one thing, anyone can see there would be unwanted pregnancies causing women to lose their jobs and there would be a rise in undiagnosed cancer that would most certainly impact our health care system. Oh and by the by, since Romney would get rid of the healthcare on the first day of his presidency all of those women would either go to emergency rooms (very expensive) or stress our social support networks. Think that wouldn't impact the economy?? and don't forget, your taxes will go up unless you are the 1%
Note: Planned parenthood does not provide mammograms only breast exams.
And only 1/3 of their funding from government grants and contracts..
By law, Federal dollars cannot go to pay for abortions.
This is what they are attempting to fix.....illegal use of Federal funds.....
Note: "In 2009, Planned Parenthood performed 332,278 abortions, from which it derives about $164,154,000, or 15% of its annual revenue"
Hmm.....
katinseatt, How can you sleep good at night preaching the lies you do? Remember Obama promised that you health care costs would go down, they haven't. Obama's answer was well they have not gone up as much as they have in the past. He has no answer for his promise to cut the deficit in half during his first term or the unemployment promise. Who is going to raise taxes? Obama.
Believe it or not, there were those of us here even in Ohio telling Bush, Congress and Obama that we disagreed with the stimulus because we don't want to bankrupt the country. These companies don't need bailed out. The American people needed bailed out.
The last thing we want is a socialist government with companies that are state owned and run.
The fact is 0bama did not bail out GM, obama bailed out the union, it was obama's pay back for all the millions that the unions spent to support & elect him. Normal bankruptcy would not harm GM, but the union would have a reduction in pay as did all the others involved, plus the shutting down of numerous dealers could have been prevented if the union did in fact receive the same treatment as everybody else. So when you say obama saved GM, the emphasis should be put on why did obama intervene an use tax payer money to save the union from taking a pay cut. Yeh obama killed OBL and the terrorist are on the run, is that what you want to hear ?
Right, like it didn't harm all those airlines that no longer exist.
Brilliant.
What airlines? Do you mean mergers?
Please explain.....
And like I said above...
How this for one? GM is headed toward another bankruptcy. So much for the bailout eh?
www.forbes.com/sites/louiswoodhill/2012/08/15/general-motors-is-headed-for-bankruptcy-again/
Billions of tax payer dollars wasted on a failing auto industry that today is still partially owned by the goverment and who still owes billions in unpaid bailout money.
May I have your attention please?
May I have your attention please?
Will the real GOP please stand up?
I repeat, will the real GOP please stand up?
We're gonna have a problem.
GOP = Government of PEOPLE.
letting Detroit bankrupt is not in GOP's heart
Doesn't care about the 47% is not in GOP'S heart
Universal Health care is IN GOP'S heart.
GOP is conservative and try to solve problems. Cutting tax and increasing military is not fixing the deficit. I'm so ashamed with current GOP
Will the real GOP please stand up?
I repeat, will the real GOP please stand up?
Ron Paul stood up. And the GOP smacked him down. Now we have democrat #1 and #2 to vote for. It's an insane choice to make. Getting off the Merry go round and tired of this game with the R and D's.
I'm 100% with you Rodney. Extremist should never be allowed in any case (i.e. religion, political party, race, age,etc..etc..)
That rap actually applies to Mitt very well....Won't the real Mitt Romney please stand up? I've seen so many versions of him, I have no idea which one is genuine....if any.
Mr. Portman I see you are willing to fall on the sword for your Party. I know you and Romney are trying to revise history but everyone knows the Bain Capital model. Let the entire industry go bankrupt with astronomical job losses, loss of pensions and health insurance then let the vulture capitalists swoop in to pick the bones and make some money from it. Hey, its Darwininan even if your a Creationist. Mitt made money through Delphi, lots of it, by investing in a hedge fund that pilfered Delphi and took government bailout money. So Romney said in 2008 , let them go bankrupt and private equity will buy them out. And government can guarantee the warranties and loans. That's not saving the industry.That's not what happened. Even Bain wasn't interested then.
Wow...I bet the employees of the following companies successfully managed by Bain would beg to differ with you.
Staples
Dominos
Totes
Sports Authority
GT Bikes
Steel Dynamic
AMPAD
Sealy Mattress
Alliance Laundry
DG, so I should start a business and run it into the ground, then call on the government to bail me out with money paid by tax payers? Get real the business was failing, bankruptcy laws were put in place to deal with it and that is the way it should have been done. I worked for a financial institution and the government took it over and sold parts of it (loans and loan servicing, savings accounts, etc). Everyone including me lost their job and all retirement benefits except 401K plan and except for some legal steps almost lost the company contributions to the 401K. They did not get a chance to take bankruptcy and save jobs.
Shepherd, I'd try to ask employees of Staples, Domino's and Sports Authority how they feel, but they're too busy working at their second jobs, since their first jobs only pay them minimum wage.
Willard the Chameleon put his words on Auto Industry Bailout in print for the whole world to see and denies he ever said them to get favor from the voters in Ohio and Michigan. And people buy the caca he is selling everyone. Wow... nobody sees that Willard just wants to be President so bad. He can't wait to be Presidenting just like Shrub. Willard however is creature of habit and his habit is making money. He claims business saavy and wants to be CEO of this Country. He has professed he likes to fire people. He claims corporations are people. His big trick at Bain was to load up companies with debt and sell out in 4 to 8 yrs to reap in the profits. Well that's very convenient, isn't that a term or two? He has no problem sending work to China if it makes him money but feigns grave concern for the American worker. Yeah right, like he did for the Auto Industry and the Housing Market. He wants to be Commander in Chief or more like Chicken in Chief, because it's him not his church that doesnt believe in serving his Nation in a Uniform of the Armed Service. Even Ann-tonym adMitted that in the View. Apparently a trait his sons inherited too. Yet as Chicken in Chief he is being advised by all the NeoCons that served Shrub. Smells like War to me. He beats his chest and says our Navy is in dire need of many more ships for the Navy. We all you have to do is look around to the see who the people are that support him and see why his interest in getting so many ships is absolutely necessary. Hmmmm, looks like John Lehman in the background with his company that caters to the Industrial Military Complex. Wasn't he a former Secretary of the Navy? Oh Yeah he was a severe hawk too, fits right in with the neocons and not that Romney really cares whether its war or peace as long as he gets his cut. Baby this time he is looking at defense budget proportions, not these little measly corporations, that is a big cut. Lots of money involved in making complex ships. This looks like the change orders in this operation will be much bigger than the original contracts. Willard is salivating, so much money to hide in so little time. Plenty of room to pocket money one way or another. Yeah you lame brain right wingers go ahead and pound your chests for a Willard administration, but if it happens it will be the biggest fleecing of America ever. Willard will be laughing all the way to the Caymans with all of us holding the bill including you rednecks.
So, Romney is 'haunted' by the auto bail-out issue in Ohio, eh? Given that the statement is a NBC 'opinion', and likely even valid, should we not also be reminded by NBC that the economy 'haunts' Obama in ALL OF THE USA?!!
Fat chance. Given all their (free, by the way) 11th-hour Obama coverage, NBC is out of the closet and therefore as jounalists, into the toilet and it's time to flush.
The tragedy is that's not just MSNBC, It's CNN as well. They're all bailing water for one candidate. That flys in the face of a free press. When the press becomes part of the campaign, we no longer have journalists, we no longer have truth seekers. All we have is a propagandist machine.
I see alot of people complaining about 1 news agency (there's one that I don't have to scream at the television), Fox. There are ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN going all in for one candidate. And these characters can't tolerate one network that swings the opposite way (or attempts to purvey themselves as).
It's my opinion they all need to re-examine why their industry exists. As a political tool or a news agency that covers it rather than scripts it and comments on it themselves.
So Anderson, your keeping them honest? Who's keeping you honest?
Obama saved his union buddies jobs and pensions....at the expense of American taxpayers!
Romneys plan would have worked out MUCH better for the rest of America. Obuma lies about that....LIKE THE SLUG DOES ABOUT EVERYTHING!
Aren't the people in Ohio smart enough to see that?
What about the THOUSANDS that didn't get his sweet deal?
WAKE UP OHIO!
So what.....
If part of the end result of the Bailout helped fellow Americans?
By your statement I guese you do not support your fellow country men.
I suppose it would have been better to auction them off to the lowest bidder? A foreign company so more jobs would go offshore?
Yeah that would have helped America...that would have helped fellow Americans....that would have helped the economy...that would have helped the deficet.
didn't romney help send 25000 delphi jobs to china, that blind trust that took over delphi...25000 uaw jobs lost to china...and he's accusing obama of sending jobs overseas? maybe someone should ask those steel workers in illinois where their jobs went, and what company is responsible for that?
When you learn that only YOU can take your job to China, you will understand the truth.
A person is employed because a company has created a position for the employee.
The position is not the property of the employee.
I can't believe, that no one has jumped on the fact that Romney's pivot to the center was an act of premeditated misdirection. We were told months ago that he was going to radical change his views...remember ETCH A SKETCH.
If a witness under oath made a "pivot" like that, the charge would be perjury.
Obama and his minions are betting on Ohio voters being stupid and they'll believe anything. Team Obama has done nothing but distort and lie about the Governor's position on the bailout.
They are wrong - Ohio voters are not stupid. They know this economy sucks.
I grew up there. Romney will win Ohio.
I'm in Ohio, but I'm not drinking the cool-aid of either party. They both wreak to high heaven of corruption and once either is in power - they'll forget all about us and why they are there.
Of course, with the new normal for Obama the 7% unemployment rate in Ohio is low and very good.
Another reason why he will lose. Voters do not accept 7% unemployment as the new normal.
Why is it that the Romney crowd or the Republicans in general can nevber relate the story straight to the American people.
And this guy thinks he can be President?
Yes, because Romney batted .800 turning around failed businesses that were ready to close forever, because they had no money and banks would not loan them any, at Bain and this country needs a turn around - bigtime.
What's Obama batting on all the taxpayer's cash he gave away to his green energy companies? Another of them just went under and is under criminal investigation for imroper use of funds. How about .200? Obama picks nothing but losers. Romney took losers and made them winners.
Ok...If you want to list Bain Sucesses (minimum wage employees are not successfull) but hey I'll raise you.
World Wide Grinding systems - renamed GS Technologies.
After Bain was through with them 750 people lost their Jobs
Pension benefits were cut in half - causing the government funded insurance to pony up more than 44 million dollars while Bain Walked away with over 12 million on a 8 million investment.
Seriously this behavior is acceptable to those on Wall Street but not a value asset for someone who wants to be the President of the United States.
That's why I say Romney and the Republicans are all about Privatized Profits while Taxpayers assume ALL the Risk.
Their methods are a 1% er's wet dream. Make the money leave the government to clean up the mess from their profit taking... all the unemployment, medicaid and food stamps that had to be paid out because of Bain...Then blame the economic crisis of those that use them.....all while they laugh and drink martini's and get people to support eliminating safety nets.
Call it what you want but that is certainly not my vision of a leader
Show me your source for this information. You think I am going to take the word of a liberal? You all have no problem being liars so long as it furthers your liberal sickness to the electorate - which rejects you.
Kevin, what would have been the alternative for GS? Go under and ALL lose out? Do you not understand the math that 0 + 0 = 0? Which is what GS would have had without Bain.
"Obama was wrong" If these companies are too big to fail ....There will never be consequences for poor business practices....If they know they will be propped up ....They will never change. This was all about saving union pensions and rates of pay ......plain and simple
Half of America doesn't even understand English. Repeatedly read and read over again what Romney had said. He never uttered the word "Let Detroit go Bankrupt" - it was the newspaper's article titled that way. Actually what Romney had said was the companies should go through the standard bankruptcy procedures (which by the way is recommended even to a common man if they can't manage their finances). Guess whose pockets all the bailout money is going back into - the car companies. The government ain't getting back a dime of it :) You pathetic fools - you lost all your tax money to a private organization.
I believe a lot of u repukes on here are just a bunch of paid Mitt minions, trying to persuade people to believe your propaganda.
All the propaganda is coming from the leftist media ......It's ok though......If we keep bailing out car companies and they become Government owned ....we will all be driving cars that are "YUGO" like.....That would suit liberals just fine.
OBAMA 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama gone in 2012.
Romney Hits the 50 Percent Mark in New National Poll
"Romney's gains are clear especially in results on the economy."
"Equally important, Romney has erased Obama's customary advantage on which candidate better understands the economic problems of average Americans."
"There are other signals of Romney's gains...."
"By a broad 47-10 percent, independents say the debates left them with a better rather than a worse impression of Romney. In the same group, by contrast, just 17 percent say their impression of Obama improved - and 26 percent say it got worse."
http://news.yahoo.com/romney-hits-50-percent-mark-clear-edge-economy-210032956--abc-news-politics.html
Obama's debate performances repulsed over %50 more people than they impressed!.... and liberals still think he won the last one.
Its the peoples constitutional right to be stupid. States like Ohio and Pennsylvania leaning towards Obama. For what reason I don't know. We all know why Obama will take the Cleveland area vote. As far as the other regions in the states, I guess the unions feel they owe Obama something even though their futures are pretty much doomed if Obama gets elected. I have worked in industry for over 28 yeas in both union and non union plants and America cannot compete globally with these higher union wages. I think a UAW worker makes $73 per hour with pension and benefits. So GM has to factor those high wages into the price of their cars and to compete on a price per car basis, they have to sacrifice on quality of materials and take other shortcuts. Consequently, their cars and trucks don't sell. Better to have a non union plant with profit sharing. Workers at my plant love this concept. So I won't feel sorry for Ohio and PA when they have more layoffs and plant closings. Even if Obama wins, I don't predict a rosey future for Ohio and PA. Ohio and PA will have a better chance with Romeny's policies as he has a better chance getting legislation through congress. Unfortunately, I don't think Ohio and PA voters are thinking things through. Don't make short term decisions that have long term consequences.
Huh, for you guys that are fighting for Mitt, maybe you should read the article he wrote for the New York Times on November 18, 2008. There are two sentences in the last quarter of the article that I will happily provide for you but, please, feel free to do a little research on your own as well.
"But don't ask Washington to give shareholders and bondholders a free pass - they bet on management and they lost."
"In a managed bankruptcy, the federal government would propel newly competitive and viable automakers, rather than seal their fate with a bailout check."
By reading the full article, you really get a better sense for how much Mitt did not and DOES not understand what losing the auto industry would do to America. There are bigger things at stake here than end of the year profits Mitt.
Another thing.
America's security and future defense is justified in keep our manufacturing facilities like the Automotive industry alive is just as important as Romney's desire to spend more on building for example ships.
There's a reason other countries...Japan, Korea, Germany, Sweden give their Automotive industries sweetheart deals to keep them healthy - it's good for their countries. It's good for their economy.
Romney was wrong, he knows it, the country knows it.
He can try to spin it anyway he wants....He's just plain wrong.
Dude, a healthy business makes a profit and stands on its own 2 feet.
You're just plain wrong.
Tell that to the rest of the world....The rest of the world knows it's important to keep their manufacturing base alive and healthy.
The only person wrong here is Romney...He couldn't relate a story straight to the public if he wanted.
He's a liar and if you want to support him go ahead.
Kevin-Milw...I think you are the one who is wrong. Government should not be bailing out companies that make stupid business decisions (like bowing to the unions with their inflated wages and inflexible work rules). You either learn to compete globally or you go out of business. Romeny understands this. I could of bought Goddyear tires for my sports car, but I bought Hankook instead becasue they were higher rated and cost 40% less. People have less and less discretionary money under Obama so we are forced to spend our dollar where we can get the best value. It has nothing to do with being patriotic.
We agree on one thing.
I love Hankook tires too.
Icebars...
But your still wrong on Government supporting the Automotive industry.
If we want a level playing feild with the rest of the world and we want an American Automotive industry....it's neccessary.
Try to think of it as "Defense" Spending and you feel better.
To those on this post saying Mitt lied about this.
Yesterday's Washington Examiner reported that Jeep planned to move production to China, with quotes from the CEO of Jeep...
Please check facts before you make yourself look like the fool you are.
"Who is the bigger fool, the fool in charge or the fools that elected him?"
Really?
The Bloomberg article says nothing about ceasing American production - that's strictly a right-wing twist of the words.
@Rockdoc638 your comment about jeep moving production to China is not true, certainly yourself has not check the facts. Chrysler is considering opening the market back up on SALES for Jeeps in China.
Nice try though....
Obama/Biden 2012
Santorum: "If Romney’s the Nominee, We Might as Well Stay With Obama"
A little late for that I think.....We can't afford 4 more months of this POTUS .....let alone 4 yrs
Joe Biden to the family of former Seal that was killed in Benghazi and asked in a “loud and boisterous” voice, “Did your son always have balls the size of cue balls?”
The father of one of the former Navy SEALs killed in the terrorist attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya says President Barack Obama wouldn’t even look him in the eye and Vice President Joe Biden was disrespectful during the ceremony when his son’s body returned to America. He also says the White House’s story on the attack doesn’t pass the smell test.
Charles Woods, father of Tyrone Woods recounted his interactions with the president, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Biden at the ceremony for the Libya victims at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. He talked about his thoughts along with the reports that indicate the Obama administration knew very good and well, almost immediately, that a terrorist attack was occurring in Benghazi, make him certain that the American people are not getting the whole truth.
The grieving father also described his brief encounter with President Obama during the ceremony for the Libya victims.
“When he finally came over to where we were, I could tell that he was rather conflicted, a person who was not at peace with himself,” Woods said. “Shaking hands with him, quite frankly, was like shaking hands with a dead fish. His face was pointed towards me but he would not look me in the eye, his eyes were over my shoulder.”
Woods went on to read the following statement, in honor of his son:
Finally, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came over to talk with the family all she could say is "we're going to get that guy that created the video".
Right, they watched from a drone overhead for 7 hours while our men died. Real swell work there.
Wow! .....I did not here about this until now .....What a bunch of useless F*cking cowards. Thanks for sharing Hereigns.....It makes me sick to my stomach.
Both Candidates are wrong. You can't build a bigger Navy and build a bigger government when what were telling you to do is get out of debt. I think alot of us have been screaming that for a long time.
Whoever wins Ohio, Ohio is going to be called stupid by the loser. So that kind of talk is nonsense. There's only one Doctor that was up to the challenge of saving this nation from bankruptcy. Neither of these big government candidates are up to the task at hand.
Too bad neither one of the candidates can tell America that we can afford to spend 62% of the federal budget on entitlements and that welfare recipients and seniors on medicare are going to have to learn to do with less.