Did GOP can auto bailout for political reasons?
Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 10:07 am
- 5 Comments
Thursday’s 52-35 Senate vote on a proposed $14 billion bailout for the auto industry broke down along party lines in Minnesota: Norm Coleman voted against it; Amy Klobuchar for it. The vote on the House version a day earlier: Minnesota Democrats approved, while GOPers Michele Bachmann, Jim Ramstad and John Kline voted against. Democratic Reps. McCollum and Oberstar voted for, Walz and Peterson against.
Now MSNBC presents a GOP memo, reportedly circulated to Senate Republicans Wednesday morning, that shows there might be a political motive behind the votes: Entitled “Action Alert – Auto Bailout,” it characterized the defeat of the industry bailout — which is what the sub-60-vote Senate tally delivered — the “first shot against organized labor.” The memo went out to GOP senators, but perhaps Rep. Bachmann got a copy too. The same day the email was sent, she released a statement on her opposition to the bailout: “Unfortunately, the Democrat-led Congress has chosen to blindly oblige Big Labor at every turn, regardless of whether it’s in the best interest of taxpayers.”
From the Michigan Messenger: Big Three bailout spotlight reveals Detroit’s decay
5 Comments
Comment posted December 13, 2008 @ 10:10 am
Yes.
This has been another episode of “Simple answers to simple questions” (h/t Atrios)
Comment posted December 13, 2008 @ 10:13 am
I like UAW President Morgan Johnson’s comment on Vitter’s no vote:
“He’d rather pay a prostitute than pay auto workers.”
Comment posted December 13, 2008 @ 10:39 am
Actually, the Minnesota House delegation did anything BUT vote on party lines.
Dems split – Walz and Peterson voted no, Oberstar and McCollum voted yes. (Ellison was out of country)
Republicans split, too – Ramstad voted yes while Kline and Bachmann voted no.
This is according to the link provided.
Comment posted December 13, 2008 @ 11:02 am
You’re correct, David. Misread the AP story.
Comment posted December 14, 2008 @ 9:18 am
It died in the Senate. The real question is: Where was Norm Coleman?
What – if anything -did he do to end the filibuster?
How would he have voted?
What are his thoughts about keeping the economy of the Iron Range viable if the number one consumer of Minnesota taconite (the auto industry) stops buying? Or is the financial well being of thousands of Minnesota families a small sacrifice to make if you can really stick it to labor?
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