Obama Should Call A News Conference This Morning And Demand Auto Bailout Money

[Better Believe It]

His economic team could be at the conference, including Treasury Secretary designate, and demand that Paulson/Bush release the TARP funds.

Obama has much more moral authority and support than George W. Bush. Use it or lose it!

The leader of the Democratic Party must speak out NOW and act like a leader.

If he doesn't the collapse of the domestic auto industry will quickly lead to several million more unemployed and a hole that Obama will not be able to climb out of.

If the Democratic Party and President-Elect Obama can't stop the destruction of the domestic auto industry by 35 Senate Republicans what good are they?

[babylonsister]

1. I don't know that he'd do that. One prez at a time? nt

[tekisui]

It looks like the TARP money is going to go to them, after all.

[GodlessBiker]

2. Demand? Or else what?

[ginnyinWI]

3. take it easy...

He's not the President yet. And even if he were, he still wouldn't be the King. I'm sure he's doing what he can behind the scenes.

[spoony]

4. It'd be smart to get ahead of Bush on TARP

or else it's going to look like the president-inebriated got something done where our majority and president-elect didn't.

I'd settle for any strong statement from Obama at this point.

[regnaD kciN]

5. BAD idea...

Congress is done for the year. The only way that money is going to go to the automakers is if Chimpy (who, for once, was too "socialistic" for his G.O.P. brethren in the Senate) authorizes it coming from TARP. Is it more or less likely he'll do so if Obama first "demands" it on national television?

:crazy:

[RB TexLa]

6. No, stay Joe Cool. Everything looks like Bush is going to come through with TARP money.

Don't get into the fight until he has all his weapons, ie the Presidency.

[Better Believe It]

10. It's Hard To Stay Cool When You See What A Useless Bunch Run Congress

Not much of an opposition, pro-labor party.

Tell me how 35 Republicans can tie up legislation in a Senate which Democrats supposedly run?

Tell me what happened to the 8 Democratic Senators who were missing in action and failed to vote in favor of bring the bailout measure to a vote?

10 of the 52 YES votes were cast by Republicans! That means 42 Democratic Senators voted for the bailout and 8 either didn't vote or voted against saving the domestic auto industry!


"The Senate voted 52-35 to bring the measure for a vote, but that was short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation."

[democrattotheend]

7. Not sure if that's the right approach

But he should make it clear that if Bush does not give them the TARP funds he will, assuming Congress does not pass a loan bill before he takes office. At least that way everyone knows there's light at the end of the tunnel if the companies can make it to inauguration day.

[frazzled]

8. What do you mean, "demand"? He's not the bleeping King.

He's not even the president yet. And if he were, he could not "demand" anything anyway. We live under a Constitution, you know, with separation of powers.

[fla nocount]

9. Vote to give Wall Street the money...

then "demand" to take it away and give it to someone else? That's not how he won the election.

[spanone]

11. if he 'demanded' bu$h* would laugh at him.. he's not the president yet.

[Romulox]

12. I think Obama's support for the UAW is lukewarm, at best (see video in my sig) nt

[JDPriestly]

13. Obama doesn't like to take bold stances.

And he is very unlikely to want to take one now. He isn't president yet and doesn't have to take responsibility for this. His silence pushes Bush who won't want to have history look at him as the president who couldn't and Obama as the president who could rescue the American auto industry.

And, by the way, if the senators from the south think they are going to come out of the economic melt-down that will come of the American auto companies go down, they need to look at the bottom lines in their states. They are receiving more federal tax money than they pay (per capita). They need the taxes paid by union workers in northern states to keep their states in the black. Typical: short-sighted people who vote Republican.