Yes, they did. The GOP Senators, who enabled the Bush policies that destroyed our economy, are trying to finish off the U.S. auto industry:
Republican opposition killed a $14-billion auto industry bailout plan in the Senate on Thursday night, putting the future of U.S. automakers in doubt and threatening to deliver another blow to the economy.How many industries and companies have been obliterated because of Bush and the GOP?
The measure died after a last-ditch effort by Senate Democratic leaders to strike a compromise that would have lured enough support to save the legislation, which was crafted in consultation with the White House.
I don't have any great love for the leaders of the U.S. auto industry. They created this mess. And, I hate the fact that the Bush administration has had a hand in the negotiations. But, these are very, very dire times. Also, I would never trust the motives of the Republican Senators. They were driven, in part, by their disdain for working men and women. Not only did the GOP Senators do everything possible to kill the negotiated deal, they went overboard in an effort to blame the UAW. David Vitter, quite possibly the biggest hypocrite on Capitol Hill, took the lead:
The Republicans senators emerged from their meeting an hour later having decided they would not agree to a deal. Several blamed the autoworkers union.So, in GOP world, it's the men and women who do the real manufacturing work who are the problem.
“It sounds like the U.A.W. blew it up,” said Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana.
Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the senior Republican on the banking committee and a leading critic of the auto bailout proposal, said: “We’re hoping that the Democrats will continue to negotiate but I think we have reached a point that labor has got to give. If they want a bill they can get one.”
The future of the auto industry is on in the hands of George Bush. How scary is that?
UPDATE 10:03 AM: The Bush administration may use the other bailout money to bail out the auto industry:
The White House said on Friday it was considering tapping a $700 billion financial industry bailout fund to prevent a collapse of ailing U.S. automakers.
"Given the current weakened state of the U.S. economy, we will consider other options, if necessary including use of the TARP program, to prevent a collapse of troubled automakers," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One as Bush headed to Texas.
