Steve LaTourette demands White House answers on Chrysler

[Hannah Bell]

WASHINGTON — Congressman Steve LaTourette today introduced legislation that demands the White House better explain why it painted a positive portrait of Chrysler's future for all communities, only to be contradicted hours later with news of plant closings.

"Many people feel misled by this entire process," said LaTourette, who with other Congress members, governors and mayors believed from President Barack Obama's April 30 announcement that no permanent plant closings were planned.

Obama that day announced a short-term Chapter 11 bankruptcy for Chrysler in exchange for government aid, saying, "It will not disrupt the lives of the people who work at Chrysler or live in communities that depend on it."

Obama, his automotive task force and Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli that day separately described some temporary steps needed to restructure the automaker and help it merge with Italian car maker Fiat. None of the parties mentioned permanent plant closings. Twinsburg officials, as well as those in other locations, only learned a day later that the thick bankruptcy filing contained plans to permanently shutter five Chrysler factories, including the Twinsburg Stamping Plant.

Reacting to outrage from LaTourette and others, Nardelli soon apologized. But LaTourette is not satisfied.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich, a Cleveland Democrat, already has demanded further information from Chrysler, including any transcripts of conference calls between the company and public officials...

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2009/05/steve_latourette_demands_white.html

[Hannah Bell]

1. kick

[zbdent]

2. because we know that the executives at Chrysler wouldn't lie to a Democratic

President?

[Hannah Bell]

3. that's one possibility, but since the gov was highly involved in drawing up the

bankruptcy deal, not so likely.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Indiana pension funds are going to try and force the secured creditors' rights to be respected

they certainly were not "speculators" as Obama labeled them.

It ain't over yet.

[zbdent]

6. I do hope you realize that I had been sarcastic here ...

without having to resort to the symbol :sarcasm:

[DainBramaged]

5. I called this and I was shouted down by the anti-Union scum here

The Administration has given the banks and Wall Street ( and the insurance companies) TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS NO STRINGS ATTACHED. And the American manufacturing blue collar worker has had their hand shit in. No strings attached. The American Dream is dead. This Administration has made their bed with the banks and Wall Street. And they left us out to starve.