Obama agrees with need to view Detroit 3 reorganization plans
President-Elect Barack Obama has been in favor of assisting Detroit automakers, but the soon-to-be Commander in Chief agrees with a Congressional demand to see concrete plans before any checks are signed. Obama's Cheif of Staff, David Axelrod, was all over the boob tube Sunday sharing the President Elect's thoughts on what the industry needs to do, saying a real plan to "retool and rationalize" is needed. Without a solid plan, Axelrod said there is little taxpayer dollars can do to fix the problem. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi added that she hopes the automakers have "gotten the message" about the need for a plan, which is due to Congress by December 2nd.
Axelrod also took a bit of a shot at the Detroit execs when he said that they need to "take a commercial flight" to discuss the plan on December 8th. We'd take that a step further and suggest that the three automakers get in their most fuel efficient vehicles and take a drive to our nation's capital.
[Source: Automotive News - subs req'd | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Josiah 8:35AM (11/24/2008)
What would they be driving if they each had to drive their most fuel efficient (in production) vehicle to Washington?
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Avinash machado 8:43AM (11/24/2008)
I guess Fusion Hybrid,Cobalt and the Dodge EV prototype.
2007RC46SP2 8:43AM (11/24/2008)
they would probably all jump in their $70,000 SUV Hybrids
they should also fly coach.
Frylock350 8:45AM (11/24/2008)
Wagoner would drive a 37mpg Cobalt XFE
Mulally would drive a 35mpg Focus
Nardellini would drive a 30mpg Caliber
Tim 9:20AM (11/24/2008)
Great Idea Chris. Great Idea
These guys need to hire you for PR.
GM would be stupid to not have someone drive a Volt to Washington from Detroit even if it is not in production duds. Show the American people what they are paying for. Prove the skeptics wrong.
ronnie schreiber 1:35PM (11/24/2008)
Since Bob Lutz announced that GM is already running test mules of the Volt on its own Delta platform variant (after initial mules were "MaliVolts"), they should hang production looking Volt panels on one of the mules and have Wagoner drive that.
They should travel in a caravan with Mullaly driving the hydrogen fuel cell HySeries Hybrid Edge, and Nardelli can drive the Lotus Europa based EV prototype.
Bring journalists along for the trip in a New Flyer transit bus equipped with a GM-Alison two-mode hybrid drivetrain.
ack154 8:36AM (11/24/2008)
Axelrod? Seriously?
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2007RC46SP2 8:44AM (11/24/2008)
his cousin mufflerbearing is gonna be there.
geo.stewart 9:20AM (11/24/2008)
they just want to make sure that the money goes to the unions is all.
as long as there is a straight line from my pocket to the unions, pelosi and crew will be happy.
cwcentral 3:05AM (11/25/2008)
Axelrod's a salemen, not a statesman.
Obama better think about this. TWICE.
John Johnson 8:43AM (11/24/2008)
Obviously he's going to agree with that - who wouldn't?
I personally think it needs to go one step further, with government auditors and etc.
tha auto industry is bloated and mismanaged, and unfortunately it controls millions of American jobs. Everything from suppliers to transporters will also be affected. It stretches a lot farther than one would initially imagine.
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From My Cube 8:57AM (11/24/2008)
im an auditor and I approve this message...
but serioulsy they are bloated and redundant in many areas...trim the fat/ your dup models
SenatorPerry 8:45AM (11/24/2008)
Cost per hour for CEO and staff unavailable while bording and going through security > Cost of flying private jet????
How about a rise in fleet MPG ratings to 38 MPG by 2011 as a condition of getting the loans? How about congress sending me shares of stock purchased with my tax money?
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Frylock350 8:47AM (11/24/2008)
CAFE mandates are retarded. Can you think of a way to make a 5000lb pickup truck get that kind of mpg? How about a car that has decent size and isn't anemic?
Tim 8:52AM (11/24/2008)
Perry -- not even Toyota has a cafe of 38mpg. If you have the capability to suggest 38 mpg cafe, you should also be able to back it up with the technology at a price people can afford - by 2011. I'm waiting....
GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda would all be down to 1-2 models each to reach cafe by 2011. They would also be cars no one wants. But, I'm still waiting for your magic bullet...
Mr.Oak 10:02AM (11/24/2008)
The entire powertrain model is obsolete, and a CAFE standard based on this powertrain model is an utter failure.
Think of the current powertrain (ICE + Transmission) as the cancer, CAFE is just a treatment, not a cure.
Shout out to Sam Abuelsamid. I contacted you on AutoBlog Green earlier this year trying to gain an audience with GM. Guess you didn't take me seriously, oh well. A simple phone call, and last week's humiliation on Capitol Hill could have been avoided.
Back on topic: Current CAFE standards are an illusion, smoke screen, joke.
The ICE is probably the most researched and engineered mechanical device in the history of the world. Folks, it's not going to get much better than it is today. Billions of dollars poured into development, for marginal gain, when we already have the solution. Engineers are just not looking at that solution.
jamie 11:02AM (11/24/2008)
The technology has been around for decades, but has sleuthfuly been kept under wraps due to pressure from the big oil companies.
Even today kids in Japan tweak their Prius' to get over 100 mpg.
AFS Trinity is showcasing their 150 mpg SUV just outside the reaches of the L.A. Auto Show.
To say it can't be done is extremely short sighted, IMHO.
The Luigiian 11:44AM (11/24/2008)
Perry: I'll take your plan and raise you one better.
How about we give them the loans on a set of simple conditions.
-They pay us back our money.
-The management agrees to get out and not come back. Like ever.
-The unions agree to deal with any of the conditions necessary to return GM back to profitability.
You give us a comprehensive plan for doing all that, and we'll give you a loan. Otherwise, no deal. Period.
Jake 8:55AM (11/24/2008)
First they Pelosi, Ried, Obama, and the gang are pressuring Bush to give the Big Three part of the financial industry bail-out even though it wasn't meant for them. Bush says" "No, not unless congress authorizes it."
So, now Pelosi and here puppets want some sort of plan from the Big 3 before she puts her finger-prints on it.
It's almost like she is just playing politics
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Dude 10:20AM (11/24/2008)
As opposed to her normal behavior? She's tried to have it both ways for two years now. Her own party created the mortgage mess and then tried to say Bush didn't try hard enough to make them stop messing it up. The Media repeated it. People believed it. Her party picked up more seats and now she has total control.
Hold on to your pocketbooks. We're all screwed.