Bush: "I can't make your automakers profitable"

In a speech addressing the future of alternate energy sources in the heart of the Motor City, President George W. Bush took a shot at the Big Three in their own backyard: "I can't make your automakers profitable, but I can show them a better way." The words build on Bush's call for America's auto manufacturers to build more "relevant" products-- a slam the President leveled against the domestics during a recent Wall Street Journal interview.

For their part, representatives of Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler all chided Bush for what they consider a simplistic view of Detroit's plight-- arguing that what U.S. carmakers need is a 'level playing field,' with accommodations made for currency fluctuations and stultifying legacy costs.

Pete DeLorenzo over at AutoExtremist.com has already weighted-in... have your say on 'Bush versus Detroit' by leaving a comment.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]