Nardelli apologizes for mistakenly saying plant will remain open

There are some things about which you never want to misspeak. Your wife's birthday, your child's age and we can now add plant closings to that list. On the day Chrysler LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, CEO Robert Nardelli was on the phone with Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and the state's congressional delegates. During the call, Nardelli was asked if the state's plant in Kenosha that employs 800 people would remain open. The outgoing Chrysler CEO (as soon as this whole bankruptcy thing gets cleared up) replied in the affirmative, which unfortunately is not the case. Kenosha is one of eight plants that Chrysler will close in the U.S. as outlined in its restructuring plan. Nardelli has sent a letter apologizing for the mistake, claiming he mistook the Kenosha plant for one that's going to be built in Trenton, MI to assemble the automaker's next line of engines. While it was probably an honest mistake made by a man who is under more stress right now than the average executive, his gaff is tantamount to telling your in-laws that little Jimmy is four when he's really six, except in this case 800 people lose their jobs, so maybe it's worse.
[Source: jsonline.com | Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images]