But in an unusual development, prominent Republicans there are complaining that President Bush needs to become more engaged in a top issue driving the election: the declining fortunes of the state's auto industry.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos lashed out at the White House this week for not having set up a long-promised meeting with executives of the Big Three automakers, which are being squeezed by high healthcare costs and shrinking market share.
"We're being ignored here in Michigan by the White House, and it has got to stop," DeVos, who is challenging Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, told reporters.
"It is wrong, and the behavior is inexcusable," DeVos said in a written statement Thursday. "The president needs to meet with the Big Three, and it must happen soon. Jobs are at stake."
An aide to Rep. Joseph Knollenberg (R-Mich.) said her boss "strongly suggested" to Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, that the White House meet with Detroit automakers as soon as possible. State GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis said Friday that he delivered a similar message to Rove.
"We want to get the president and the White House engaged in addressing the unique issues that affect Michigan … and work with us to come up with some solutions," Anuzis said in an interview.
He said DeVos was "expressing some of the frustration that is being felt here in Michigan amongst all voters..."
...Bush himself made clear in January that he was not inclined to bail out troubled U.S. auto companies.
"I think it's very important for the market to function," he said, adding that companies needed to manufacture "a product that's relevant." His remarks, to the Wall Street Journal, provoked loud complaints from Michigan Democrats.
Why worry about voters when you've got Diebold?
Additionally, it seems that Carlyle Group affiliate and Saudi Royal minion, Citigroup, among other Carlyle
...Mr. Rubin, a director and chairman of the executive committee at Citigroup, said in a letter released Friday that he wanted to avoid any potential conflicts that could be raised by his presence on Ford’s board, which he joined six years ago.
It came as Ford’s chief executive, William Clay Ford Jr., is pondering a wide variety of steps that are aimed at reversing Ford’s losses, resizing the company and enabling it to withstand brutal industry competition.
Those steps could include finding buyers for luxury brands like Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin. That task could fall to Citigroup as well as another financial adviser, Goldman Sachs, which like Citigroup has a longstanding association with Ford.
Last month, Mr. Ford hired Kenneth Leet, a former executive with Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, as a strategic adviser to lead the company’s review and make recommendations on steps — like alliances with other auto companies and the sale of its units — that the company needed to take to restructure..
People briefed on Ford’s activities said the company’s future relationship with both Goldman Sachs and Citigroup could be more far-reaching than individual deals had been in the past.
Mr. Rubin’s resignation came in a letter Thursday to Mr. Ford. In it, he said Citigroup’s “multifaceted relationship with Ford could raise a question whether my relationship with Ford and Citigroup creates an appearance of conflict...”
He joined 6 years ago? About the time Ford decided to go all out for SUVs and trucks, despite the specter of energy problems on the horizon.
How convenient for the Company.
1 comment:
That's so typical of Bush: "I think it's very important for the market to function." He says it as if the govt isn't an integral part of the market AND as if he doesn't show blatant favoritism to certain parts of the economy (namely, defense contractors).
Hypocrite.
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