Whew, there's a crapload of coverage about Detroit meeting with President Bush. If you are obsessed with reading about, here's where to go:
The Detroit News reports: Bush meeting just beginning of Big 3 push.
Edmunds reports: A vibrant' domestic auto industry is what Bush wants.
Jalopnik reports: Rappin' With The President Wrap-Up: US Auto Execs Play In The Rose Garden.
Autoblog reports: Bush meets with Big Three, has open ear but no commitments.
Detroit Free Press reports: Bush, auto execs to keep talking.
If you are going to read just one, read the last link there, it's pretty darned good. If you just want a totally made-up summary, continue reading.
So, really, Detroit just wants Bush to go on a union-busting rampage and make it cheaper to make mediocre cars so that they (Detroit) can get back to profitability. The U.S. has taken such an anti-union stand that we're honestly surprised Dems took the House and Senate (we're aware that the Senate may still likely go to Repubs once Lieberman defects). Look, we're not saying it's cheap to build cars in the U.S., but why this country seems so anti-union is really staggering. What's not being said, is that it's time for the government to take over healthcare because big business can't afford it any longer. And with the Dems now running Congress, that debate will come up again.
In a press conference on the driveway, the execs from Detroit summed up the meeting:
Rick Wagoner: The meeting went well. Cons: President Bush listened, but made no promises. Pro: Dick Cheney didn't shoot us in the face.
Alan Mulally: Boy howdy!
Tom LaSorda: I lost 50 pounds with Slimfast!
Bill Ford (comes up driveway, running. wearing novelty-sized sombrero): Oh, man, sorry I'm late. I was making donuts and dropped my car keys in the donut batter. So I had to make two dozen jelly donuts and then squeeze 'em all so my keys would pop out. So, guess what? I squeezed 'em all... no keys! They were in my pocket the whole time! Now the kitchen is a friggin' mess with donut innards all over the counter, the floor. There's even jelly in my shoe.
When you click through to the driveway pic, who's that extra dude? He's not mentioned in the cutline.
