Mitt Romney defends 2008 'Let Detroit Go Bankrupt' editorial in New York Times
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney today defended the controversial New York Times op-ed he wrote in 2008 — titled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" — by saying President Barack Obama inappropriately protected unions during the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a GOP presidential candidate, greets voters at an event in Ann Arbor in 2011.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
"A labor union that had contributed millions to Democrats and his election campaign was granted an ownership share of Chrysler and a major stake in GM, two flagships of the industry. The U.S. Department of Treasury — American taxpayers — was asked to become a majority stockholder of GM."
The op-ed comes more than three years after Romney famously called for a "managed bankruptcy" and not a "bailout check" for GM and Chrysler.
Since then, Democrats have used the New York Times story to slam Romney, saying his strategy would have led to economic disaster for the country.
The Detroit News piece also comes a day after Public Policy Polling released a poll indicating that Romney, a Detroit native whose father was governor of Michigan in the 1960s, has lost his edge in Michigan.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum now leads the state, which will hold its GOP primary Feb. 28. Also, the poll reported that 62 percent of likely GOP primary voters in Michigan do not consider Romney to be a Michigander, while 26 percent do.
"I am a son of Detroit. I was born in Harper Hospital and lived in the city until my family moved to Oakland County," Romney wrote today. "I grew up drinking Vernors and watching ballgames at Michigan & Trumbull. Cars got in my bones early. And not just any cars, American cars."
Read the full Detroit News story here.
Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.
Comments
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, Oct 28, 2012 : 1:13 p.m.
I am no fan of either one of those guys. At this late date I don't know who i will vote for. But in fairness to Romney with respect to the car companies he called for a chapter 11 bankruptcy from which they would reemerge instead of a "bailout". Obama gave them a bailout which only delayed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy's they both filed by a few months. So the ultimate fate was the same... Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
tim
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 8:14 p.m.
Considering the concession that the UAW gave for stock shares I'd say GM and Chrysler go the better end of the deal. New hires are only getting 60% of the wages they would have gotten before the bale outs. The Government gave the auto companies loans and they are paying them back.
wolfman jack
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:59 p.m.
Detroit. Beautiful Corpse. New York was a pit of corruption, vice, and crime in living memory, too. Nature abhors a vacuum. Something will come of it.
Ivor Ivorsen
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:40 p.m.
Bin Laden is dead. GM is alive. Obama 2012
walker101
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:14 p.m.
Get over it, Detroit has been run by the Demo's and this is the result of poor leadership and abuse within a system that is as corrupt as you can get. They dug their hole now jump in it. If Detroit is so great then why is everyone making an exodus, no one in their right mind would subject themselves or family living in a place where limited services are becoming a daily issue from police security and the worst public school system in the Country if not the world.
Stuart Brown
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 9:22 a.m.
"Instead of doing the right thing and standing up to union bosses, Obama rewarded them," Romney wrote in a editorial published in the Detroit News. You gotta love this--stand up to people who actually make something then turn around and bail out people who make nothing (that is, bankers or the same people who engineered the biggest bubble since the Great Depression.) So, this is the Republican idea of integrity? Straight talk from the man himself! People who make things of value are slackers and losers who deserve to get dumped on while people who take things from others are fine, upstanding individuals who need to be emulated! Welcome to the Kim Kardashian generation--Hip to be square? Screw that, it's hip to be famous for being famous or better yet, get rich or die try'n.
Michael K.
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 6:34 a.m.
Allowing GM and Chrysler to go under would have taken out all of the suppliers. Then Ford would have gone bancrupt too. It would have cost the country more in unemployment, food stamps, welfare, and lost taxes than was ever at stake in the bailout! Go look at the projections from the Center for Automotive Research from 2008. They predicted all of the above, and the loss of 3 MILLION ADDITIONAL jobs nationwide (auto dealers, etc) They are right here in AA FWIW. Even Ford said they would go bankrupt if GM & Chrysler went. And believe me, they didn't want their competitors to have a huge advantage for no reason. <a href="http://www.cargroup.org/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.cargroup.org/</a>
bart
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 2:40 a.m.
Obama was never dishonest. He promised nothing, and delivered exactly that.
clownfish
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.
He "promised" a lot, and delivered on some of it, just like every other person to hold similar office over the last 200 years.
Enso
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:53 p.m.
It just lowers your reputation when you make reactionary claims that are patently absurd. <a href="http://whattheheckhasobamadonesofar.com/" rel='nofollow'>http://whattheheckhasobamadonesofar.com/</a>
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 2:20 a.m.
The highest rated (and first rate) commment here is by "justwondering." I too am a former "life long" supporter of Republicans and conservatives - going back to 1965. I agree 100% with the picture of Republicans as a club for the wealthy and privileged. But that leaves out only that the Democrats have a very similar club In both parties: it's the wealthy who provide the money for elections and operations and it's the wealthy who expect "something in return." We (the American public) seem to be in a lose-lose situation. But I have to credit the Democrats for at least trying to shift that picture back to where it was intended to be from the beginning: with American voters in charge of our government. It was Democrat candidates who, in the last election, conducted the most successful fund drives directed at "the average voter." They did this by using the Internet to collect supporter donations. All of the real and putative misdeeds of government can be traced to the fact that those responsible have veered away from accepting (or even allowing) voters to be the real bosses of government. And in most cases: the veering was motivated by getting paid to act in the interests of the Wealthy Class. See, it never was just about voting, it's always been about both voting for and paying for a government which belongs TO US. Barack Obama: yes, I voted for him and did so with high hopes. I'll vote for him this election too - but keeping in mind that he's been a disappointment. It's a sad (and dangerous) picture - voting for the "least dishonest" against the most dishonest.
Joe Hood
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 5:09 a.m.
You can't say Santorum is anything but honest; Hell, he's probably more pro-union than Obama.
jns131
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:36 a.m.
Henry Ford when he first started his company paid his employees well. But they wanted more. So they unionized. Henry Ford fought this tooth and nail. But in the end the workers got what they wanted, better pay and better representation. But did they? I think not. My grandfather use to be forced to strike after 6 months of working. My mother stated that it seemed he was on strike more so then he was working. I hate to say it, unions are good for representation? But they really need to disband on everything else. I don't see unions holding their own in the future.
janeqdoe
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:16 a.m.
Romney famously called for a "managed bankruptcy" ... So his firm could scoop up Detroit for pennies on the dollar
Arboriginal
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 11:07 p.m.
It is very clear the Grand Old Party is not running a candidate this election cycle. The Powers don't believe in a single candidate they are fielding. Obama gets re-elected because the stock market is doing fine. Plain & simple. Look out for 2016 when they will have more serious candidates like Christie, Jeb and maybe even Lynn Cheney.
Terry Calhoun
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 12:29 a.m.
Lynn who? I don't think I have heard Republicans mention this "Cheney" family name in the past year or so. Do you really think it can be rehabilitated by 2016?
nekm1
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 10:59 p.m.
And you call yourselves American's? Business has rules just like individuals. GM was poorly run, and should have gone through the bankrupcy process like any other business. It wouldn't have gone away. It would have come out the other end a changed company, that either would make it based on superior products and pricing or not. This bailout was outrageous. Broke every bankrupcy law we had. Why have any laws? American's always took individual responsiblity, but not anymore! Quit thinking with the almighty dollar, and the blinders that things like this happen without consequences! Sheeple...everyone of you.
shutthefrtdoor
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 6:23 p.m.
They were loaned money...and PAID IT BACK. If they had not been propped up we wouldn't be having this conversation because the whole country would be in the tank; unless one would be from the 1%. And that's a stretch...
Enso
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:50 p.m.
It was a bit outrageous. I don't understand how anyone could vote Republican after it.
groland
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 10:16 p.m.
I love cars and followed this industry for decades. Anyone who believe unions destroyed the big three is not paying attention. Unions did not design poor products. Unions did not lose market share. Unions did not abandon cars in favor of light trucks. Unions did not give us the Chrysler K cars or the Pontiac Aztek. Why do conservatives, who seem to preach personal accountability, not blame the people in charge. It was management that ran GM into the ground.
AlfaElan
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 6:36 p.m.
They do blame the management even though by the time the crunch happened the management mostly responsible was gone (back to germany in Chryslers case, and retired in GMs case). GM was on track to recover with the products selling so well today in the pipeline before the crunch, but unlike Ford they did not mortgage everything when credit was available, so when the crunch happened they couldn't get the credit to make it through. Everyone can be blames for the problem. Unions for asking for too much, the management for giving in to unions and picking products for short term gains to appease wall street. The government for not increasing the cost of fuel so effieciency went to mileage not performance. Mostly the problem was Wall Street and banks not thinking long term and therefore making incentives for companies to not think long term.
Enso
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
Exactly! Why doesn't the party of 'personal responsibility' blame the people in charge? Why would they blame the worker? Who just does what they are told?
garrisondyer
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:26 a.m.
And the Omni was crap. It was a fun car in high school, but it got like 19ish mpg. Amazingly comfy seats, though.
ffej440
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 10:46 p.m.
groland- FYI The K car was the platform that saved Chrysler under Lee I. Without it and the many models spun off from that platform there would have been no Chrysler in the 1980's. Chrysler was in a bad spot since GM and Ford both had platforms available in Europe that could be built here without starting from scratch. All Chrysler had was the Omni/Horizon that was a Sunbeam (Chrysler Europe) I think the big three did alright. If the energy crisis was SO clear to everybody, then why did the nation elect Reagan over Carter? As voters and consumers we share the blame as well.
almightydanish
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.
Oh no! There's a grammatical error in this story's lede! "Instead of doing the right thing and standing up to union bosses, Obama rewarded them," Romney wrote in a editorial published in the Detroit News. D'oh!
almightydanish
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 8:26 p.m.
Actually, first paragraph after the lede. Sorry.
Bcar
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:51 p.m.
He's got a few points... The UAW was an UNSECURED creditor (i.e. pension fund) and got a HUGE stake in GM, yet the bond holders who were SECURED creditors, got the shaft... Now explain to me how that happened??? And how that was legal? Oh yeah, it's called BUYING VOTES.
AlfaElan
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 6:29 p.m.
Actually that was all about not having those pensions end up being paid for by our tax dollars through the Pension Guarantee. If the companies had gon through normal bankrupcy the pensions would revert to the government and everyone one of us would be paying the autoworkers pensions. Which would you prefer, paying the pensions through your taxes or the company being owned by the people whos pensions they owe?
Enso
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:39 p.m.
GOP has been buying votes for a generation. They call it "lowering taxes." Too bad it always only went to the wealthy. At least when Obama buys votes the middle class prospers.
f4phantomII
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 8:35 p.m.
Bingo. GM should have gone bankrupt according to the bankruptcy laws (Chapter 11, that is).
bart
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
The Republicans take turns making fools of themselves, and King Barry I orders religions to set aside their beliefs and do what the government says. Since neither major party has a candidate worthy of a vote, I'm waiting to see what the other parties do. The Democrats and Republicans are making Roseanne Barr look good in comparison. At least she knows how to make money.
Joe_Citizen
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 8:16 p.m.
Right on my friend, and she is waiting in the background to inflict lots of pain on the republicans, and I bet she will take a decent amount of the vote too.
David Cahill
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
"Open mouth, insert foot." Unbelievable!
Peter
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:54 p.m.
Ultra-rich white man out to destroy unions?! Why I never!
bhall
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:38 p.m.
Is Romney just doing stand up comedy now? He wrote his op-ed before Obama took office. So... it's not like he can defend it by pointing to some gibberish about Obama protecting unions AFTER the op-ed was written. The GOP should just get its own comedy channel. Oh wait, it's got one -- Faux News.
hank
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:20 p.m.
Mitt, when challenged about his views, seems to get very angry. Must be because he is rich he is always right. I can't begin to think of him in charge during a major crisis involving another country let alone in the US.
xmo
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 4:39 p.m.
Ann Arbor is suppose to be one of the smarter cities in the US. How can anybody be intellectually honest with themselves and still support President Obama? We LOST 2.5 Million Jobs in January 2012! which reduced the total jobs in the US from 132.5 Million to 130 Million. Yet we have people act like this never happened. I am sorry for bring facts into the discussion!
AlfaElan
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 6:27 p.m.
At the SAE State of the industry dinner last week, the biggest problem anyone in the auto industry has today is hiring the people they need to do the work. Specifically engineers. So I would say as they did that the economy is going up and unemployment will be going down. Well, that is as long as Greece and the EU don't implode, but that is something no one in the US can prevent.
clownfish
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 3:43 p.m.
xmo bringing "facts"? Best laugh I have had all week! My best advice for XMO is for him/her to go back into the bomb shelter built to protect him/her from the Iraqi nookyular threat posed by the drone planes based in and around Tikrit.
jns131
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 1:39 a.m.
Actually Rush Limbaugh is the only one who is making any sense of it all right now. Maybe he should run for president?
Soothslayer
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 10:24 p.m.
lern 2 economics. All this debt and destruction was started during the 8 years of Bush policy. Once a freight train like that gets going it takes a long track to stop it.
groland
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 10:12 p.m.
XMO, you consistently come up with some real dooseys! if you go to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you will find that job growth has actually been on the rise for almost 22 months now. Since Jan 2010, we have had 18 months with an increase in employment and 4 months with a decrease. Could it be better, of course, but your numbers are just plain wrong!
zeeba
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:19 p.m.
A quick check shows that Limbaugh was spouting these off during his Feb. 3 broadcast. Turns out what he's spouting are the seasonally unadjusted numbers - which is like saying a golf course is in trouble because business is currently way down from last August. Limbaugh was presenting it as some sort of alarming development, rather than something that happens every year - so yeah, that's a bare-faced lie.
Tom
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.
I don't know how you found those numbers, but just observing and using common sense would tell you that jobs are (slowly) increasing. I GAINED a job in January, my mother was promoted at her work, my sister GAINED a job this month, and my father's business has been steadily improving. Everywhere I look and everyone I talk to says things are slowly, painfully, getting better. The rhetoric you are using is just the republican's need to downplay or disparage any success under a democratic president. They preach about being pro-American, but actively root for the failure of our nation if (god forbid) a democrat is in charge.
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:06 p.m.
I think the numbers came from somewhere in la-la-land. They might have come from Rush, Fox, or some other Obama hating source.
hackman
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:45 p.m.
Facts? Maybe the ones that only your secret email chain know about, but in the real world hundreds of thousands of jobs were created in Jan 2012, and unemployment fell again. Don't believe me; check yourself: <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf</a>
justcurious
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:44 p.m.
I'm just wondering where he said he got the numbers from Dufus Linbaugh. I don't see that in his comment.
hank
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:25 p.m.
Maybe the numbers you cite from Limbaugh got mixed up with his weight.
hank
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:23 p.m.
A vote for Mitt would be intellectually dis honest.
zeeba
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 5:20 p.m.
I don' t know how Limbaugh cooked his books to get the numbers you cite, but the actual nonfarm payroll employment for January was 132.4 million - and increased by 243,000 during the month. Limbaugh has proven time and time again that he's a barefaced liar. If you think we actually lost 2.5 million jobs in January, please provide a link to the actual Labor Department figures that indicate this, rather than simply passing along something you heard on the radio.
E. Manuel Goldstein
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.
Set aside the fact that Republican George W Bush started the bailout of the auto companies just before he left office. If Willard "mittens" Romney had been elected in 2008, and let the auto companies entirely fail, the effects would likely have been totally disastrous, with possibly millions of jobs lost (from auto parts suppliers in addition to other ancillary industries), and thrusting the US into a 2nd Great Depression. Romney's little "I'm a Michigander" act will not pursuade many voters, especially if he winds up as the Republican nominee. President Obama will repeat Romney's "Let Detroit Die" meme to great effect in this state.
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Mon, Feb 20, 2012 : 11:46 p.m.
from teh intelligent silly sally: "Mitt Romney was not against the auto industry recovery, just how Obama did it. He should have allowed our existing laws to work." 200 years of bankruptcy refinement was wanded aside by his majesty - wroing-0!
MjC
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.
Mitt Romney is no friend to anyone in the State of Michigan. He may claim to be "a son of Detroit" but he turned his back on this broken city, as well as all the people of this great state, a long time ago. I doubt he even owns a Detroit Tigers t-shirt.
nekm1
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.
And who exactly broke the city of Detroit? Who started the fires? Who rioted? Who votes for Mayor after corrupt Mayor? How can you all be that blind/dumb?
Usual Suspect
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.
"I doubt he even owns a Detroit Tigers t-shirt." Neither do I, but I'm a big fan.
JMA2Y
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:40 p.m.
The election was in '08. Obama took office in '09. So, Romney wanted Detroit to fail long before Obama took office. Now he's campaigning for Michigan votes and must, yet again, flip-flop on what he has said. The piece is from Nov. 18, 2008. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html</a>
Silly Sally
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 12:35 p.m.
You never read his OP-ED. If you had, you would read that he wanted the auto industry to be re-organized and restructured under the bankruptcy laws. Not to go out of business. What Obama did was to give a big ownership share to his union buddies while at the same time taking away bondholder rights. These bond holders (could be YOUR teacher pension retirement fund) had loaned the auto company money and now will never will be repaid. · This harmed the US economic recovery, as now financial markets are wary to make more corporate loans, as the president can once again steal the money. · Mitt Romney was not against the auto industry recovery, just how Obama did it. He should have allowed our existing laws to work
justwondering
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:39 p.m.
For background, I was a life-long Republican until the George W. debacle. I voted for Obama the first time around, and I will vote for him again. The Republicans are turning my stomach; their behavior at present reminds me of junior high student council elections gone bad. Romney, and the other Republicans, continue to baffle me why they support bailouts and other support measures for the financial services industry, mostly banks, while they have no issue with the manufacturing base of this country withering and dying. At the end of the day, the only way to grow an economy is to actually produce something. The automakers produce more than most and are responsible for the good standard of living we enjoy. The service industry only plays a shell game, moving a fixed amount of resources from one bucket to another. This is going to be inflammatory, but the Republicans to me seem like a bunch of rich guys who belong to a club. You can only be rich, male, and white to get in (yes, I am caucasian). Their goal comes across like them trying to keep the membership exclusive, get richer at the expense of the common man and woman, and basically watch the country swirl down the toilet out of sight. As long as "they get theirs" then the heck with all of you. I know it was taken out of context, but Romney's "I don't care about poor people" captured my view of these guys. I used to think that the Republicans were the voice of reason and common sense; they have traded places with the Democrats. The Republicans remind me of the French aristrocracy who didn't quite get the message a few centuries ago which resulted in a revolution. Obama gets my vote again.
Silly Sally
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 12:41 p.m.
You never read his OP-ED. If you had, you would read that he wanted the auto industry to be re-organized and restructured under the bankruptcy laws. Not to go out of business. What Obama did was to give a big ownership share to his union buddies while at the same time taking away bondholder rights. These bond holders (could be YOUR teacher pension retirement fund) had loaned the auto company money and now will never will be repaid. · This harmed the US economic recovery, as now financial markets are wary to make more corporate loans, as the president can once again steal the money. · Mitt Romney was not against the auto industry recovery, just how Obama did it. He should have allowed our existing laws to work
Susie Q
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 9:39 p.m.
Very thoughtful and well-written. I used to vote for both Democrats and Republicans in local, state and national elections. However, since the Republican Party has made such a hard turn to the right, especially on social issues, I haven't voted for a Republican at the state or national level. I am a fiscal conservative and believe in less government, but I see the current crop of Republicans CLAIM they are for less regulation, less infringement on personal freedoms, etc; but they also want lots of new laws regulating many personal issues. I believe the American people want less partisan bickering and more cooperation among our elected officials.
Usual Suspect
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:59 p.m.
"GOP likes to claim folks based on "single issue" topics like guns and abortion" That's two topics.
Cash
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:45 p.m.
Wow. May I quote you?
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7:04 p.m.
Good post! I'm glad you saw the light. In my opinion...the GOP likes to claim folks based on "single issue" topics like guns and abortion. They try to make people feel all warm and fuzzy with a sense of belonging. But, all the while they are laughing at how blind some are while they are filling their pockets with the citizenries money. Wake up people! They didn't get into the 1% by being nice or generous!!!
justcurious
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.
hu hut said "President Obama, in the spirit of financial openness, had to put all of Bush's debt into his budgets." <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2012/02/dueling-debt-deceptions/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.factcheck.org/2012/02/dueling-debt-deceptions/</a>
justcurious
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:41 p.m.
Hut hut, maybe you should bother to read the link I posted before saying that Obama inherited it. It's a non-partisan site and the facts are staggering.
hut hut
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:20 p.m.
President Obama inherited two wars that Bush started and conducted off the budget books to the tune of almost $5 trillion President Obama inherited Bush's Medicare Donut Hole, also off the budget. He also inherited Bush's bank bailout and the worst economy since the Great Depression. President Obama, in the spirit of financial openness, had to put all of Bush's debt into his budgets. No wonder the debt is so big. It's Bush's debt and President Obama is trying to get us out of it with no help from Republicans and a few Democrats who were instrumental in creating it.
Usual Suspect
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.
Gitmo closed yet?
justcurious
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.
So how are you with this bit of information? Are you sure he is still your man? I voted for Obama too but he certainly has not lived up to his wonderful promises. We are still spending more on the wars and even Michael Moore says he is Wall Street's "man". People won't vote for Ron Paul because they say he can't win. But he is the only candidate who has the knowledge and will to make the necessary changes in this train wreck. I will vote for him because I trust him. <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.factcheck.org/</a> ASK FACTCHECK Q: How much has the federal debt gone up under Obama? A: During his first three years in office, it rose $4.7 trillion, an increase of 45 percent. Partisan graphics circulating via email and Facebook are both incorrect.
Ignatz
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:34 p.m.
I'm surprised that since he lived in Detroit (for how long?), he didn't form any friendships or grew to have respect for union households. Is he being typically Republican by denying workers the right to organize for their protection?
JMA2Y
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:44 p.m.
He moved out of Mich after high school. All of his schooling was out of state-California, Boston, etc. and he then lived in other states and areas like Boston. He's never worked or lived in Michigan since high school.
AA
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:34 p.m.
Mitt married when he was 22 and his wife 19. Please tell me, have either ever worked a real job? Please advise.
alterego
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:28 p.m.
It's not so much as the unions, but those indirectly supported by the auto companies - the small businesses - diners, barbers, grocery stores, etc. Plus the local governments benefit when houses are filled and taxes are paid.
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7 p.m.
Someone that gets it! YaY!!! And it is the union members, not the hauncho's, that fill all of the establishments that you mention. Decent paying living wages...not the 1% make this country strong!
robert bowman
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:24 p.m.
Obama 'hit' attacks like this as well as their carefully orchestrated attempt to anger the evangelical base of the republican party to nominate anybody but Obama, in this case Santorum. And it's working to a tee. Obama knows it would be a tough fight with Romney and he'd likely lose. So besides spending lots of bucks, with his union base, he's attacking Romney with TV ads in each primary state, and letting the GOP do itself in with the likes of Palin, Gingrich, and now especially Santorum. He knows because Rick is so far right wing with his social issues, he will skewer him in a general election. WAKE UP GOP. Media Matters are making fools of the Republican party. Romney is the only one with a prayer to oust Barack. And with the candidates trying to out-conservative each other, they're playing right into the clever left wing hands. If you wake up November 7, with 4 more years of Obama and wonder why, just go look in the mirror. Don't be played for a sap. VOTE ROMNEY...
clownfish
Wed, Feb 15, 2012 : 3:38 p.m.
"downward spiraling of Obamas approval"?? Really? <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval-1044.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval-1044.html</a> looks a lot like most presidential approval ratings over similar periods, even The Great Ronald Reagan, tax raiser and debt loading Messiah.
Tom
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 7 p.m.
Agree with Alarictoo. The electoral college needs to go. We need a straight-up count of votes to elect our president. Nothing like being in a state and voting only to have 51% of people in the state vote one way, while you voted another, making your vote truly worthless.
alarictoo
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 6:31 p.m.
Seriously? Romney?!?! Do me a favor and do not dump all evangelicals into the stew of the GOP. I am one who actually prefers to use his brain. I believe that the only truly responsible political stance is to be an Independent. I will not blindly march to any political party's tune. The unfortunate truth of the American political landscape is that I have never really felt I had a good choice for President, only a choice between the lesser of two evils. Honestly, with the downward spiral of Obama's approval ratings, the best thing that could have happened for him is the lackluster litter of GOP wannabes. Seriously, Gingrich, Romney & Santorum?!? Oy. P.S. While we are at it, can we get rid of that anachronistic albatross called The Electoral College? The technology is there to do it, folks.
alan
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 4:26 p.m.
I, personally, would rather wake up to 4 more years of Barack Obama than 4 years of someone without a social conscience. Just my opinion.
zeeba
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 4:08 p.m.
The only ones making fools out of the GOP are Republicans themselves. Romney came to Michigan looking for votes, pledging his support for the auto industry, then once the primary was over turned around and wrote his "Drop Dead, Detroit" editorial. Complain about Obama all you want, but he's been a very moderate president who has tried repeatedly to reach out to the GOP, only to be rebuffed at every turn. And whether you accept it or not, he's done a pretty good job of halting the downturn and laying the foundation for recovery despite GOP opposition that is simply obstinate, and not based on any principled opposition. Fortunately, there is very little chance that Romney or any other Republican can win this fall. The best thing that can happen this fall is for the crazies in the GOP base to completely take over the party, so the GOP will suffer a crushing defeat at the polls and begin to distance itself from the lunatics who have taken over the asylum.
vaseline
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.
"Obama knows it would be a tough fight with Romney and he'd likely lose." I will vote for my father, but the statement above is not supported by any of the poll. Maybe you should of added, "I personally think . . ." before your assertion of fact
AA
Tue, Feb 14, 2012 : 3:35 p.m.
Vote Obama. Cancelled.