GM-PAC? GOP Should Just Say No — But They Won’t
But if you concede the PAC’s continued existence, you’re then forced to ask: How can the GOP candidates listed above defend taking its money? This is not a situation where letting bygones be bygones is even remotely appropriate.
This is the same General Motors whose government overseers in bankruptcy, fresh from ripping off disfavored secured creditors at Chrysler, performed a similar act on GM’s unsecured bondholders — real flesh-and-blood people who have suffered tremendously.
This is the same General Motors that, as it was shafting creditors, gave the United Auto Workers a deal so sweet that union president Ron Gettelfinger openly bragged to his members that the union’s supposed “concessions” involved “no loss in your base hourly pay, no reduction in your health care, and no reduction in pensions.” UAW-GM retirees, who conveniently don’t get to vote on contracts, also got the shaft.
This is the same GM which, with White House help as it was keeping the UAW whole, “schemed with Big Labor bosses to preserve UAW members’ costly pension funds by shafting their nonunion counterparts” — including 20,000 former salaried employees at Delphi, who also “lost all of their health and life insurance benefits.”
This is the same General Motors whose government overseers, according to TARP Inspector General Neil Barofsky, as reported by the New York Times, closed “scores of dealerships without adequately considering the jobs that would be lost or having a firm idea of the cost savings that would be achieved.” The jobs losses amounted to tens of thousands. Closure decisions appeared to have been based more on political and racial factors than valid economic considerations. Before the termination decisions were announced, GM’s minority-owned dealers fretted that almost 60% of them (roughly 174 of 300) would be shut down. As it worked out, both at Chrysler and GM, they were closed in virtually exact proportion to all other dealers. Amazing how that worked out, isn’t it?
I have seen no indication that GM and the administration have any intentions of retreating from their legalities-be-damned, consequences-be-damned outlook. And yet, we see the names and amounts listed above: Portman — $5,000; Blunt — $5,000; Coates — $5,000; and “Young Gun” (or is it “Young Blank”) Eric Cantor — $2,000.
Seriously, guys: How could you? Until you return the money, how can we ever believe anything you tell us about the capitalist, free-enterprise system and your support for the Constitution?
This sad episode should disabuse sensible conservatives of any notion they might have that they will be able ease up even a teeny-tiny bit if the fall elections result in GOP congressional and Senate majorities.
Well, the only thing I can say is that at least it’s not a lot of money that was given to each candidate. These candidates probably make more money in one afternoon at a barbecue. I’m sure the UAW, the union that had the most to gain from Government Motors not going under, gave Democratic candidates a lot, lot, more. So there was the circle of life. Government Motors is about to go under, it is saved by a Democratic Congress, and then the UAW gives even bigger donations to the Democrats as a major “Thank You.” I’m just surprised that the Republicans got anything at all. After all, if you’re going to give contributions to a political party, don’t you expect something in return? So what does GM or the UAW expect from a Conservative Republican Congress? Hopefully, nothing.
If I had a GM to return I would.
The solution is simple: (1)note those Representatives and Senators who are in your state; (2)via email or snailmail, notify them that you expect them to return that contribution (and any others from similar sources); (3) mention that you’re not going away nor are you going to forget if they fail to return such a … hmm … contribution from rent-seeking, favor-begging, corrupt source; (4) remind them that they’re up for re-election in (2012 for the Rep, whenever for the Senator) and you’re going to remember their action or inaction on this matter, publicize it and in the primary and in the general election vote for or against them accordingly and mention it loudly and often to your voting friends. Of course, it’s kind of like trying to pass a law against using your cell phone while driving: if the threat of increasing the risk of dying in an auto accident doesn’t deter the conduct, a law fining the cell phone using driver isn’t likely to deter it either. *sigh* What’s a conservative patriot to do, eh?
Let me see if I’ve got this straight – GM is losing money out the patoot. GM gets bailed out with my money. GM bondholders get the shaft and the UAW gets the gold. GM doesn’t pay back my money, they give it to those crooks?
Rep. Cantor! Return my $2000 you got from GM!
So we’ve got RAHM on his way to take over as the new crime syndicate boss seated on the kings throne in chicago. In detroit the crime bosses there send
tax dollars back to washington to influence elections.
What we have here is organized crime goes communist on it’s way to rule the world via the USA.