The Big Three debacle didn't happen overnight. They have been losing market share for the past two decades and the basic problem is that they kept giving the UAW what they wanted for years and years. With large numberof retirees, an aging force force, and a large number of workers getting paid while sitting home, they could not withstand the sudden crash in demand. The auto workers are the last big remnant of those who clung to the idea that

bl;ue collar workers of little or no education could get paid as much as white-colar workers

with much more money invested in education. Indeed many of them had only disdain for schooling, especially if they were inheriting a union card from their daddies.

But I can see where you are going with your anti-southern rant. Unions have been unable to organize in the south because southerners don't have the class prejudice, the loathing for the bosses, the lack of pride in work that is indemnic in the automobile factories. Noiw that the Democrats are in power, they are going to get card check, and hoping by bullying and by an appeal to greed, will try to unionize the foreign companies and,of course, the suppliers. The consumer will pay for all this of course. The prices of cars will go up. People with monet won't notice. Here in the DFW area, Corvettes are selling well, but people with poor credit are out of luck. Pretty soon they will be driving expensive junk. If we go the route of England, unemployment among the "Native" working class will stay around 10% and from generation to generatoion they will continue to live on the dole, evermore resentful and addicted to beer and football. The English football fans are now famous for their violence--a sad departure from the conduct of their grandparents as the last vestiges of Victorian evangelicalism are leached out of their souls.

And they wonder why people call them repugnantcrats. Considering that the present state of everything this country is being put through by a few arrogantly greedy pigs with absolutely no concern for anyone else except themselves, this vote neither surprised me or lessened my anger at the foolishness that is going on. Obviously they think that another five million people out of work, home, and livelihood makes absolutely no difference to them. Are these repugnantcrats so callous they can't see that the few who will profit from this move don't give a rat's ass about anyone else, and they won't profit in return for their allegiance to them? Do they not realize that when they don't get reelected they will have to live in the squalor that they have created, and probably become one of the many living in the streets and parks? Facing the same people they drove into this situation who will hopefully exact the retribution they so deservingly created. I can only say that before these fools do anything else to help exasperate this situation they better have all their ducks in a row and make sure the almighty dollar is in their pocket before they believe the lies of future support, because it won't be there.

First of all, the bailout is meant to get us through the recession, helping keep the auto co.'s in business at least until then. If they fail then, it would be bad for the economy, but if they fail now it would be catastrophic. The senators trying to bust the unions won't even support their own, and the country's, economic self-interest. Anyway, there's plenty of time for Detroit to fail after the recession. But, the Republican strategy is to help cause our economy to tank, then blame Dems.

Second, I see little in the way of evidence for claims that UAW workers make way more than non-union workers in the U.S. UAW makes about $55/hr., including benefits, and non-union make about $45/hr. UAW has made significant concessions and in the future will be equivalent to non-union.

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/10/do-uaw-workers-make-73-an-hour-does-it-matter/

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=1026e955-541c-4aa6-bcf2-56dfc3323682

Third, the Republican senators are singling out the unions for busting, although as pointed out earlier, the bailout is about saving the U.S. economy not about busting the unions. Busting the unions through denying a bailout will seriously damage the U.S. and world economy. The senators are acting distinctly unAmerican for ideological reasons. Sometimes I wonder if Shelby is a registered lobbyist for the Japanese govt. They would sacrifice all of us, and themselves, because of their manic hatred of unions.

Well, looks like Bush will come to the rescue anyway and use TARP.

Regarding 'older' cars from overseas manufacturers, I know people with Toyota Corollas having 120,000 - 150,000 - 180,000 miles and still running just fine.

I think yours is a minority view. I have a 2007 Corolla and could sell it tomorrow for 75% of what I paid for it.

Show me which Big Three auto, purchased two years ago, retains 75% of its resale value? Hummer? Esclade? Cobalt?

I thought not. GM, Chrysler and Ford are not making cars people want to buy - end of argument.

Again, I suggest you read this article, for a better view of why the big three do NOT deserve our financial support:

http://tinyurl.com/6hhzh4

Buried on the business page of The New York Times (last) Saturday were the details of Detroit's biggest snow job yet--literally as well as figuratively. Turns out that Cerberus CEO John Snow, who spent three-and-a-half lackluster, and some might say lap-doggish, years as President Bush's second Treasury secretary, is leading a who's who of crony capitalists in a lobbying campaign for a taxpayer bailout to "salvage Cerberus' investment in Chrysler."

That's right. Not to save the jobs of Chrysler employees or America's disappearing manufacturing base, mind you, but to prevent "one of the world's richest and most secretive private investment companies" from having to take a relatively modest financial hit and use some of its own capital to prop up the smallest of the major automakers.

Of course, Cerberus is sparing no expense to spare their investors any exposure. Together with Chrysler, it has spent $7 million to hire such high-rent lobbyists as Dan Quayle (who runs one of Cerberus' international units), former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) and former Bush legislative liaison David Hobbs. Their goal: $7 billion from the auto industry bailout package Congress is working on now and another $8.5 billion in loans from the Energy Department that have already been authorized.

Nothing is going to change, nothing is going to save the Big Three, the bailout is good money chasing bad...