History shows t wheen ever there is an economic down turn conservatives use it as a took to break up unions so as to abuse workers rights. This is not a problem with the UAW. The UAW workers, including all beniefits, get only $3-4 per hour more than the workers in foreign autos. They average $28.00/hr.

Having said that I agree with the republicans for once. I am against the GM/Cryhsler bail out. This is a management problem. The management continued to make mostly gas Monster guzzlers instead of investing in new technogly like Ford and the foreign auto makers. Also so some consumers continued to buy these large gas HOGS until the high price of galsoline hit.

I say they should reorganize through bankrupcey or let them die a natural death. Instead of blaming the workers and bailing out management, we should give money/health care to the auto workers for retraining education for green jobs.

The powers that really run this country have split the average Joes successfully once again. We now scream at each other because some guy makes two bucks an hour more than the next guy. No one is getting rich working the line regardless if they are in a union or not. The middle class drives this country. For the past eight years the average Joes have struggled just to keep their heads above water. Of course the wealthy have done real good. You people are getting angry at the wrong people, the people just trying to make a living. Hell if we had a single payor health care plan like the rest of the civilized world I doubt there would be anything to talk about. Except why the banks and greedy fucks on Wall St. got loads of money with no stipulations while there is still no ease on the credit crisis which is too blame as much as anything for the current auto crisis.

I must give you credit for sheer gumption. You are wrong about every thing. You are on the wrong side of every issue I can imagine. Yet you go on, like the energizer bunny, blindly, blatantly wrong.

How'd Sarah Palin work out for you?

I am afraid that even in the next Congress that even with the Democrats holding 58 or 59 seats that they still won't be able to pass any bills because they don't have the 60 needed to shut down a filibuster by the Republican senators on any bill that isn't taken from the Republican Platform. I have no doubts that the Republicans will try to block it all. (While later complaining that it was a "do-nothing Congress.")

I have heard some Democratic Senators that on any given issue they will be able to get one or two Republican Senators to come over and help shut down the filibuster. However, I'm not so sure. I think the Republican wrecking crew will stick together most of the time. (The prospect of punishment should one flake off helps to ensure that no Republican does flake off.)

If we have to wait two more years (wondering whether we'll just lose a few rather than gaining a few) I'm not sure I can make it that long.

If this is what happens, it's a sure sign that our government is broken.

To True2Blue:

I've been driving VWs since 1987. My first one, a 1987 Golf GT, I bought new for just under $10,000. I had nearly 300,000 (yes, that's right, 300,000) miles on it before it was ready to give up the ghost in 2004. Even then, I could drive it for four hours with ease and without any back pain; when driving my parents' Oldsmobile that cost 50% more, I had to get out every two hours just to stretch my back. The cheaper car just was better designed--better ergonomics. It handled better, rode better, and got 50% better gas mileage. And it lasted a whole lot longer, too.

In 2004, I replaced the '87 with a used '94 Jetta, which had cost about $14,000 new. Six months later, I rented one of your "famed" Sunfires for a week while on vacation. In short, it was a piece of crap. After just 45 minutes on the road, I had to get off the road and stretch. The cockpit design just plainly sucked!!! Uncomfortable seats, bad steering wheel placement, poor line-of sight, you name it. It had just a few thousand miles on it, yet it rattled and squeaked worse than my GT when it 200,000 on it. The VW's design was and is greatly superior. And they cost just about the same. The VW drive and ride is far, far superior to the Pontiac. And if I change my oil every 3,000 or so miles, just like in my '87, I'll probably get close to 300,000 miles out of it, too.

So don't call me a moron, you moron!

re: The powers that really run this country have split the average Joes successfully once again.

“You can always hire half the poor to kill the other half.”

-Boss Tweed, Gangs of New York (2002)

This country would be better off if we let the South secede from the union. Let all the enlightened Southerners move up north and the Northern fundies move to the South. Then we can have us a little cultural/economic experiment. My prediction is South goes right back to its ugly classist roots and the North prospers without the South and its idiotic politicians hell bent on returning us to the Dark Ages. Let's see how the South survives its next natural disaster without Northern tax dollars. Lets see how it survives when Northerners refuse to buy their products or visit their dumpy little bug infested swamps to catch rays or gamble in their crappy little riverboat casinos.

I'm actually exhausted having to claim fellow citizenship with the same working class bible thumping morons from the South constantly voting against the interests of the working class. The South should become the same harmless curiosity the Amish are and left to their own devices. Can't say I'd actually miss Texas, Florida, and Alabama (we'll even throw in the money pit of Alaska) et al.

Besides it would be fun to watch Queen Palin buffoon around dispensing pearls of wisdom to her subjects, " . . . and such, and like, ye all, dontchya know, cause like The Iraq and peoples need maps, and such, and like we are the true Americans and such, and we don't need no latte sipping yankee know it alls and such telling us how to treats are propty, and such and like, and drill baby drill like Amen and such, causin I know I'm not decended from no apes and such, and that the Grand Canyon was created a couple a thousand years ago and such causin I got the dinosaur I rode in on parked out back which Trig is watching and such, GO BAMA ROLL TIDE . . . . "

The Southern politicians ensure the autoworkers get screwed and I guarantee I'll never buy a product made in the South or set foot in a Southern state again. My Ford has 150K is 15 years old and has cost me exactly two sets of tires, oil changes, wipers, one battery, doesn't leak, paint looks brand new, never needed an alignment, doesn't squeak or rattle, . . . I couldn't be happier and I helped a Northern neighbor make a better life for his/her family. I look forward to the day when we can say to the Southern Confederated States of Hillbillystan--good riddance and godspeed. Can't really see what the Conservative South has contributed to this nation other than some decent food, Tennessee Whiskey, Jazz and Blues music, and a nasty tobacco addiction. Beyond that I'm at a complete loss.