A group of southern Senators who represent states with large foreign-owned automotive manufacturing plants have become the voice of the opposition to any U.S. bailout of the U.S. automotive industry. These senators do the rounds on nationally syndicated news shows in attempt to make their point, but instead have their patriotism questioned by the media.
Expect to hear about these senators’ lack of support for a bailout again when they are up for re-election. Their political opponents won’t let this time in their careers be forgotten.
Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) is from Alabama. Alabama is the home to Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai assembly plants. Automakers have chosen Alabama to build their engines, including International Diesel, which produces advanced technology diesel engines here. When Toyota built its first V-8 engine facility outside of Japan in 2003, it selected Alabama. Over the last 10 years, the
automotive industry has invested over $7 billion and created more than 35,000 new jobs
in Alabama.
Bob Corker (R-TN) is from Tennessee. Tennessee is the home of Nissan’s US corporate headquarters. Before this week, Corker was perhaps best-known for prevailing in a hard-fought 2006 race against then-U.S. Representative Harold Ford for the Tennessee seat vacated by former Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist.
Corker founded Bencor Corp., which got its start by installing drive-through windows at fast-food restaurants and grew into a shopping-center construction company with operations in 18 states. After selling his construction business, Corker ran commercial real estate companies. He was elected in March 2001 to a four-year term as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee’s fourth-largest city. [Bloomberg]
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is from Kentucky. Kentuck is the home of Totyota’s largest manufacturing plant outside of Japan. Kentucky is also the home of The auto bail out bill was killed on the Senate floor by Conservative Republicans, and among them was Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell.
According to WHAS-11 Some Kentuckiana residents are very upset about his vote.
McConnell says that in the end he just could not support the plan.
The automobile industry employs 80 to 85 thousand people directly or indirectly in the state of Kentucky.
McConnell stated, “We’ve had before us the whole question of the viability of American automobile manufacturers. And none of us want to see them go down, but very few of us had anything to do with the dilemma that they’ve created for themselves. And so the question is, ‘Is there a way out?’ And the administration negotiated in good faith with the Democratic majority a proposal that’s simply unacceptable to the vast majority on our side because we thought it frankly wouldn’t work.”
But others disagree.
Just last week, state and local leaders, along with hundreds of other people, held a rally at the Ford Truck plant to show their support for the bill.
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