Big Three CEOs Drive Hybrids To Washington (VIDEO)

CNBC's "Power Lunch" created a funny animation of the Big Three CEOs -- Alan Mulally of Ford, Rick Wagoner of GM and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler -- driving to Washington, D.C., where they're asking for federal funds.

The CEOs are driving hybrid cars after being reamed by the media for flying flashy corporate jets to plead their cases as struggling companies in need of government help.

The "Power Lunch" team are also offering joke suggestions of interesting sights for the CEOs to see along the way.

Watch the video and tell us in the comments section what you think about these CEOs driving nine hours to Washington. Here are some questions to ponder. We'll be closing comments Thursday at 1pm eastern. The most thoughtful answers will be posted in a new entry.

Is this a good use of CEOs' time during a financial crisis?

Do you think driving sends a good message to taxpayers that Detroit is willing to make big changes?

Do you think this is all a wasteful publicity stunt?

WATCH:

Comments

[gbht12]

I'm not impressed. What could they have been thinking when they flew their private jets individually to Washington? Answer is they don't think and they also think America is stupid.

They need to start making cars America will buy. They are clueless

[idonthinkso]

pathetic. but then, so are we if we accept such an
obvious and ridiculous display.

what happened to being fired or replaced?

who changed the rules? can't we change them
back?

[grumbles]

Too little and way too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aweissnet]

Oh and hey, what about CARPOOLING!

[anitaemile]

last month Chrysler laid off around 1000 employees, Last Friday and this last Monday as much as 4895 employees from Chrysler Auburn Hills took their buy out !! There will be no one left to work !!
Originally there were around 8500 employees working there. After muliple lay offs and this last buy out my estimation is there will be no more than 3000 ( or 2500 ?) left..

[aweissnet]

I'm wondering why they have a fear of commercial airlines. Are they scared of mingling with commoners, catching a disease, terrorist attacks, suicidal pilots?

[KeithMoon24]

Three words for the GM, Ford and Chrysler stockholders: FIRE THESE GUYS!

Someone above mentioned that the CEOs driving the hybrids was a publicity stunt. Absolutely it was! Actually, I think they should've come to Washington on a GREYHOUND BUS. That way, they could've seen how the "other half" lives: (those of us who don't have private jets to take us to-and-fro.)

If we're going to bailout the automakers, I say we make it a stipulation that all the execs get the boot! These guys are incompetent, out of touch and out of time!

The failure of these homegrown American automakers to offer exciting, innovative and commercially successful cars is a huge embarrassment to our country! (And our country invented the modern day automobile!)

Sad.

[jdmccl]

Outlaw the unions at big 3 and maybe give them some money but bankruptcy is too good for them building boring cars. Bush should pull a Regan and fire the Unions as Regan did for the air controllers. Remember air travel was not going to be the same with non union controllers? We would never fly again?.....Killing the big 3 puts us in a depression. Its all the same Merde

[takeyourballandgohome]

Tell you what I think!!! A mockery! What are the wife and kids driving around in? Other execs...cars on loan for 5 mos and then receive another!

It's now a status symbol to take $1 pay....what an insult to the rest of us! That's what I think!

[sandals]

you are taking this out on the CEO's rightly so,
but you forget that this is going affect the working man,
it is a LOAN not a BAILOUT, like we gave the Banks! which nobody had a problem helping them no questions asked.
you better hope like hell it doesn't effect your job if these companies go down, i have family that works for this industry and they have over the past twenty years giving on concessions, it is not the workers fault that the people at the top have made bad decisions.
to you who want to buy Toyota were is your loyalty to the American Manufacturing, you have no clue do you.
this is a sad day in America when we can't even save the industry that help build the middle class.

[baghdadjoe]

Fortunately, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, BMW, VW, and other strong companies all build great cars here. These are American cars built in America, and they're great cars. America will still have a vibrant auto industry without the corrupt, dysfunctional and obsolete "Big 3".

[michaedo]

agree that union busting is the name of the game
when all said and done.
Can't remember who said it last week...
If you take a shower before work you rate a bail out.
If you shower after work, you're screwed.

[wsblake]

despicable,despicable phonies- but half of amerika will swallow that PR bilge hook,line and sinker- the same selfish creeps who are melting the polar regions just to impress their neighbors with suvs

[Mahi Joe]

Some of these American car companies already have retooled and made fuel efficient cars in Europe already. Why then are they saying they can't do it here in the USA? More BS from the big three.

[Palemoon]

Pure publicity stunt. If they were sincere, they'd have driven their own personal cars that they have to pay insurance, gas, oil change, routine maintenance on, etc. They wouldn't drive corporate furnished gee-whiz, so-called "green", gas powered cars in an effort to show off.

[michaedo]

Let's see, I'm sure this is considered a business trip, so I'm figurin' they'll
be payin' themselves for the trip. Ford CEO makin' 20mil a year, 9 hour
portion of that figures to about $86K. Smooth...
A lose-lose situation boys. You couldn't have sent a lacky in your place?

[Pegi]

I wish I could afford a hybrid! Anyway, this is a terrible dilemna for the workers. I want to see the top brass of all these companies screwed to the wall but the people in the trenches will be the ones to suffer the most and it will affect our economy greatly. I say have no mercy for the top but spare the workers if possible. It would also be nice if they made reliable products!