Cheney: It's "Herbert Hoover" Time

Politico reports on Dick Cheney's private meeting with Republican Senators, at which he tried and failed to win their support for an auto bailout:

Senate Republicans' dramatic revolt against a White House-backed auto industry rescue plan is fraught with political risk.

While the high-stakes gambit places them squarely within the mainstream of anti-bailout public sentiment, at the same time it exposes the party to potentially devastating criticism that its failure to compromise doomed the Big Three automakers and deepened the economic recession.

...

That was the message Vice President Dick Cheney brought to a closed-door Senate GOP lunch Wednesday, reportedly warning that it'll be "Herbert Hoover" time if aid to the industry was rejected, according to a senator familiar with the remarks. A Cheney spokeswoman would neither confirm nor deny the vice president's remarks.

In their piece on the meeting, McClatchy reported that Cheney received a "barrage of criticism" from his fellow Republicans rather than the agreement he desired.

Read more about the auto bailout on the HuffPost Big News Page.

Comments

[Tom Joad]

The Republiban's War on Workers continues unabated..­.

[vfippinger]

I am really trying to rationalize this thing.

It appears to be white collar against blue collar.
South against the North
Foreign Automakers unfair advantage (appallingly within the U.S.)
Union busting
Republican “wide stance” with a narrow agenda.

If this were any other point in our history, with the exception of the months leading up to the Great Depression perhaps I could in some way rationalize letting the Big 3 fail.
How any self-serving Public Servant could look their Constituents in the eye and say this is good for America will “do no harm” at a time when we are already in financial collapse.

The Republicans are supposed to be all about “Homeland Security” have they no history? Who built our Defense Equipment during the Wars, Detroit? “Get them there before they get us here”, they chant. Who will build our next generation of Defense Vehicles, Japan?

The TARP money was thrown at the Banks and Insurers with no oversight.
To get TARP approved the Republicans as usual, filled it with Pork including Millions for the “Auto racing” Industry. What?

I try not to be a complete cynic however, are the remaining knuckle dragging Republicans trying to do everything they can to destroy the Obama Administration before
it even takes office?

[Ladywolf55]

The Republicans have been all about destroying the USA since Bush 1, or maybe even Reagan, took office. They WANT the USA to fail. They are the true terrorists, not the Muslims. Americans have just been too blind to see what is right before their very eyes. Our Congress is being run by the MOB, and our country has been destroyed PURPOSEFULLY from within it's own government. This is just the beginning of great torture of the citizens of the USA. Just watch.

[Questioner In Chief]

Divide and Conquer: the Brits used it all over their empire. And we all know how well that turned out.

[leeman79]

Exactly, V. You're right. The modern republicans have no history, and don't care about it. The old republicans would appreciate what you're saying because they had a sense of loyalty to this country. Why? Because most of them were veterans.

The republican leadership today is second rate lawyers and failed businessmen. By and large, any congressman or senator who was around during Vietnam, was able to buy his way out of it.

Obviously, the money going into the racing industry is just another way to influence votes, like the religious thing. When it's all said and done, and they've completely ruined this country, they'll blame this mess on somebody else and retire. It's the republican way.

How are these NASCAR Jethro's going to feel about their driver driving a hyundai?

[vote-obama]

THE GOP a party on the brink of extinction fights for survival. soon the leaders of this pre-historic party would need a bailout just to stay in business. GOP leaders accusing the automakers of bad policy and bad management when the GOP has had the worst policies and disastrous management is truly laughable. i can't wait for this party to be extinct when America refuses to give them a bailout.

[leeman79]

I agree and I'd like to believe you. Sadly speaking, this party is going to be around, and will continue to get 45% of the vote. The masses of idiots are controlled by scare tactics and religion. It's worked, and will continue to work.

I can already picture a republican family living in a tent and still voting republican. The masses don't understand how an economy works or why we're in wars.

[leeman79]

Hey, the only reason these southern auto workers are making $25/hr is because of the UAW. Go ahead, dismantle the UAW, and then watch the Japanese offer a wage decrease ultimatum. It'll be, accept it, or we're moving to China. Sound familiar? The Japanese are here partially out of principle. We are (or were) the society that they want to emulate. Once that's gone, the Japanese are gone as well. That is, until we completely bottom out, and then we'll be bought out lock, stock and barrel.

[SeenItBefore]

I can't imagine what it would be like to sit in room with Dick Cheney bloviating about the Big 3 and union busting while the rest of the world is going to hell in a sled.

Earth to Dick... the unions are not the only reason the auto giants are knee deep in their own excrement, it's management. And the CEO's total lack of vision, direction and criminal mismanagement caused this train wreck. What was the board of directors thinking at Chrysler to hire Nardelli, after he near bankrupted Home Depot.

Who knew the secret to corporate success was to run your last employer into the ground!

[ldennard]

I can't believe that they have collectively decided to reject a loan, as a person who's family is deeply rooted in the auto industry I am diheartened by the turn of events. There are 3MM families counting on the government to help right the ship. If nothing else this should be a wake up call to all of those blue collar workers who vote replublica­n... They don't care about you... I know this isn't a perfect fix but we have to do something.

[Teritt]

The GOP is acting like the bunch of sore losers that they are. They are making demands of the UAW that they couldn't dream of making of Wall Street nor themselves. Their votes the past 8 yrs are what brought the economy to this wretched mess. UAW salaries aren't the reason people can't buy cars - it's the economy! And who was in charge of regulating Wall Street? The same guys that GAVE them $700 billion with no strings attached.

Whatever happened to Country First? Our country depends on jobs - and the Republicans would rather lose one out of ten jobs tied to the auto industry out of pure spite. Their lobbyists aren't tied to the US auto industry so they just don't give a flying bleep.

[Shashi0224]

You got that so right!!

[hmmmmmer]

Senate Republicans are scum, look for them to obstruct anything and everything and because the majority of the worst ones are from the south they will pay no price for their obnoxious attitude toward blue collar workers.

[Okieborn]

This jerk is the wmd along with his cohort bush !!
They cause the depression and then laugh about it !!!!!

[NoSandwiches]

How odd that it's Bush and the Democrats who are on one side, with not even loyalty from the Repulicans. This is W's failure to lead, McCain's failure to lead. With W it was all about loyalty. He makes Blogo look tame in comparison. Now that he is quacking, there's nothing in it for the Republicans to do as he asks.

And the market tumbles.

Today my 401k became 202 1/2k

[SpiralStaircase]

So, does this mean Mr. Cheney's status is" just another guy off the street" with the Senate Republicans now? Power off. Too bad. He'll just have to go home and be rich and old.

[harriettubman]

Yep. He lost his respect when he didn't give any for 8 yrs.

[Shashi0224]

It's just a shame for all of us that he didn't lose his power about 8 years ago......w­ow, what better shape we would all be in!

[chasmader]

They're all running for cover.

[edwcorey]

The Republicans want to break the unions, and this is the opportunity. They want the workers to take a pay/benefits cut. That may be what the workers have to do. But in response, government workers and, especially, ELECTED OFFICIALS should take a pay/benefit cut, and remove all relatives from their taxpayer-funded payrolls.

[jmndodge]

Not the unions... So few American wages are protected by unions, but with the auto workers gone, pensions gone, and the American economy on life support, they can attack their real target. No more health care, deep welfare cuts, and drastic cutback's in social security. All their right wing voters, working for years at non-union wages, voting their jealousy of union wages -- a vote against their own best interests, are now going to face the reality that their much lower retirement is now in real danger. Let's hope that Obama is a real magician, not just committed to change, because he is going to be working with very little and huge problems.

It's time for people to express public repentance for their stupidity voting Republican, and also to demand apology from their neighbors who voted republican.

[Social Construct]

Yeah, Mr. Vice President, it's all your fellow Republicans fault. You are trying to save this nation. And I am the King of Norway. Na na nah na, hey hey, goodbye ...

[greatbear451]

Quack quack.

[hf2008]

Lame dodo, not lame duck.