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Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm

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Reality Check, Gov. Romney, Detroit Doesn't Forget

Posted: 10/23/2012 10:52 pm

In this week's final presidential debate, Governor Romney and President Obama had another heated exchange about the auto bailout. In response to Romney's attempt to claim credit for the rescue of the automotive industry, President Obama said, "Governor, the people in Detroit don't forget."

The President's right. We don't forget.

Mitt Romney has the nerve to argue that his plan for the industry in his now-famous New York Times op-ed piece, "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt," was the plan that the Obama administration eventually did: a managed bankruptcy.

But in that 2008 piece, Governor Romney said the money to keep GM and Chrysler alive during bankruptcy should come from the private sector, possibly with the government providing only "guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing." You know what a "guarantee" is? That the government would make good on a loan should the automakers default. But the problem was, no one was loaning!

What kills me about this is that Mitt Romney, a money guy, knows this all too well, but he hopes we won't catch him -- there was no bank willing to help the automakers other than the U.S. government. No private sector entity was lending during the crash. Let me repeat that. No private sector entity would or could step up. None. You can't guarantee a loan that doesn't happen. I knew this. The Bush Administration knew this. President Obama knew this. Everyone knew it! Even this guy.

Bob Lutz, a noted and outspoken Republican, was the vice chairman at General Motors during the auto rescue. He's considered running for office as a conservative Republican. And even he said not that no bank would help.

In February, Lutz told the Detroit Free Press, "The banks were even more broke than we were. Who had the money? Loan guarantees don't do any good if the banks don't have any money."

As Steve Rattner, head of the auto task force said, "not one [would-be lender] had the slightest interest in financing those companies on any terms."

Without financing, the auto companies, their suppliers, and everyone reliant upon that entire industry would have been shut down.

I think you know how I feel about President Obama stepping in to finance the bailout and save the auto industry and more than 1 million jobs.

Mitt Romney knows about bankruptcy. Lord knows he's taken enough companies through it. He knows you need a substantial lender to keep a business going while it restructures. He knows this. But he keeps lying about it. That to me is exhibit A, B and C of why he cannot, must not, be our next president. His lack of integrity, his outright deception, must disqualify him from occupying the office. He will do anything and say anything to win. Anything.

For the sake of the nation, people -- quick! Get thee to an early voting site!

Originally aired on The War Room with Jennifer Granholm. The War Room airs weeknights at 10 p.m. EST on Current TV. Follow Jennifer Granholm on Facebook and Twitter, and The War Room on Facebook and Twitter.

 
 
 

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In this week's final presidential debate, Governor Romney and President Obama had another heated exchange about the auto bailout. In response to Romney's attempt to claim credit for the rescue of the ...
In this week's final presidential debate, Governor Romney and President Obama had another heated exchange about the auto bailout. In response to Romney's attempt to claim credit for the rescue of the ...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
frank1946
Tell the Truth
07:21 PM on 10/28/2012
Obama Plan may actually mean that GM can't survive.

Owes $ 32 Billion still................big losses in market share continue, no way to pay the Debt.

Oh............forgot, Granholm will spike another Bailout for $ 32 Bil. ?

In Truth............Obama bailed out the UAW...............not GM !
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Duane7
I'm left of Karl... Marx not Rove.
06:38 PM on 10/28/2012
No one has brought the ulterior motive Mitt had for letting them go bankrupt. He's a vulture capitalist. He saw a chance to gut them and pick the bones clean. he did it to Delphi(Delco)and made a bundle for himself and Ann. Don't kid yourself, he had selfish reasons for that statement. He does nothing without a profit for himself. I hope all the US remembers this outrage and votes purely Democratic. Time to put the oligarchy back into the box, a coffin.
T-Haight
What was wrong with federalism?
05:25 PM on 10/28/2012
If Ms. Granholm is correct that Detroit doesn't forget, is that what explains Rick Snyder's election?
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AlfredE69
Liberty Lovin' Tree Hugger
04:42 PM on 10/28/2012
Sorry Governor, but bailouts are wrong. Just plain wrong. If a business fails, it should not be rescued by taxpayers. No if , ands, or buts, Let the bankruptcy courts deal with poorly run businesses.
09:48 PM on 10/28/2012
That statement demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge about the relationship between government, economics, and society. And I do mean complete.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Articulator
10:17 PM on 10/28/2012
The economies of the world crashed. If you dont board up the windows in a 100 year storm you needlessly lose the whole structure. The same goes for the 100 year economic storm. Yes, you are arguing the right wing point of view that the auto industry should have died and that was exactly Mitt's point of view that he is trying to cover with a smokescreen (as he is doing with all his viewpoints). That is exactly why Mitt should only be able to get a visitor's pass to the white house and stand in line on a weekend to walk through like the rest of the public.
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04:41 PM on 10/28/2012
Detroit News endorses Romney. Speaks volumes, doesn't it?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Duane7
I'm left of Karl... Marx not Rove.
06:39 PM on 10/28/2012
Money talks.. all those ads that suddenly appeared in the paper swayed the paper a lot.
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Chopin
Multiply the truth. Speak truth through power.
03:41 PM on 10/28/2012
Governor Granholm, I like your style and message. But unless the cleverness of the Karl Krovian propaganda ads on behalf of Romney are countered and neutralized ON THEIR OWN TERMS and ON THEIR OWN TURF, meaning subconsciously, your message is lost on those Americans on the fence.

Here's another great example of "preaching to the choir" -- Sam Stein's fact-checking revelation article on Romney's clever last-minute ads on the home-stretch to alter perception of reality:--
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Chopin/mitt-romney-auto-ad_n_2034971_200754573.html

There's a reason why Karl Krove is so successful in packaging success in political message warfare.
03:26 PM on 10/28/2012
The Detroit News endorsed Romney.

All of Michigan wants to forget your failed term as governor Granholm.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
vetxcl
04:19 PM on 10/28/2012
Nope, dopes don't speak for the TWO TERM Governor.
mrrgl
Brevity is the soul of wit.
03:15 PM on 10/28/2012
Is there a lie out there that Mitt wouldn't tell?.

He has surely earned is spot on the pantheon of liars.
02:41 PM on 10/28/2012
Romney's other problem that the electorate doesn't care about or is complicit in... his lies.

Romney's new ad says: "Obamacare... (forces) religious institutions to violate their deeply heald moral beliefs" by forcing religious organizations to pay for drugs and services they object to."

This is a lie. It's also not true.

Churches are exempt from Obamacare. Romney's intentionally misleading voters by equating churches with OTHER organizations OWNED by the church.

Regardless, these regulations are for INSURANCE COMPANIES, not churches (and their affiliates)... and it pertains to what coverage they offer. NOT to what coverage they force people to buy or use.

Church goers are NOT forced to choose any insurance policy in particular... nor are they forced to accept contraception. There is nothing that will violate their religious convictions.

"Like" us: facebook.com/thisvsthatshow
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crezyoz
Posting with finger picks on
02:29 PM on 10/28/2012
Detroit will never, ever recover until they solve the crime issue by bringing in another industry. The auto industry is over for Detroit. Never going to be the same.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
vetxcl
04:20 PM on 10/28/2012
Crime issue can also be solved with proper education that trains people to be useful.
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crezyoz
Posting with finger picks on
10:24 AM on 10/29/2012
So.. there's been no proper education in Detroit for 30 years ? 40 Years?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
smarteeeee
Conservatism = Compassion
02:21 PM on 10/28/2012
With all due respect Ms. Granholm, your lib policies contributed to the mess that is now Michigan.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
drumz
The less you know the more you believe.
02:49 PM on 10/28/2012
Like what?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
vetxcl
04:21 PM on 10/28/2012
Blanket statements are more like blather than reality.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
smarteeeee
Conservatism = Compassion
10:43 PM on 10/28/2012
"Blanket statements are more like blather than reality." As opposed to your blanket statement about blanket statements, of course.
01:57 PM on 10/28/2012
There is no contest in choosing what Romney says vs. what Obama/Granholm say on the economy. End of story; vote Romney or stay at home.
mrrgl
Brevity is the soul of wit.
03:17 PM on 10/28/2012
WHEN ROMNEY COMES TO TOWN.
04:39 PM on 10/28/2012
I'm awfully tired of reading and hearing comments like yours, which, while turning the heat up a little, add nothing of value to the debate. I'm not sure whether your comment is referring to the flap about Romney's actual position on the auto bailout or the more general question of how each candidate plans to fix the economy, but you certainly aren't giving me any reason to reconsider my support for President Obama. I realize your candidate doesn't give you much to work with, but I'd be curious to know why think there's "no contest" between "what Romney says vs. what Obama/Granholm say on the economy."
01:02 PM on 10/28/2012
Governor Granholm, my very favorite adopted Canadian, thank you. You did right by our state for 8 years, especially with the film tax credit program, which benefitted myself, my family, my city, and our state economically and culturally (My grandfather's former machining shop, empty for years, housed the primary studio build for a major hollywood production, and my college played host to another major film shoot). Unfortunately, Snyder, Ryan, Walker and the rest of the new generation of hyper right midwestern technocrats have unraveled all that incremental progress in half a term. How anyone could be gullible enough to think that these Rand worshipping corporate lackeys could possibly be better for our economy than your pro-business, slightly liberal administration, I have no idea. But after 8 years of recovery and retooling in Michigan and a great speech at the DNC this year, you are one of the few Democrats I would consider voting for again.

Thank you.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
blondesue
Curious Canadian
10:17 AM on 10/28/2012
George W was awful during his first term, nothing was being done by him but ignoring intelligence about upcoming terrorist attack on the US, lowering taxes for the wealthy, starting two wars without paying for them and yet the American people voted him back for four more years. Yes, thanks to George W, Obama got the tail-end of the bad economy creaated under Bush and yes it has been very difficult to get it under control (no thanks to the republican controled congress), but Obama's reelection isn't that improbable considering the worst president ever - George W - was reelected no problem.
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Count Orlov
Veritas. Virtus. Libertas.
10:14 AM on 10/28/2012
If you count all of the GM spin-off industries like parts, dealerships, used car sales, etc. The figure is more like 6 to 7 million jobs.