House Financial Services Committee Automakers Hearing

9:54am
Representative McCotter is a member of the House Financial Services Committee. While he never found it once convenient to attend ANY of his assigned subcommittee hearings in 2008, I see that he is in attendance for today's hearings with the automotive leaders. I await his commentary...

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) so far is making the most thoughtful commentary in the opening thus far. Similar to what I was thinking, in that if the automakers had been able to make these requests before Congress handed over the $700 billion blank check to Wall Street, they may not be suffering this intense scrutiny. The Congressmen have heard a lot from their constituents about that disaster, and now the Big 3 get to swim in the wake.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) finally reminds people that we don't operate in a pure free market world, and that other countries do an awful lot to support their industries. I think this is the same guy who asked the question two weeks ago about the executives flying commercial.

Yep, he's beating that drum again.

Lots of people saying "no one wants the auto industry to fail. BUT..."

"As we learned from AIG..."

I appreciate the argument being made by the Republican from South Carolina...it shouldn't be the business of Congress to set corporate policies and pick winners and losers in industry. Congress should create an environment where all businesses can succeed. Rep Price of Georgia is saying the same thing. IF these Republicans want to create a truly competitive business environment, they would pass health care reforms that enable foreign competitors to pass those costs on to their respective taxpayers.

McCotter gets the last word - 2 minutes! 10:18am...

McCotter intends to put forth 4 points:

1/2 of the bridge loan to come from the TARP, 1/2 from Energy funds for retooling.

McCotter likes the restructuring plans the Big 3 are putting forward.

"Losing jobs isn't a ripple effect, it is a tsunami."

"The only thing too important to fail in America is a working family."

Not sure if those are the four points, or if he's going to release something else later.

If I had a dollar for every piece of legislation that would benefit America's working families Thaddeus McCotter has voted against, I'd be able to give the Big 3 a loan myself. I think Thad is saying all the right things here, because he knows that his job will be one of the ones in the path of the tsunami if the Detroit auto industry goes under. I only hope that over the next two years, McCotter doesn't abandon his newfound populism. Help those important American families afford health care and education, Thad. Protect their jobs from unfair trade practices.

Two million Americans lost their jobs in 2008, thanks in no small part to the policies you and your Republican colleagues put forth from 2000-2006. You chose to make your stand against the Bush administration in the latter half of 2006, just in time for a reelection campaign, but far too late for those two million American workers. I look forward to a new and improved Thaddeus McCotter in 2009 - and I'll be watching.

Divisive, angry, militaristic - that's our Thad

In a recent 90-minute interview with the conservative Washington Times, Congressman Thaddeus McCotter made clear his abilities to neatly label people, disparage Democrats, and divide the party into two categories - pacifists, and Jewish "hawks". I'd love to hear what else he had to say in the 80-plus minutes that aren't on the Times' website.

For those familiar with McCotter, these antics are nothing new. But for those who aren't too sure who their Congressman is, and may be finding this website for the first time - stay a while and look around. He is NOT the moderate he claims to be. It is no coincidence that Halloween is so close to Election Day. Every other year, Thaddeus McCotter puts on his "moderate" mask, and goes trick-or-treating for votes. But underneath the costume, there isn't a cute little kid looking for candy; no, behind the facade is one of the most right-wing, ideological conservatives in Congress today. He is not in Washington to represent the mainstream values of the 11th District - he is there to promote himself and to advance his ideology within the Republican Party first and foremost.

On November 4th, think about who Thaddeus McCotter is really working for. You have a chance to vote for a candidate who will listen to the needs of the people he represents, and who will bring much needed change to a Congress that must move beyond the sort of angry, divisive politics Thaddeus McCotter embraces.

For new leadership, vote for Joseph Larkin.

Joe Larkin is the Democrat who can take down McCotter!

First, let me thank Ed Kriewall, and congratulate him on a good campaign. This race deserved to have several strong candidates, and we ultimately had two of them to choose from. However, it is Joseph Larkin who came through with a resounding 3-to-1 victory in Tuesday's primary. More than 28,000 Democrats voted in this contest, and 74% of them chose to send Mr. Larkin into battle against Thaddeus McCotter.

Recent McCotter news includes another rant about China, voting AGAINST a foreclosure relief bill, and crying about Democrats not giving oil executives free reign to drill anywhere and everywhere.

Thanks to Cordelia Lear and the BFM crew for keeping up with Thad's misadventures while this blogger slacks in his duties! :)