Chryslergate?

[OklahomaTuba]

Interesting. Can't imagine they would be this dumb...

Furor grows over partisan car dealer closings

Evidence appears to be mounting that the Obama administration has systematically targeted for closing Chrysler dealers who contributed to Repubicans. What started earlier this week as mainly a rumbling on the Right side of the Blogosphere has gathered some steam today with revelations that among the dealers being shut down are a GOP congressman and closing of competitors to a dealership chain partly owned by former Clinton White House chief of staff Mack McLarty.

The basic issue raised here is this: How do we account for the fact millions of dollars were contributed to GOP candidates by Chrysler who are being closed by the government, but only one has been found so far that is being closed that contributed to the Obama campaign in 2008?
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Furor-grows-over-partisan-car-dealer-closings-46261447.html

[Scott D]

a company that is to become a foreign owned company for the second time in a decade is using partisanship to close dealerships?

More like some sour grapes because some of the larger groups of closing dealerships are in areas represented by some of the more vocal anti "Big 3" congressional members.

[OklahomaTuba]

Its not foreign owned right now though, and it is controlled by the US government, so not sure why that matters.

[Scott D]

That could change any moment in regards to being foreign owned.

There was no secret Obama list of dealerships to close. I stand by the fact that if there is any sort of foul play in the list, it's Chrysler thumbing it's nose at the districts belonging to "Anti-Chrysler" congressional members.

Considering that there are a large number of dealerships closing up here from being on that list, the article is mainly sour grapes grasping at straws.

[OklahomaTuba]

There was no secret Obama list of dealerships to close. I stand by the fact that if there is any sort of foul play in the list, it's Chrysler thumbing it's nose at the districts belonging to "Anti-Chrysler" congressional members.

So you are kind of confirming what the article is saying in a way. Considering the folks controlling Chrysler is the Government right now.

[Scott D]

No, because I'm not painting it as some picture being orchstrated by the administration to weaken the GOP. I'm saying a technically private entity (the gov't doesn't own chrysler, that will be gm when gm files bankrupcy) is choosing to say "you don't need us, fine we don't need you".

Certain congressional districts really shouldn't be surprised, considering their elected officials are in the pocket of Honda, Toyota, etc...

[royalfan5]

Considering that there is a much higher correlation to not being a full DCJ dealer and getting closed, than to the donation list, I wouldn't get to worked up about it.

[tommieharris91]

Considering that there is a much higher correlation to not being a full DCJ dealer and getting closed, than to the donation list, I wouldn't get to worked up about it.

Yea, but this is Tuba. He gets worked up over Obama paying for his own lunch.

[KC//CRIMSON]

Tuba's lucky if he leaves the house with the right shoe on the right foot.

[Ike]

So you are kind of confirming what the article is saying in a way. Considering the folks controlling Chrysler is the Government right now.

If Car dealers as a whole were did not heavily tilt republican (or at least, if people who donate money to political candidates and list their occupation as "car dealer" or some variant thereof, did not lean more heavily to the republicans) by a roughly 8:1 ratio, then there might be something to this. As it stands tho, I would bet that if I were to just pick a random sampling of 800 car dealerships, that about somewhere around 70-90% of the owners would be republican.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/05/news-flash-car-dealers-are-republicans.html