Tag Archives: general motors

Government Motors discussion on Fox News Sunday (continued)

In an earlier post I attempted to correct Dr. Austan Goolsbee’s incorrect and inflammatory statements about President Bush.  I would like here to add my views to one additional question on the auto industry discussion on this morning’s edition of Fox News Sunday.
Host Chris Wallace moderated a discussion this morning with:

Dr. Austan Goolsbee, Member of [...]

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Dr. Goolsbee gets it wrong on the auto loans

This morning on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace moderated a discussion about the auto industry.  One of his guests was Dr. Austan Goolsbee, who is a Member of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers and chief economist on the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
I want to focus on some incorrect and inflammatory statements by [...]

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Understanding the GM bankruptcy

Many of you are new to this blog since I wrote extensively about autos six weeks ago.  As background, I coordinated the auto loan process for President Bush last fall as the Director of the White House National Economic Council (the position now held by Dr. Lawrence Summers).  I wrote a series of posts on [...]

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The Administration’s background briefing on GM

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2009
BACKGROUND BRIEFING
BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS
ON THE GENERAL MOTORS RESTRUCTURING
May 31, 2009
Via Conference Call
7:10 P.M. EDT
MS. PSAKI:  Thank you, everyone, for joining the call.  Just a reminder that the call this evening is on background, and you can attribute quotes to a senior administration official.  And [...]

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Basic facts on the General Motors bankruptcy

In a few hours I will offer my thoughts and reactions to the General Motors bankruptcy filing and the President’s noon announcement.  For now, here is what I have been able to figure out from the White House fact sheet and secondary source reporting through CNBC and the Wall Street Journal.  I assume that both [...]

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Let’s not hide $1.4 trillion of IOU’s

Yesterday on his blog the President’s Budget Director, Peter Orszag, asks himself and then answers the question, “How much does the federal government owe?”
This sounds like a technical question of concern only to “those of us wearing the green eyeshades,” but the Director’s suggested answer has dangerous ramifications, and could mislead or at [...]

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Auto loans, part 5: The press forgot to ask about the cost to the taxpayer

As I explained yesterday in part 4 of this series, the President delivered different substantive messages to General Motors and Chrysler.  I would like now to focus on one element of that message, because there’s an enormous hole in yesterday’s announcement, and it appears that the press missed it.  It appears that the Administration did [...]

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Auto loans, part 4: Chrysler gets an ultimatum, GM gets a do-over

President Obama spoke about loans to the auto industry at 11 AM this morning in the Grand Foyer of the White House.
In the first three parts of this series, we (1) covered some background, (2) analyzed the President’s options, and (3) learned about the loans President Bush authorized in December, which laid the groundwork for [...]

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Auto loans, part 3: the Bush approach

The White House press office announced this evening that the President will speak about the auto industry tomorrow (Monday), at 11 AM, in the Grand Foyer of the White House.
The press is reporting that General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner has agreed to step down at the request of the Administration.
If you have read the first [...]

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Auto loans, part 2: options for the President

In part one of this series I reviewed some background and long-term problems facing the U.S. auto manufacturers.  I pointed out that General Motors and Chrysler, and the Obama Administration, face a more immediate cash flow problem.  The Obama Administration is in the midst of rolling out the President’s new game plan.  I’d like to [...]

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