ThinkFast: May 15, 2009
ThinkFast: May 15, 2009
Former Bush adviser Karl Rove will be interviewed today by Connecticut prosecutor Nora R. Dannehy, “who was named in September to examine whether former Justice Department and White House officials lied or obstructed justice in connection with the dismissal of federal prosecutors in 2006.” Rove is also “tentatively scheduled to provide closed-door testimony” to the House Judiciary Committee next month.
President Obama yesterday acknowledged that the Employee Free Choice Act doesn’t yet have enough votes in the Senate to pass, but said that there “may be areas of compromise to get this bill done.” Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), an opponent of the legislation, also said that “prospects are pretty good” for a compromise.
Attorney General Eric Holder assured GOP lawmakers during a House Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday that the Justice Department would not release any detainees from Guantanamo Bay “whom he considered dangerous” on U.S. soil. “We’re not going to do anything, anything that would put the American people at risk — nothing,” Holder said.
Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA), a “key moderate,” endorsed the compromise climate change bill yesterday that “he negotiated with House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA).” “I intend to vote yes and I intend to urge all other committee members to do the same,” Boucher said.
Yesterday the House passed a bill “that would provide more than $96 billion in funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through Sept. 30, as President Obama had requested.” However, a bloc of 51 Democrats opposed it, accusing Obama of “escalating a war without a clear exit strategy.” “I’m tired of wars with no deadlines, no exits and no ends,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA).
“The House on Thursday passed a multiyear school construction bill with the ambitious goals of producing hundreds of thousands of jobs, reducing energy consumption and creating healthier, cleaner environments for the nation’s schoolchildren.” A similar bill stalled in the Senate last year after President Bush vowed to veto it.
“The former Bush administration official in charge of the federal agency that guarantees pensions for 44 million Americans is under investigation over his contacts with several major Wall Street firms seeking to obtain lucrative contracts.” Charles E. F. Millard “is also being investigated on suspicion of soliciting help from one of the winning firms in his search for a new job once he left office.”
President Obama “will restart Bush-era military tribunals for a small number of Guantanamo detainees, reviving a fiercely disputed trial system he once denounced.” Though Obama suspended the tribunals soon after taking office, administration officials say that they will have new legal protections for terror suspects, including a ban on all evidence obtained through cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
“The combination of a deep recession and a foundering housing market has left the government with more than 50,000 houses on its hands,” USA Today reports. In all the government has has acquired at least 110,000 foreclosed houses” and is “spending about $12.2 billion to reimburse lenders after the owners defaulted on government-backed loans.”
And finally: For fans of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich’s luscious locks, look no further than blagohair.com. Dennis Fath, owner of Delta Laboratories Inc. in Illinois, has created the “Blago It’s Bleep’n Golden” volumizing shampoo and conditioner available for $8 a bottle. “I woke up in the middle of the night with the idea,” Fath said. “He does have a nice head of hair, and [I thought] it would be funny to have something named after him because of his hair.”
Sign up here to receive our daily e-newsletter, The Progress Report.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
More than $96 BILLION for wars…with NO exit strategies, NO deadlines
Can you say Q-U-A-G-M-I-R-E?
Good morning, campers,
May 15th, 2009 at 9:15 amTGIF!
Great, a compromise between the Blue Dogs and Repubs.
Where’s the landmark progressive bill? Some of these have been good and help to restore equal rights or give kids healthcare, but what about something NEW and not just upholding the Constitution? Let’s get HEALTH to 100 million people not just sick care. Keep them out of the emergency room. Change food and exercise, fund schools.
Invest billions in clean energy. After a wind generator is built there aren’t noxious fumes or importing trips on huge tankers/pipelines.
Oh, right, military spending must be increased.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:16 amsinge_101 Says:
Great, a compromise between the Blue Dogs and Repubs.
Ummmm…. the republic fascists don’t know the meaning of the word “compromise”. Nor of “empathy”. Nor “fiscal responsibility”.
O.k….. we could fill a multi-volume set with all the words and phrases that the Republic Fascists DON’T know.
But stilll…. it just seems wrong to use “compromise” when one refers to the Republics — they don’t EVER compromise. Which, of course, makes them unevolved.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:22 amIs the Rove interrogation on C-span? Now that’s must-see Tv.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:28 amCheney ordered torture to produce false information tying iraq to Al Queada to justify the illegal invasion of Iraq to benefit the energy companies.
Total treason.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:34 amIn order to be approved by the Party of No, the Employee Free Choice Act will have to become the Employer Free Choice Act, and will give Employers the Freedom to Choose whether or not to recognize a union.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:34 amDruids Dream Says:
Is the Rove interrogation on C-span? Now that’s must-see Tv.
Ah, to watch the lying liar lie. Or as one of my friends said, he’ll be telling “enhanced truths”…
May 15th, 2009 at 9:34 amThis article demonstrates why it would be foolish for trust the health insurance and pharmaceutical companies in any health care reform plan. Also why “voluntary” participation is a pipe dream.
Health Care Leaders Say Obama Overstated Their Promise to Control Costs
May 15th, 2009 at 9:35 amhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/health/policy/15health.html?_r=1&hpw
Throwing billions of dollars into wars with no clear objectives and no exit strategy is a bad idea no matter whose idea it is. Or whether he’s a Democrat or a Republican.
As a taxpayer who’s concerned about our increasing debt, and an American who’s concerned about worldwide opinion of us, and as a humanitarian who’s concerned about our troops (as well as citizens of the countries we fight in) being used as war fodder, I have to oppose this insanity.
Come up with a plan — then we’ll talk.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:36 amDruids Dream Says:
Is the Rove interrogation on C-span? Now that’s must-see Tv.
Why? It’ll be Gonzales-happy-time all over again. How many ways can one say, “I don’t remember”?
Great role-models for our children: “I don’t recall, I wasn’t there, I saw cookies on the table, I never knew that person, I don’t think that I ever said that, I was on the moon, that other guy did it, I was joking….”
Or are the Republic fascists using our children as their role-models?
Either way, a flagrantly childish inability to accept responsibility or accountability for one’s actions.
I would say “pathetic”, but pathos implies empathy. :p
May 15th, 2009 at 9:36 amThe Truth About Richard Bruce Cheney: (article by a former high ranking member of the Bush Administration and former high ranking us millitary officer)
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2009/05/the_truth_about/
its all worth reading, but among the interesting excerpts:
“Likewise, what I have learned is that as the administration authorized harsh interrogation in April and May of 2002–well before the Justice Department had rendered any legal opinion–its principal priority for intelligence was not aimed at pre-empting another terrorist attack on the U.S. but discovering a smoking gun linking Iraq and al-Qa’ida.
So furious was this effort that on one particular detainee, even when the interrogation team had reported to Cheney’s office that their detainee “was compliant” (meaning the team recommended no more torture), the VP’s office ordered them to continue the enhanced methods. The detainee had not revealed any al-Qa’ida-Baghdad contacts yet. This ceased only after Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, under waterboarding in Egypt, “revealed” such contacts. Of course later we learned that al-Libi revealed these contacts only to get the torture to stop.
There in fact were no such contacts. (Incidentally, al-Libi just “committed suicide” in Libya. Interestingly, several U.S. lawyers working with tortured detainees were attempting to get the Libyan government to allow them to interview al-Libi….)
May 15th, 2009 at 9:42 am“
wow – look what i ran across this morning… ever hear about this?
[...] Convinced that the facility would provide employment for more than 100 people and a steady source of municipal income, Hardin and a neighboring town issued revenue bonds to finance its construction and turned it over to a for-profit prison-management corporation. On a 40-acre (16 hectare) field at the edge of town where pronghorn antelope once grazed, they built it. But nobody came.
The former governor of Montana had assured Hardin that the state’s department of corrections needed more space, but the burgeoning deal fell through after a new governor took office in 2005. Then Hardin tried to lure business from other states, only to be told that Montana law prohibited incarceration of prisoners convicted out of state. Despite winning a lawsuit last June that would allow it to accept prisoners from anywhere, Two Rivers remains empty; its $27 million in bonds went into default a year ago.
Then a new source of hope appeared. Two days after his Inauguration, Barack Obama made his campaign pledge to close the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, into an Executive Order. Quickly, the prison’s backers made a new pitch: Why not house some of those 240 detainees at Two Rivers? On April 21, Hardin’s city council passed a resolution to entice the detainees its way, saying it could provide a “safe and secure environment, pending trial and/or deportation.”
On April 30, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a Senate committee there were up to 100 Gitmo detainees who could be neither tried nor released, and he requested an extra $50 million for a new facility on U.S. soil. Greg Smith, executive director of Hardin’s Two Rivers Authority, says the isolated town could be a “good fit.” Its facility is beyond “shovel-ready,” he says–it’s a turnkey operation.
Far from supporting their constituents’ idea, the three members of Montana’s congressional delegation have reacted swiftly, unanimously and negatively. “I understand the need to create jobs, but we’re not going to bring al-Qaeda to Big Sky Country–no way, not on my watch,” said Senator Max Baucus, a Democrat.
[...]
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1896743,00.html
strange…
May 15th, 2009 at 9:44 amChrysler dealerships have received word as to whether dropped or staying on. GM dealerships should be getting similar word today.
Want to know about the Chrysler dealership in your town? You might if you own a Chrysler vehicle and you have your service done at the dealership. Or if you want to know if your community’s unemployment rolls will be augmented by out-of-work car salespeople and servicepeople. Here’s the list:
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/15/chrysler.dealerships.pdf
May 15th, 2009 at 9:46 amAhh yes “I don’t remember”. The old reagan trick.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:51 am“President Obama yesterday acknowledged that the Employee Free Choice Act doesn’t yet have enough votes in the Senate to pass, but said that there “may be areas of compromise to get this bill done.” Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), an opponent of the legislation, also said that “prospects are pretty good” for a compromise.”
Thanks Arlen!
An un-gutted EFCA would have been a huge benefit to us workin’ stiffs. Even if a working person or an entire organization doesn’t like unions, they reap the benefits offered by the employer to keep the union out…hell, they might even be offered some crappy form of HMO healthcare. (There’s your free choice of doctors for ya.)
There’s a very strong argument for the fact that without the existence of unions, the “working class” would have little in the way of any benefits at all. Unions created the middle class and even created such things as overtime and the weekend. After all, on their own accord, the corporate machine has a WONDERFUL history of taking care of the employees that create their wealth…you betcha!
But what’s a president to do?
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts05142009.html
May 15th, 2009 at 10:01 am“Key Moderate” = quisling Dem
May 15th, 2009 at 10:01 ammisscoleopteramolly Says:
Chrysler dealerships have received word as to whether dropped or staying on. GM dealerships should be getting similar word today.
Dodge dealership here in Portland has been a family business since 1938 and has been notified they’re scheduled to be cut.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:02 amCaption on the picture should read, “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me Cheney.”
May 15th, 2009 at 10:03 amVanWrinkle-FLAGGED for ad-spamming
Knock this shit off asswhole!
May 15th, 2009 at 10:13 amTheir right hands raised for an oath, their left hands hidden with fingers crossed.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:17 amgummble-bee-itch Says
May 15th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Dodge dealership here in Portland has been a family business since 1938 and has been notified they’re scheduled to be cut.
_____________________________________________________________
I understand Timberline Dodge is going to appeal the decision, and many other dealerships around the country are trying to find ways to fight the decision. I suspect it’s a done deal, though.
I feel for the dealers — they didn’t make the business decisions that turned the car company into a pile of crap. They’re separately owned retail establishments, although their inventory is dependent on a single vendor.
Some dealers (particularly in larger metro areas) also own other car dealerships. These will enable some of the displaced employees to get moved to other showrooms and service centers. Also, there are many dealers who also sell non-Chrysler car lines. While losing Chrysler products will definitely hurt, they may not have to close completely.
I just hope the loss of competition caused by this many Chrysler and GM dealers closing shop won’t adversely affect prices for the consumer.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:25 amGood Morning all, “It’s a beautiful morning, think I’ll go outside for awhile, and smile”…Old song and a tribute to much needed good weather here on the west coast…The one good thing along with waking up and being able to walk the Bear…
Lot’s going on I see from your good posts and my email notices jamming my inbox this morning…
Let’s see we gave 700 billion once, twice and some not mentioned to all the bloated financial CEO’s with no accountability, billions to all the war’s and war like step child Israel to kill people and for some reason our legislator’s can’t find it in their shriveled heart’s enough gumption to get health care to save the poor and middle class….Interesting, also very sad..Ever notice how a million use to sound like a lot of money and now the billion is the in thing…Hummm. Our fed money press must be humming..I wonder about the poor guy who has to oil those big money machines and what kind of benefit’s he gets…..
Some of the bad guy’s will answer questions with their usual “I can’t remember” and mean while all over the tube there’s still crazy comentaters of talk show’s flipping crap at every thing hoping for their own rising importance through a buzz phrase…I miss the black and white commercial’s of old. Ivory snow soap and Wheaties commercials were so much better and fewer in number..
I wonder on this fine day what do we the people have to do to make our not so representative, representatives, listen and do the correct things regarding us, our country and the world….How do we make them honor life, stop the war’s, rebuild america and abide by the constitution again if they ever did…..I wonder..
Blessings, always needed…Thank you for your great posts…
May 15th, 2009 at 10:32 amAnd they’re closing profitable dealerships that make money selling used cars. If they’re not Chryslers screw-em. Usually when they close dealerships they have to pay franchise fees back to the owners but if they file bankruptcy they won’t have to.
There seems to be a lot of Texas dealerships closing. Rick Perry is probably going to have his hand out again looking for more federal funds.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:37 amLots of the dealers that are profitable could run as used car dealers but they need the manufacturer to get financing for inventory. If they got their franchise fees back they might be able to stay in business and finance their own inventory. But if they get stiffed because of bankruptcy they’re screwed.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:39 amPresident Obama “will restart Bush-era military tribunals for a small number of Guantanamo detainees, reviving a fiercely disputed trial system he once denounced.”
More disappointment I can believe in :(
May 15th, 2009 at 10:40 amThree nearby Chrysler dealers we get parts from are closing. That’s going to make it really difficult to get factory parts for customers who need their cars back quickly to get to work.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:41 ammisscoleopteramolly Says:
“I just hope the loss of competition caused by this many Chrysler and GM dealers closing shop won’t adversely affect prices for the consumer.”
If nothing else service costs will probably sky rocket and become a way bigger hassle than it already is. I live pretty rural, a closed shop means an extra 60 mile drive and/or a serious wait time to have the work done by an all-make service shop.
Nice part is that a backyard mechanic has a tough time at best working on his/her own late-model vehicle. Without computer “plug-ins” exclusive to dealerships it’s often hard to tell whats even wrong with a vehicle.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:43 amAttorney General Eric Holder assured GOP lawmakers during a House Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday that the Justice Department would not release any detainees from Guantanamo Bay “whom he considered dangerous” on U.S. soil.
a) Aren’t they all supposed to be dangerous? I mean isn’t that why they are all there in the first place?
b)If some of them aren’t dangerous (as implied) what the hell are they doing there in the first place?
c)After years of incarceration and torture I imagine anyone who hadn’t lost their mind would likely now be dangerous as a result, or more dangerous, and thus…
d) shouldn’t there be prosecution of those whose policies have actually increased these persons threat to the US and its citizens?
e) and if such people are determined to be “too dangerous” to be held on US soil, why the hell would any other country want them? Isn’t the USA Number One! in the world in incarceration?
F) What the F is Holder’s (and Obama’s) EFFING PROBLEM?!!
May 15th, 2009 at 10:49 amPresident Obama yesterday acknowledged that the Employee Free Choice Act doesn’t yet have enough votes in the Senate to pass, but said that there “may be areas of compromise to get this bill done.” Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), an opponent of the legislation, also said that “prospects are pretty good” for a compromise.
By “compromise” on this bill, Arlen means pull out all its teeth and leave labor twisting in the wind.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:51 amWant to know about the Chrysler dealership in your town? You might if you own a Chrysler vehicle and you have your service done at the dealership.
Oh goody…I just bought a new Chrysler a few months ago and that dealership and the next closest one are both closing. Warranty service is now gonna be a real pain in the a$$.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:51 amHas anyone else seen this sh!t?
From AMERICAblog:
That was Monday. Four days ago.
Today, four days later, the leaders of the health industry are already backing away from that commitment:
Hospitals and insurance companies said Thursday that President Obama had substantially overstated their promise earlier this week to reduce the growth of health spending…
May 15th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I should say that it’s sh!t on the part of the hospitals and insurance companies.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:01 amwow, as often as chrysler’s break down, having less repair shops that deal with them is going to hurt a lot of people that bought them
Makes me that much more glad that both of my cars are Nissans (2007 Sentra, 2005 350z)
May 15th, 2009 at 11:03 amWhen I traded my ‘04 Chrysler 300 in for a new one, I was told it came with a “lifetime” power train warranty. Silly me thought they meant the life of the car, not the life of Chrysler.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:15 amoopsie…make that an ‘05
May 15th, 2009 at 11:16 amI am convinced not one damn thing is going to change to benefit the “have lesses” and the “have nothings” under the Obama administration. We are soooo fcuked :(
May 15th, 2009 at 11:18 amRantingTommy says
Makes me that much more glad that both of my cars are Nissans (2007 Sentra, 2005 350z)
And the (former) employees of Chrysler, GM, and Ford whole-heartedly thank you!
Why does everyone think American cars are junk? They’re not! And if you think they are…prove it.
My neighbor bought a Toyota Camry at the same time I bought a Ford Taurus. That Camry was a POS. Tranny @ 50k and motor at 90. My Taurus is now a very good spare ride with 180,000 mi. and no major problems to date. Every company has an occasional lemon…Nissan is far from an exception.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:24 ammy Nissans are both American made
it should not be up to drivers to subsidize poor craftmanship
I’ve known to many people that own Chryslers to own one myself
Also, using a Ford Taurus to defend a Chrysler product is dishonest
Ford makes much better cars than Chrysler
using your bad experience with a Toyota to disparage my American built Nissans is dishonest as well
May 15th, 2009 at 11:30 amerr, too (hate the keyboard at work)
May 15th, 2009 at 11:32 amMy husband who worked at GM, Lincoln and Dodge dealerships before we opened our own garage agrees completely. He thinks it’s funny because Japanese cars break down just like the rest of them. Also, when Japanese cars need parts replaced off warranty they’re much more expensive than American parts. And they won’t sell a small component piece the way American manufacturers do they only sell whole assemblies.
Two things though. We have the diagnostic equipment needed to check cars. Some companies, like BMW I think, won’t make their programs available to independents but most of them do. You just have to buy the equipment and pay somebody like Mitchell $200/month to get data. With all these dealers closing a wise mechanic would open his own garage with bells and whistles.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:38 amOn the other plus side Chryslers are less technologically advanced than the other American cars and should be easier for a regular mechanic to fix.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:39 amA little unfair perhaps.
Being a Detroit native who witnessed the devastation wrecked upon my former blue-collar neighbors I hold a different opinion about foreign cars and companies than you do. Your Nissan was only ASSEMBLED here. The profits head back to mother Japan.
In fairness, American auto companies sold out the American worker long ago.
BTW- Good chance I worked on the construction of the plant your Nissan was assembled in. I can tell you first hand…the Japanese have NO love for Americans. You might be surprised how little taxes they pay too.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:45 amAhem, cars are the biggest financial burden on modern society.
Why pay interest on a purchase which depreciates with every tick of the second hand? Why lease a car for more than one month’s rent of a decent apartment? It’s fcuking ludicrous.
With our new “retracted” economy, people are holding onto their vehicles MUCH longer than in the past. My ‘03 Honda is paid-off and I intend to keep it till the damn wheels fall off. Automobile vanity is as dead as disco and permed hair.
Demand will remain lower than historical demand from here forward and the auto industry must change or face extinction.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:49 amHave had ZERO problems with my Nissans. Can’t say that for ANY of the American cars I’ve owned.
And I race the 350 (autocross). It gets driven hard and never breaks.
And, as I said, they were both American made, just not designed by focus groups.
When American car makers let their engineers instead of their marketing department design their vehicles, they will be much better cars.
The Corvette is the only American car I would own at this point, and it is not made by the normal Chevrolet corp. It is its own totally separate operation, hence the better quality.
I would consider the Tesla (once the bugs are worked out). Until then, American made Japanese cars will be the best deal.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:50 am.
Republicans in the House have introduced a bill to save traditional Oreos. It won’t be enough.
We need a Constitutional Amendment!
May 15th, 2009 at 11:58 am.
the Japanese have NO love for Americans. You might be surprised how little taxes they pay too.
Well you’re 100% full of shit on your first comment, thanks for the incorrect insight.
Although, your scenario sounds familiar because the same exact thing can be said of the upper 1% of income earners who proudly display their “patriotism” at the first sign of a light breeze in order to confuse you into believing they actually love America. Unfortunately, in actuality, they only love making money here, hiding profits in offshore tax-havens and laughing at the lower class who’ve decided to fight for the upper-classes “right” to lower taxes.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:59 amMycelium Says: (38)
Good morning.
I couldn’t agree more.
I’ve put 260,000 miles on my Ford Ranger & 150,000 on my Escort.
I get 36mpg with the Escort, & will not trade for foreign cars.
I also own the last model of Chrysler’s Concord Limited. I get 29mpg highway with it, & it’s basically a luxury car.
While America bails out nefarious banks, our largest manufacturers aren’t nearly supported to the same degree. The biggest reason the ‘Big 3′ are hurting is due to ‘legacy costs’.
In plain English, that’s due to HIGH HEALTH CARE costs.
My point?
If we initiated true health care reform, many of our current economic issues would be resolved.
1.5% a year in cost reduction? And now they’re backing down?
Some reform. Corporate greed is killing our Planet!
May 15th, 2009 at 11:59 ammy daddy always said, “never buy a car that was made on a monday or a friday.”
if only there was a way to know…
May 15th, 2009 at 12:00 pmDNFP Says:
“Demand will remain lower than historical demand from here forward and the auto industry must change or face extinction.”
Very true!
The big 3’s biggest mistake was putting their eggs in the bigger is better basket. In a way…they totally deserve what they are getting. Suv’s and the like were VERY profitable to build and they sold tons of them. Party’s over. (Maybe the oil companies should be bailing them out?)
I believe the short to midterm solution is the European model until viable energy alternatives are perfected. (Love to see hydrogen.) Multi-fuel capable high mileage diesels are the ticket for now. Diesel is much easier and effecent to refine than gasoline and your really don’t need it to run the vehicle.
(Love to build some new engine plants!)
May 15th, 2009 at 12:03 pmHave had ZERO problems with my Nissans.
You’re one voice in a sea of hundreds of thousands.
Tell it to my wife, who’s Nissan is in the shop at least twice a year, and in it’s 2nd year already needed a $8000 transmission replaced under warranty.
I can say “piece of sh*t” many different ways, can you?
Sorry but car “horror” stories abound on all makes. Trying to defend one over another is a waste of time… they all generally suck, waste our time and money, and if we had decent public transportation and if cities were designed around people instead of vehicles, life would just be so MUCH better overall.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:04 pmWanna see a successful vehicle in terms of overall functionality and customer satisfaction?
The Dodge Sprinter
Mostly Mercedes hardware, small, powerful diesel engine, and lots of interior room. Well built too.
I’m a little biased since they make such great band touring vans (reliable, fuel efficient, etc.)
May 15th, 2009 at 12:07 pmDNFP Says:
Well you’re 100% full of shit on your first comment, thanks for the incorrect insight.
Blow me pompus one.
(My first comment was # 16) disagree?
Shouldn’t even get into this…work to do no…time for you or the Ranter..
May 15th, 2009 at 12:10 pmsorry DNFP, I need something that handles corners better than a van
lately, I ride my Honda motorcycle more than anything
Please don’t try to tell me that Harley’s are better. I paid my dues repairing one of those junk heaps too.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:16 pm38.Mycelium Says:
And the (former) employees of Chrysler, GM, and Ford whole-heartedly thank you!
As opposed to propping up a gas-guzzling whiny dinosaur that has fought safety regulation and MPG increases for years, screwing the consumer and putting real people at risk.
Why does everyone think American cars are junk? They’re not! And if you think they are…prove it.
‘Kay…here:
Congratulations! Both Ford at 4 spots and GM at 4 spots together comprise 8 spots on the top ten largest automotive recalls.
Yeah, I can’t understand why people think American cars are junk….that’s not to mention the myriad lobbying shenanigans that the ‘big three’ have indulged in at the expense of the American consumer. Mycelium, I will beat you like a rented mule on this topic. Hit the road…
May 15th, 2009 at 12:20 pmCars: The best car I ever had was a 1984 VW vanagon. It had heat, it could travel at 80 on the highway all day (which is why it beat out my 71 transporter) and it never left me stranded anywhere. (I didn’t say it didn’t break down, but I was always able to fix it).
I’m currently driving a 99 escort wagon: 149,000 mi. Engine blew at 120,000 and the mechanic put in a used one. Tranny blew at 126,000 and the mechanic put in a used one. I miss my VW’s (I miss Jerry too, but that’s another thread.)
That said, personal ancedotes about cars don’t really work as proof. You can find people who swear by volvos and people who swear at volvos. the same goes for every make and model.
buy a bike.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:23 pmAny artists out there? Someone should add some hand cuffs to the pictures, connecting those scum bags!!
May 15th, 2009 at 12:34 pmI think we would of been better served to give bigger bail out’s to the auto industry than those damn fat assed ceo’s in the financial dump…They are killing us all..And no accountability…Just my thought’s..
Can’t comment much on the newer autos, my first car was a 56 T Bird, loved that car..Next came the Pontiac Firebird, good car, Ford 250 .1971 pick up, great truck and many chev. Dodge and Ford truck’s to date that were all good….Did own a small ford pick up once that had foreign made mitshubishi (sp) engine and parts..That was a piece of crap, in the shop the first 13 week of 15 week ownership..Courrier or something like that..It was so bad we strapped our motor cycle in the bed so we could ride off for help when it would break down..No cell phones then…Traded it off after one miserable year…
I now own a 1968 3 quarter ton no frills and some rust Ford pick up with well over 300,000 on the same engine…I love my truck…Just got a Toyota, camrey.It’s a 1988 one owner and humms like a top….I have a local mechanic who is just around the corner and he has all the equipment to fix any vehicle…His business is booming because he is good and honest..The Mazda I baught last year was total junk so it was scrapped and my mechanic found me the Toyota…
I raced Mopar cuda engines in flat bottom boat’s for year’s, liked them a lot..American made Ford’s, Chevy and Dodge have alway’s been my personal preferance but that’s just me…Think there is good and bad in all make’s,,,,,Blessings
May 15th, 2009 at 12:42 pm” Rove is also “tentatively scheduled to provide closed-door testimony”
The operative words being tentatively and closed-door.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:56 pmAll this bull-shit is just that.
The whole fu[king thing is nothing but info-tainment.
They’re doing the anticipation thing.
It’s like . . . oh my ! will there be accountability ?
damn . . . let’s see . . . I can’t wait . . . oh shit . . I have to tune in tomorrow ? dammit . . . . okay then . . . we’ll check in tomorrow . . . and the next day . . . and the next day . . . and in the end . . . there’s a report and a ‘he’s promised he won’t do it again, and that’s good enough for us, ’cause we make the rules, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.’
Low-lifes, one and all.
Sorry. forgot to mention the motor cycle was a 650 Kow..One hell of a fast, reliable bike..Never did like Harley’s much, still don’t, clunkie, loud and not as good on performance..Another personal thing…..Happy posting, I’m off to weed and then hug trees…Blessings
May 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pmWitch1 Says:
Wow!
You raced flat bottomed boats with Mopar ‘Cuda engines?
I’m impressed!
I’ve never seen flat bottomed boats powered by V8 engines; those babies must have screamed.
You’re a great lady. Thanks for your posts.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:16 pmThank you Zimzone, no I’m not great, just done lot’s of thing’s…BTW the real screamers were the Chrysler hemmies, drag boat’s as it were….My boat only went around 80 mph..Then there were all the 5 and 7 leter boat’s on up to the big hydros…It was a lot of fun racing back in the 60’s and 70’s…Now all that is left is the big hydros…Another BTW, Chip Hanower (sp) used to race a little hydro called The Super Chicken and all our bunch celebrated with him his 18 birthday in Soap Lake, year’s ago..I baught the cake from a fancy cake maker in Seattle and delivered it on race day..Craig Vilwock raced with us, I knew him when he was 17 and he and his dad went to California to buy the Lemon crate, cracker box…Knew lots of the Budweiser crew’s, many jumped class from the smaller boat and went to the big hydros back then…It was great fun and not as expensive as racing is now….It was also very tragic…We lost some wonderful people in boat accident’s…The most fun I ever had was pulling to skiers up the Samamish slough till I ran out of water…LOL…The fishermen weren’t to happy to hear me coming but it was fun..All that and I can’t swim..Blessings…Now to tend to the weeds…Happy posting All
May 15th, 2009 at 1:46 pmTaliban Waterboards Captured U.S. Soldiers – Claims “Not Torture”
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2009/05/news-flash-taliban-waterboards-captured.html
May 15th, 2009 at 2:09 pmhanshiro the antlion, talk to somebody who works at a BMW dealership, all they do is recalls. Perhaps you’d prefer they didn’t issue recalls so they don’t make this list. I’m sure some manufacturers do. Why don’t you go back and see how many more Fords and GM models were sold than other cars. You are such a faux progressive.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:33 pmFigure it out hanshiro, sales go up recalls go up. FYI late 60s early 70s were big years for VW. Doh.
#8 Volkswagen 1972 (3.7 million vehicles)
Lost visibility can be just as dangerous as fire or a failing seatbelt. Some Volkswagen of America customers found this out the hard way when their windshield wiper arms worked themselves loose and went spinning off into the rain or snow. So in 1972, Volkswagen offered to replace the part in Bugs built between 1949 and 1969.
#7 Honda 1995 (3.7 million vehicles)
May 15th, 2009 at 2:36 pmIn 1995, American Honda Motor Co. dealt with a serious concern in some of its models. Cracked and disintegrating safety-belt release buttons were causing belts to fail or-just as potentially dangerous-trapping passengers in their cars after an accident. The recall included Civic, Prelude, Accord, Acura, Legend, Integra, and NSX models.
Can I say that my 2007 Saturn Aura Hybrid has been in the shop one time for about an hour. They changed the hybrid “battery” and it wasn’t a recall. Nothing else needed to be even tweaked. Of course GM is thinking of selling Saturn. /eyeroll
May 15th, 2009 at 2:39 pmWhy are the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform running syde by side?
Because employers plan to dump health insurance onto the employee. Unions want to become huge group purchaser for employee paid health insurance.
SEIU President Andy Stern said years ago, “employer sponsoered health insurance is dead and not coming back.”
Obama’s health reform will kill it. Unions stand ready to benefit from the carnage.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:30 pm65. Doodlebug Shayne Says: hanshiro the antlion, talk to somebody who works at a BMW dealership, all they do is recalls.
OMG! Well, I’m convinced. Your unsourced, anecdotal comment certainly carries more weight than my silly link and factual information.
Perhaps you’d prefer they didn’t issue recalls so they don’t make this list.
Keep digging DS, you’ll maybe find a cogent response, but not yet…not yet.
I’m sure some manufacturers do. Why don’t you go back and see how many more Fords and GM models were sold than other cars. You are such a faux progressive.
No, Stinkbug, faux progressives whine without any evidence to back up their assertions…just…like…you. Yet, you’ve refuted nothing of my post. Nothing; Obviously you didn’t like what you read and reacted emotionally and with stupid justifications for your reaction, which doesn’t do squat. Read the wisdom of #56.
Come back when you have some facts, baby-dear.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:55 pmHere’s some more facts for the “Big Three” defenders:
My, what caring sweethearts the American auto industry represents.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:24 pmHanshiro,
Your recall link proves nothing as Shayne has pointed out.
Justifying buying a foreign car is a lot like justifying shopping at Wal-Mart. From a certain point of view…it’s justifiable.
Your convictions are as strong as mine. Mine are for good reason. As I said, I’m a Detroit native (313) whom left when the auto-industry just started to tank over 20 years ago. Many friends and family have been devastated by the ruin of the American auto industry. For example, my recently retired brother in law, GM white-collar, just had his retirement slashed to a non-livable rate and his healthcare eliminated completely. (Welcome to Medicare.) Being heavily invested in GM stock, my sister has been forced into taking babysitting jobs and she’s over 60.
Your version of the Big 3 appears to be the corporate board room…a few dozen individuals whom made some bad decisions. My version is the hundreds of thousands people who actually work to build the vehicles.
I’ve spent a lot of time in auto plants and have a great respect for the American autoworker. Their jobs are demanding, both physically and mentally, and they take great pride in their work. Spew your $shit to an unemployed autoworker Hanshiro and you’ll have you’re a$$ handed to you.
“Mycelium, I will beat you like a rented mule on this topic. Hit the road…”
Pretty strong words there PUNK. FU too.
BTW- Might the handle name Hanshiro have anything to do with your convictions?
May 15th, 2009 at 10:45 pm71. Mycelium Says: Hanshiro, Your recall link proves nothing as Shayne has pointed out.
Proves more than anything you ‘provided.’ You got nuthin.’
Justifying buying a foreign car is a lot like justifying shopping at Wal-Mart. From a certain point of view…it’s justifiable.
The merchandise from Walmart is the same as what you can buy elsewhere, the automobiles are not; quality and safety varies widely. Your comparison is a poor one.
Your convictions are as strong as mine. Mine are for good reason.
But yours are not based on empirical evidence; you’ve refuted nothing.
As I said, I’m a Detroit native (313) whom left when the auto-industry just started to tank over 20 years ago. Many friends and family have been devastated by the ruin of the American auto industry. For example, my recently retired brother in law, GM white-collar, just had his retirement slashed to a non-livable rate and his healthcare eliminated completely. (Welcome to Medicare.) Being heavily invested in GM stock, my sister has been forced into taking babysitting jobs and she’s over 60.
While all of that is unfortunate, it doesn’t make you an expert on auto quality, nor does it add any authority to your anecdotal harangues.
Your version of the Big 3 appears to be the corporate board room…a few dozen individuals whom made some bad decisions. My version is the hundreds of thousands people who actually work to build the vehicles.
If you’re admonishing me for choosing a quality foreign product over a domestic dinosaur that perpetuated poor designs, fought safety regulations, knowingly risked and killed people through both design and denial, and kept sticking consumers with fewer choices and dwindling fuel efficiency, only to have all that come back and bite them in the a$$, you’ll get no sympathy.
You seem to want to lay out a case where you try to pin some betrayal of American workers by my refusing to support a determinedly poor and inconsistent product. By design. This is a fallacy.
The behavior of the big three has not been in the best interests of their employees, only the ‘boardroom.’ They are the people you should blame, not the people who simply point out the obvious and documented. Not the people who buy a quality product over increasingly unsatisfactory cars.
I find it ironic that America crows and boasts about competition, until they get slapped down in competition, then they whine and question others’ patriotism and try to pin job loss on people who refuse to buy a sub-par product rather than blame the idiot CEOs who have, time and again, lost their customers’ confidence and trust in their products, many times resulting in fiery deaths.
I’ve spent a lot of time in auto plants and have a great respect for the American autoworker. Their jobs are demanding, both physically and mentally, and they take great pride in their work. Spew your $shit to an unemployed autoworker Hanshiro and you’ll have you’re a$$ handed to you.
Which changes not one iota of what I’ve posted. The workers do exactly what they are told and work hard, but the American auto industry saw this coming for decades; Their lobbyists have fought countless safety regulations and cozied up to big oil all at the expense of the consumer. Those birds have come home to roost.
So take your faux outrage and shove it up your a$$. Your playing the vicarious blue-collar hero defender is just as phony as your misguided indignity. The employees trusted craven men who ran their industries into the ground and presidents, both republican and democrat, who perpetuated antiquated ideas and folded on reform just to squeeze more money out of consumers. It blew up in their faces.
BTW- Might the handle name Hanshiro have anything to do with your convictions?
Oh, and confirming the fat racist streak you have is a nice finishing touch; And still, you’ve refuted nothing of the points in my posts. Nice empty gesture, there, cracker.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:49 am