This is just a delaying tactic till Obama is President. And really so much worry about a few tens of billions that will be hardely noticed in the trillion dollar stimulus package.

The Obama New Deal like FDR’s New Deal is sure to favour unions.

Gettelfinger is a lying thieving mobster no different than Clinton/Bush/Obama…He IS the government’s “car czar”…Note how Gettelfinger speaks as if he owns 2.801…The UAW controls 2.801 using threats of government violence but the shareholders (rightful owners) actually own 2.801.

2.801 is bankrupt…With goonish parasites like Gettelfinger, what would you expect? What competent Executive would ever work in a unionized industry? Wagoner is the best you will get.

His problem is that he can’t bring himself to choose. He has all of those retirees for whom there are pots of gold at the end of the retirement rainbow, and which are a huge part of GM’s problem. GM can’t be productively profitable as long as it is paying those people who are totally unproductive. May not be fair, but it certainly is true.

On the other hand, if Gettlefinger doesn’t dump those old folks, there’s going to be no company at which the the current members will be employed.

Gettlefinger is basically hoping that the government will socialize the company. He doesn’t care what it produces, or if it produces. He only cares about not having to chose between current and past UAW members.

In other words, he wants his cake and to eat it, too.

Only the government can afford to pay that bill, so he’s going to pretend that none of this is in any way the UAW’s doing, stonewall and stall, and eventually expect the government to take over the entire company, in fact, if not in name.

The one thing that every GM president since Harlowe Curtice has failed to do is break the union. When GM had the money to take a strike, it didn’t feel the need. By the time the need was evident, it didn’t have the money to afford a strike that would actually win them something.

Wagoner deserves a lot of the criticism he’s received. But, a lot of what he’s failed to do is a function of what others failed to do before him. Both Gettlefinger and Wagoner have failed to think imaginatively. But, given the cultures of their respective organizations, it’s doubtful that it would have mattered.

Roger Smith tried to think outside of that culture, and was crucified for it, both from within GM and by the UAW rank and file.

That was GM’s last chance.

The UAW’s, too.

that’s right – Ronny is doing his job – he is playing his cards to give him the best shot at success – why would you expect any less?

Masterful bullshit at it’s finest, there is a reason Ron Pulmyfinger is the head of this union.

Why not make him Car Czar and CEO of all three so we can cut out the middle men and just send our tax dollars directly to the Union Hall Fund for Golf Studies.

Like Baldrick’s cunning plans?

(Not sure who will “get” this over there in the USA, but I float it anyway as a test).

I do wonder WTF Mittelfinger was thinking dragging out nonsense like this now. I know the UAW always likes to pretend that the gravy train can keep going and that there’s a second set of books to enable that to keep happening.

But even a meatpuppet like Ron should know when to sitdown and STFU. Now is the time Ron. Really.