White House presses Ford to end Embarrassing Ads

Ford Motor Company, apparently under pressure from the White House, has pulled ads trumpeting the fact that it didn't take any of the bailout cash offered by the federal government a few years back. The idea of an American corporation sniping at intervention in the economy by the Washington SSR doesn't set well with the current ruling Politboro.

Never mind the pointing fingers which insist that, under different conditions Ford would have taken the money themselves. Never mind either that Ford supported the bailouts before Congress and did indeed take a line of credit from Obamacorp. The most important fact which can be gleaned from this situation is that the Obama Administration doesn't mind suppressing freedom of speech when it may affect their reelection chances in 2012.

While it would be hard to not call Ford somewhat hypocritical considering the background, there comes a point when the bottom line is what really matters. And the bottom line here is that Ford didn't lap up funds from the taxpayers' trough to the degree that GM and Chrysler did. But when it tries to make, ahem, capital of that fact, its rivals and their big government beneficiaries cry foul.

Is it more hypocritical to support something and then back off after better thought, or to claim that you are for the American people yet attempt to restrain their freedom of speech when you find it a political liability? Because like it or not, companies have rights too, including saying what they want so long as it isn't libel. In not taken federal funds to quite the same degree as its competitors, Ford is a better friend than they. Because, isn't it the American Way to make it yourself rather than cry about circumstance?

It seems the new American Way is socialism. At least, we hope only until January 2013.

Put it in Overdrive

Hey Gm, hey Chrysler; I suppose even hey Ford, though they don't seem as concerned. Here's a thought when looking for bailouts using my money:

Fly to Washington coach and not on your private jets. Get to the auto shows rather than skip them like GM is in Los Angeles. Show everyone that you're serious about making a go of things. Bag your lunches, whatever, but how about a sign that you're taking this crisis seriously. Because if you want my money, I need to believe that you aren't going to simply use it on jet fuel.

You too, UAW; this isn't all on big business' shoulders. Big labor has been around driving up costs as well. How sympathetic can I be when the average auto maker makes more than average auto buyer? It's easy to think that what you may need is a comeuppance, a little back down to earth lesson in reality. Now you don't really want to see what's behind the woodshed, do you?

I wouldn't favor a bailout anyway, true, but come on, folks, when you ask for it act like you truly need it. Show up in off the rack suits or something. Because you won't actually be hurt yourself: the people you claim to have the best interests of at heart are the ones that will get hurt. The ones who can't hop on a jet to speak to Congress because they've been too busy lining your pockets working on the line.

As it is now, at the end of the day it just looks like the rich saving their assets through corporate welfare. That kind of fraud stinks far worse than public gifts to the layabouts who aren't doing anything to improve themselves. They're at least honest about wanting money for nothing.