If you haven't been reading the Q Tips (open thread) of late, you've missed some excellent commentary on NPR's coverage of the Big Three Auto Crisis/Bailout. I think it's worthwhile to put some of it here - and add a few more links to boot.Woody commented that NPR has featured Senator Richard Shelby in it's coverage of the Big Three's request to congress. Woody writes that, "Shelby is critical of efforts to save the 'Big 3.' The story quoted him extensively, without ever mentioning that Shelby was NOT an honest commentator: Alabama's auto business--Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota all have (non-unionized) manufacturing plants in the State." As Woody pointed out in another comment, Crooks and Liars exposes how the corporate owned/leaning media has refused to exposed what a hypocrite Shelby actually is.
Another reader, War on War Off, provided this great link to Jane Hamsher's piece at Firedoglake pointing out the truly massive government subsidies provided to the foreign automakers in the US.
In NPR's Friday ME report Frank Langfitt states:
"But other senators remain skeptical, especially Richard Shelby from Alabama, the committee's ranking Republican....some critics of the Detroit companies suggest they should head to bankruptcy court. There, they say, a judge could enforce the tough, painful restructuring necessary for the firms' survival."Since Langfitt brings up the elusive "some critics" recommending bankruptcy, it's worthwhile to consider another Crooks and Liars link regarding what is not said when Republicans (and Frank Langfitt) suggest the crash test of bankruptcy as a solution.
It's really too bad that all things are never considered on NPR, because the big three crisis offers a rare opportunity to explore the complexities of auto energy efficiency, union work, labor, wages, tax subsidies, previous bailouts, and - of course - the relationship of the auto crisis to the health care crisis.
4 comments:
The biggest question that is not being asked by NPR (or anyone else in the MSM) is why Congress is giving the automakers such a hard time -- demanding a detailed plan for how the $34 billion they have requested will be spent -- when Congress (includin gDemocratic leaders Dodd, Pelosi, reid and Obama) was so quick to give wall street banks (including Goldman sachs, of which treasury sec Paulson was a CEO) $700 billion with essentially no questions asked and no strings attached. "No plan required (detailed or otherwise)".
What i'd like to see is an investigation of who in Congress (and the Bush admin) has financial interests in the banking industry, specifically in those big banks that stand to benefit directly from paulson's doleout of the money.
But that would require REAL investigative reporting. I don't think NPR has anyone on staff who even knows what that is.
PE Obama for one is very beholdin' to the investment banks and hedge funds which gave so freely to his campaign.
See the comment of Proletarian here.
I think it is pretty clear why Pelosi was so quick to give the banks their "bailout" (ie, handout) -- including bank Of America, which got $25 billion of the bailout.
Pelosi has a $250,000 to $500,000 line of credit with bank Of America, a company for which her son also once worked.
bank of America is using that cash to help America's workers, right?
Yes, of course(!)
Think NPR will investigate the potential conficts of interest of Pelosi and other members of Congress on this issue?
Think again.
Guess who is an underwriter for some NPR member stations? (eg, WBUR of Boston)
Bank of America.
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