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AUTO BAILOUT BOMBSHELL: Fiat Says Chrysler, Jeep Production May Move to Italy

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Submitted by Mark Modica on Tue, 10/29/2012 – 10:53

Coming hot on the heels of speculation that some Jeep production may be moved to China comes a bombshell from a Bloomberg report. Fiat is now considering moving Chrysler and Jeep production to Italy.

According to the piece, “To counter the severe slump in European sales, (Fiat CEO Sergio) Marchionne is considering building Chrysler models in Italy, including Jeeps, for export to North America. The Italian government is evaluating tax rebates on export goods to help Fiat. Marchionne may announce details of his plan as soon as Oct. 30, the people said.”

So, let’s be real clear here, we are talking about vehicles that will be built in Italy and exported to America. The evidence is clear that Fiat is looking at ways to move production of vehicles from the US to elsewhere, whether it be China or Italy, costing American jobs. This is becoming indisputable, despite outcries from certain parties to the contrary.

Mitt Romney has rightfully criticized the Obama Administration for handing over Chrysler to the Italians and now leaving the fate of American workers in the hands of Fiat management. Fiat is not a healthy company and the auto industry is in as great a risk as ever. The insistence that all is well by those with political motivations does not mask the danger. More jobs are at risk of being lost and more taxpayer money may be lost as well.

Let’s face it, the auto bailouts were not well thought out. Perhaps General Motors’ CEO, Dan Akerson, said it best when he said, “The good thing about our bankruptcy is that it took only 39 days. The bad news is that bankruptcy took only 39 days. If we had been there longer, people would have asked these questions and looked at these things.”

The whole auto industry bailout process was rushed through with the wrong primary motivation of protecting the politically powerful UAW’s interests. The Obama Administration never considered that giving Chrysler to Fiat was not a great idea and could eventually hurt the same UAW workers it was trying to protect. Manufacturers like Chrysler and GM are at a competitive disadvantage due to UAW obligations that were not properly addressed in the bankruptcy process. The industry is more competitive than ever and the government does not seem to be the best innovators to lead the sector to real health. This truth is very likely to become more apparent when the political season ends.

Mark Modica is an NLPC Associate Fellow.

Clip purports to show Obama embracing ‘redistribution,’ as Romney slams remarks

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A newly released audio recording purports to feature a young Barack Obama saying he believes in government “redistribution” — a comment that Mitt Romney quickly seized on to claim his opponent thinks “the government should take from some to give to the others.”

The tape, posted on YouTube, was a throwback to the web video that emerged in 2008 showing Obama telling “Joe the Plumber” he wants to “spread the wealth around.”

This recording purportedly was from a 1998 conference at Loyola University. In it, the young Obama tells the audience he believes there has been “a propaganda campaign against the possibility of government action and its efficacy.”

“I think that what we’re going to have to do is somehow resuscitate the notion that government action can be effective at all,” Obama says. “I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution — because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody’s got a shot.”

The broader context of the talk is unclear. But Romney, who on Tuesday faced criticism about some of his own comments in a secretly recorded video, pointed to the Obama recording in arguing that he and his opponent have sharply different views on government.

Romney said there’s a “great divide” in the country.

“I know some believe the government should take from some to give to the others,” he told Fox News. “I think the president makes it clear in the tape that was released today that that’s what he believes. I think that’s an entirely foreign concept.”

Romney, for his part, has endured a wave of criticism from Democrats over a video showing him speaking at a private fundraiser back in May. In the video, Romney could be heard saying the 47 percent of people who don’t pay federal income tax “believe they are victims” and will support Obama “no matter what.”

Romney defended his comments in the interview with Fox News on Tuesday — and then cited the Obama recording to underscore his point that he and the president come at the job with two entirely different philosophies.

“Frankly, we have two very different views about America,” Romney said. “The president’s view is one of a larger government. There’s a tape that just came out today (with) the president saying he likes redistribution. I disagree.

“I think a society based upon a government-centered nation where government plays a larger and larger role, redistributes money, that’s the wrong course for America. … The right course for America is to create growth, create wealth.”

Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus also flagged the YouTube link on his Twitter account, with the comment: “TELLING !”

The Obama campaign has not responded to a request for comment. But Obama hit back at Romney during a taping of the “Late Show” with David Letterman, disputing that Americans who aren’t required to pay federal income taxes are “victims” and taking issue with Romney’s comment that he didn’t have to worry about those voters.

“My expectation is that if you want to be president, you have to work for everyone, not just for some,” Obama said.

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows Mitt Romney attracting support from 47% of voters nationwide, while President Obama earns 45% of the vote. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

Clint Eastwood gets rave reviews from Republican voters but not so much from Democrats.  Before his speech to the Republican National Convention last week, Democrats had a generally positive view of Eastwood. However, after the 82-year old Hollywood icon made prime-time jokes at the president’s expense, opinions of Eastwood among Democrats became much more negative.

Matchup results are updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). See daily tracking history.

Scott Rasmussen’s weekly newspaper column notes that the conventions “provide a stark reminder of how out of touch our political system has become.”  He adds, “A half-century ago, conventions mattered because they actually selected presidential candidates. Today, they only serve to remind us that what interests — and entertains — the political class has little to do with what America needs.”

Many pundits assert that undecided voters will break to the challenger. However, that view is overstated. A review of the 15,000 interviews with Likely Voters conducted during the month of August shows only a modest impact. When we push uncommitted voters and ask how they would vote if forced to make a choice today, Romney gains two points, and Obama picks up one. For the full month of August, Romney led by one point on the initial ballot question and led by two when leaners were included.

Take the Rasmussen Challenge for a chance to win a free IPad.  This week’s challenge asks you to predict what percentage of American adults say they attended any outdoor concerts or theater events this summer. Last week, just under one percent (1%) of all participants predicted the precise answer from our poll. Learn more about the Rasmussen Challenge.

Swing state tracking results are updated daily for subscribers at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Take advantage of a limited time only discount to subscribe.

(Presidential Job Approval Data Below)

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A president’s job approval rating is one of the best indicators for assessing his chances of reelection. Typically, the president’s job approval rating on Election Day will be close to the share of the vote he receives. Currently, 48% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president’s job performance. Fifty-one percent (51%) at least somewhat disapprove of the job Obama is doing (see trends).

Platinum Members can see demographic details from the tracking poll and additional information updated on a daily basis.

Beginning this Saturday, Scott Rasmussen will be hosting a nationally syndicated television show, What America Thinks, on more than 60 television stations across the country. Find stations in your area. What America Thinks is a panel-driven show featuring three to six guests each week. All segments will begin with a look at public opinion on a key issue followed by a lively and informed discussion.

If you’d like Scott to speak to your organization, meeting or conference, please contact Premiere Speakers.

Rasmussen Reports is a media company whose work is followed by millions on a wide variety of platforms. In addition to the new TV show, we regularly release our results at RasmussenReports.com, through a daily email newsletter, a nationally syndicated radio news service, an online video service and a weekly newspaper column distributed by Creators Syndicate.

To get a sense of longer-term Job Approval trends for the president, Rasmussen Reports compiles our tracking data on a full month-by-month basis.

During August, the number of Republicans in the country reached the highest level ever recorded  by Rasmussen Reports. In each of the recent election cycles, the victorious party has gained in net partisan identification over the course of the election year.

You also can follow the Rasmussen Reports Electoral College Projections and the Rasmussen Reports Senate Balance of Power projections.

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Intensity of support or opposition can have an impact on campaigns. Currently, 27% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way Obama is performing as president. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove, giving him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -15 (see trends).

During midterm elections, intensity of support can have a tremendous impact on turnout. That was demonstrated in 2010 when Republicans and unaffiliated voters turned out in large numbers to express opposition to the Obama administration’s policies. However, in presidential election years, there is a smaller impact on turnout.

(More below)

Rasmussen Reports has been a pioneer in the use of automated telephone polling techniques, but many other firms still utilize their own operator-assisted technology (see methodology). Pollsters for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have cited our “unchallenged record for both integrity and accuracy.” During Election 2008, Rasmussen Reports projected that Barack Obama would defeat John McCain by a 52% to 46% margin. Obama was 53% to 46%. In 2004, Rasmussen Reports was the only firm to project the vote totals for both candidates within half a percentage point. Learn more about the Rasmussen Reports track record over the years.

Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. To reach those who have abandoned traditional landline telephones, Rasmussen Reports uses an online survey tool to interview randomly selected participants from a demographically diverse panel. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,500 Likely Voters is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Results are also compiled on a full-week basis and crosstabs for full-week results are available for Platinum Members.

Adviser: Romney thought Clint Eastwood was ‘funny’

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Mitt RomneyBy Catalina Camia, USA TODAY Aug 31, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mitt Romney thought Clint Eastwood and his “invisible Obama” routine was “funny.”

“I was backstage with him and he was laughing,” Romney strategist Stuart Stevens told reporters today.
Eastwood’s performance at the Republican National Convention, in which he pretended to speak to President Obama as though he was sitting next to him, has been the topic of the day. Ann Romney called Eastwood’s delivery “unique,” but the routine has been mocked on Twitter.

Asked about the empty chair that the actor-director used onstage as a prop at the Republican National Convention last night, Stevens chalked it up to “improv.”

Eastwood sparked a parody Twitter account, @invisibleObama, which drew thousands of followers immediately after the incident — but now it seems to have disappeared.

Another Twitter account, @ClintsChair, has about 2,300 followers. “TGIF: Have you yelled at your chair today?” says one tweet.

Stevens said the crowd inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum “loved” Eastwood’s routine. Lost in all of today’s chatter, he said, is the substance of Eastwood’s support for Romney as president.

“You could see in this he hit points that he’d hit before in the funders and were good points. He just chose this narrative way to deliver it,” Stevens said.

(Contributing: Jackie Kucinich in New Orleans, with the Romney campaign.)

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