Gallup on the Auto Bailout: Half of Americans are Un-American

According to Jennifer Granholm, if you oppose the bailout, you are, "frankly" un-American. Wait, I thought questioning people's patriotism was wrong. Or, alternate headline, McCarthy lives!

"It is unacceptable for this un-American, frankly, behavior of these U.S. senators to cause this country to go from a recession into a depression," Granholm said during a radio interview Friday morning.

But I thought dissent was the highest form of patriotism? Anyway, that brings us to a recent Gallup poll, tip to :

Executives of the U.S. auto industry take the brunt of public criticism for the failure of Congress to pass an auto bailout package last week, with 64% of Americans saying the auto executives deserve a great deal of the blame. However, the unions representing U.S. autoworkers are next in line, faulted by 43% of Americans -- more than the 35% who blame the Republicans in Congress.

Only 20% of Americans blame the failure of the auto bailout bill on the Democrats in Congress -- most of whom voted for the $14 billion aid package for the Big Three U.S. auto manufacturers.

More Republicans blamed for bailout fail? This is bad for them only if you assume that Americans wanted the bailout to pass. Perhaps "blamed" is not the right word here:






So the bailout is losing among independents by 9 points and overall only 46% want it to pass. Oh yes, the Republicans are in deep.

Gallup also notes that 14% of those opposed to the bailout would accept a bailout of some sort, presumably one which would extract more concessions from unions and creditors upfront before government money gets involved. But of course any deal like that would likely see support evaporate from the other end, which just might explain why there isn't a deal yet.

But for those 31% who oppose any sort of legislation and bailout? Those are the REAL un-americans. For myself I do think we should have legislation for dealing with this sort of situation. Congress should pass a law where a company in trouble can get some breathing room and renegotiate it's contracts and debts to become a viable and profitable enterprise.

Let's call it bankruptcy.