Whatever you say

by Russ Roberts on December 3, 2009

in Politics

The Washington Post on the resignation of Henderson from the CEO position at GM:

GM said the Obama administration, which appointed several members to the automaker’s board, did not play a role in the decision and was only informed after it was official. The government owns 61 percent of the automaker after it invested $50 billion in its rescue.

It must be tough being part of the Washington press corps. Somebody says something like this and you have to write it down and report it. It isn’t plausible that the Obama administration which has an immense amount riding on the auto industry would have no input into this decision. But you have to treat it with a straight face and report it that way. I wonder if we’ll find out what really happened.

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{ 6 comments }

1 Justin P December 3, 2009 at 11:27 pm

The only way we will find anything out is by some sort of whistle blower. Yet judging by what Barbara Boxer has said about ClimateGate, it seems like we will soon be prosecuting whistle blowers. What kind of incentive is that?

2 LowcountryJoe December 4, 2009 at 6:00 am

I'll save my judgments on this one until Daniel drops by to tell the other side of the story [take up for the administration] while simultaneously acknowledging that he doesn't support what's happened.

3 Randy December 4, 2009 at 8:08 am

Oh well, so now they can hire a “civil servant” to do the job. It will be more honest.

I'm just really tired of all the GM adds on TV. All I can think of when I see them is where they got the money to pay for them.

4 Tino December 4, 2009 at 8:35 am

On the one hand, saying that the government had no input is a worth laugh when the chairman of the board was installed by the government. Do these people really not understand what a board of directors does? On second thought, don't answer that.

But if the press corps were any good, the story would be about what appears to be a shocking abdication of responsibility here. The government shouldn't own 61% (or any) of the shares of GM; but as long as they do, it would seem to me that *not* playing a role in canning the CEO isn't what you'd call good stewardship of the investment.

5 Bob in SeaTac December 4, 2009 at 2:33 pm

At least in Sweden, the socialists want to do have someone from the government directly in the company.

Here's a reference to an article, in Swedish, from a cousin in Sweden about the socialists wanting a government office in SAAB:
This article in Swedish is an example of what you sent. Its the Socialist partys head honcho Mona Salin who suggests that the government should help SAAB by installing an office at SAAB…

http://di.se/Avdelningar/Artikel.aspx?o=sn&stat...

6 Bob in SeaTac December 4, 2009 at 7:33 pm

At least in Sweden, the socialists want to do have someone from the government directly in the company.

Here's a reference to an article, in Swedish, from a cousin in Sweden about the socialists wanting a government office in SAAB:
This article in Swedish is an example of what you sent. Its the Socialist partys head honcho Mona Salin who suggests that the government should help SAAB by installing an office at SAAB…

http://di.se/Avdelningar/Artikel.aspx?o=sn&stat...

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