Shelby’s reaction

By Jennifer J. Foster

Regarding UAW president Ron Gettlefinger’s attack on the auto industry in Alabama earlier today, here’s the statement U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby’s press office sent me on Shelby’s behalf:

While facing lean times, the American automotive industry is alive and well.  It’s just no longer based in Detroit.  As a right-to-work state, Alabama continues to attract numerous new companies to make investments in our state. Successful businesses recognize that Alabama has a tremendous workforce and is a smart place to do business.

As is his nature, Shelby took the high road with Gettelfinger.

But I think you can read between the lines.

Reaction to Gettelfinger

By Jennifer J. Foster

I called around for reaction to the unflattering comments UAW Ron Gettelfinger made this morning about Alabama’s auto industry.

Gov. Bob Riley shot back:

“Alabama’s automotive assembly plants are models for efficiency and cost effectiveness for rest of the nation and the world—and we are proud of that. Every state I know of, including Michigan, has incentives to attract major economic projects, so that’s obviously not the issue.  The real reason companies keep locating in Alabama is the quality of our workforce and the exceptional products they make. With all due respect to Mr. Gettelfinger, great workers making great products is a proven recipe for success in Alabama—and it doesn’t require a bailout.”

Did you miss all the fun this morning? You can read the blog post I did immediately after the conference here, read the New York Times article about the conference here and/or see the video for your very own self here (the portion regarding state incentives for automakers begins at 3:32).

Incidentally, I spoke by phone earlier with Alabama House Minority Leader and State Rep. Mike Hubbard, who also chairs the Alabama Republican Party. His reaction boiled down to a general belief that it is Gettelfinger’s union—and the $70/hour pay rates they have managed to squeeze out of the Big Three—that is “choking the life out of” the domestic auto manufacturers.

I expect a formal statement from Hubbard later today.

Also, I am awaiting reaction from U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, who, as ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, has had a lot to say about this bailout—and none of it has been positive. I expect that his reaction to Gettelfinger’s comments will be similarly ... um, disapproving.

I have also invited Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham to weigh in. I’ll let you know what I hear from him.

As I said this morning, Gettelfinger has picked a fight with this issue that he’s simply not in a position to win. You don’t save your own hide by tearing up someone else’s hide. I’m pretty sure Gettelfinger’s comments today will not do much to endear him to the lawmakers who hold his members’ fates in their hands.

Pritzker out; Napolitano (apparently) in

By Jennifer J. Foster

Well, as it turns out, anonymous sources aren’t always right.

As a follow-up to this morning’s post about Chicago businesswoman and philanthropist Penny Pritzker being President-elect Barack Obama’s top pick for Secretary of Commerce, Pritzker has said today that she is taking herself out of the running.

From CNN:

Pritzker said that she “never submitted any information for the vetting process to begin” and that “while there were discussions, I was never formally offered the position.

“I have obligations here in Chicago that make it difficult for me to serve at this time.“

Pritzker was Obama’s national campaign finance chairwoman and had been mentioned as the leading candidate to become Obama’s secretary of commerce. She is the chairwoman of TransUnion, a national credit reporting agency.

In a written statement her office issued Thursday, she said, “I think I can best serve our nation in my current capacity: building businesses, creating jobs and working to strengthen our economy.“

Pritzker noted that “it has been my great privilege to serve in the Obama campaign. I look forward to helping our new president in every way possible and am excited about the future under his leadership.“

CNN reports in the same story that U.S. Sen. John McCain has thrown his full support behind Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano for homeland security secretary. McCain said today that Napolitano’s “experience as the former U.S. attorney for Arizona, Arizona’s attorney general, and as governor warrants her rapid confirmation by the Senate, and I hope she is quickly confirmed.“

Napolitano had better get busy on that paperwork.

Huckabee 2012

By Jennifer J. Foster

Mike Huckabee isn’t wasting any time.

He’s got a new television show.

He’s got a new book.

He’s making the rounds on the television talk shows to talk about the book.

And just 16 days after America elected Barack Obama after a grueling 21-month presidential campaign, Mike Huckabee is taking his book tour to Iowa.

Coincidence that the book tour will take the former presidential candidate to the state that’s home to the first-in-the-nation presidential contests?

Nah.

Candidates love to pre-campaign with books. It gives them a reason to get out there and talk to people without having to admit that their ego won’t let them just sit around for two years.

John McCain did it with “Faith of my Fathers.“ And hey—it worked for Barack Obama, who did it with “Dreams from my Father” and “The Audacity of Hope.“

There’s a power struggle, an ideological struggle within the Republican Party. Is it a return to traditional conservatism that will return the GOP to power? Or is it a new kind of conservatism that’s needed?

Huckabee represents the latter.

We talked way back in March how the Dallas Morning News’ editorial endorsement of Huckabee would resonate long after the 2008 election cycle.

US News & World Report has given Huckabee’s Republicanism a name: Conservative populism.

It’s conservative social values, yes. But it’s also a stronger emphasis on environmental responsibility.

It’s a commitment to low taxes, yes. But it’s also a departure from the all-taxes-are-bad-taxes mantra to which so many Republicans have married themselves for so long.

Huckabee talked a lot about “common sense” during his presidential campaign. And now he’s brought that theme to his book, “Do the Right Thing: Inside the Movement that’s Bringing Common Sense Back to America.“

SIDEBAR: I would have advised Huckabee against that first part of the title. “Do the right thing”? Is that “right” as in correct, or “right” as in Republican? See the problem here? Come to think of it, if we’re looking at prior presidential candidate authorship as a pattern, maybe Huckabee ought to have worked something about his father into the title. END SIDEBAR

Anyway, Huckabee’s book tour will take him through a good number of states where the GOP is strong.

Nothing like getting the base all jazzed up, and getting a few digs in on your potential opponents—most notably, Mitt Romney, with whom Huckabee shares no love lost—in the meantime.

Here’s the bottom line: There’s a battle brewing over the soul of the Republican Party. Victory in the 2012 primaries—and the path, perhaps, for the GOP over the next 20 years—will be determined in Republican clubs over lunches and dinners over the next two years. Who can build the party? Who can make inroads with the party faithful? Who will be able to articulate a vision for what the GOP needs to be, and who can inspire disillusioned Republicans to work to make that vision a reality?

Mike Huckabee says, “Yes, I can.“

Ron Gettelfinger picks a fight he can’t win

By Jennifer J. Foster

This is going to be a quick post.

In a desperate attempt to salvage some sort of deal in Congress to bail out the Big Three automakers, United Auto Workers president Ron Gettelfinger is trashing the auto industry that the State of Alabama has built.

He just ticked off a list of incentives that Hyundai, Toyota and Mercedes were offered in exchange for locating their businesses here in Alabama.

I will try to find the clip for you on CNN.com, because that’s where I’m watching it.

Gettlefinger appears to be making the argument that if Alabama can offer foreign automakers incentives to come to America, then the federal government can bail out the domestic automakers.

Apples and oranges.

No, not oranges. Foxes. Apples and foxes.

Alabama built its own incentives. The money did not come from the federal government.

Alabama’s incentives were in the millions. The Big Three want BILLIONS.

Alabama is a right-to-work state; in other words, its workers aren’t unionized. You know that the Big Three are.

These are new jobs in Alabama, new jobs that have come here and spawned other new jobs in suppliers. The Big Three have had their plants and their jobs and their management for more than 100 years.

Gettelfinger is making the worst argument ever for the bailout.

I am writing my column about this this week.

I’m sure Alabama Gov. Bob Riley will have a ready response for Mr. Gettelfinger. When it is posted, I will link to it for you.