Something that would end the financial troubles of GM and Chrysler: National Health Insurance.

[GOPBasher]

The car makers can no longer afford health insurance for their retirees, and if it weren't for this cost, I think their problems would be gone. (I'm not sure -- I don't know the actual numbers, but I know the pay and benefits for their CURRENT employees only totals 10% of costs, so it's just the legacy costs that kill them.) Of course, they wouldn't need to worry about it if we had some type of national health insurance in which those retirees could be covered. No bailouts, no bankruptcy. Why doesn't the Obama administration scream this from the rooftops?

[navarth]

1. Insisting on fair trade wouldn't hurt either. K & R n/t

[DURHAM D]

2. "Why doesn't the Obama administration scream this from the rooftops?"

Simple - INSURANCE COMPANIES. It is the stealth octopus that controls our government.

[biopowertoday]

3. Right, and the Kennedy plan being put together has the Insurance

folks sitting at the table with them.

And the WH agrees as they are not putting out their own plan.

[smoogatz]

7. The better question is "why isn't corporate America

screaming it from the rooftops?" The current system is basically a huge tax on employers--but they've resisted national healthcare for decades because of their knee-jerk right-wingism.

[sandnsea]

4. Too big to fail? Like AIG??

I think we need to start rattling through the possibility that the real reason they aren't going to a different health plan is because insurance companies are wrapped up in the financial markets and we'd have several AIG scenarios if we took health insurance out from under them.

[eridani]

5. Have you asked your senators to cosponsor S 703 yet?

Please do so.

[smoogatz]

6. It would've really, really helped in about 1990.

But it's too late to save them now; they have too much debt, their product line is antiquated and their corporate culture is mired in the 1960s.