Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Make Romney the Head of GM

Former Mass. governor could turn around automaker, says Bennet

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 3, 2009 7:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – Barack Obama wants to "take a hands-off approach" with General Motors, but as James Bennet writes in the Atlantic, there's no way to get the bankrupt automaker back into shape "without getting under the hood." GM needs someone who can "bring the hammer down" on its admittedly "able" CEO. It's time to appoint someone who brings an auto legacy and outsider's skepticism to the table: Mitt Romney.

Appointing Romney as chairman of GM would give Obama a "political firewall" that would allow him "to move briskly to shrink the company." Romney is a self-proclaimed "son of Detroit"—his father, George Romney, helped turn around American Motors—and the former Massachusetts governor would relish the chance to give the Republican Party new credibility. Romney said that his "heart bleeds" for GM workers; as Bennet writes, "Obama should help ease his pain."

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney arrives at federal court, in Boston, Thursday, April 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Greg Cooper)

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney acknowledges the crowd as he prepares to address the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday, Sept 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is shown in this 2008 file photo in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, FILE)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Why would Romney do it? Maybe because, along the way, it would allow him to save the Republican Party by proving that it stands for something besides…whatever it is that it stands for right now. - James Bennet, Atlantic editor

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Detroit Bust Would've Been Better Than Bailout

Ex-Prez Bush says bailout his idea, and a good one

(NEWSER) - Three years ago, Mitt Romney wrote that President Obama should " Let Detroit Go Bankrupt ," instead of bailing out the struggling auto industry, in a famous New York Times column. And today? Even with the American auto industry on the rebound, Michigan's GOP primary looming on Feb. 28, and Rick Santorum breathing down his neck in the polls , Romney still thinks bankruptcy would have been better than the president's "crony capitalism," he writes in the Detroit News . "I believe that without his intervention things there would be better," he writes. More»

Automakers Pushing 'Connected' Cars

Gizmos proliferate amid concerns on distracted driving

(NEWSER) - Imagine cruising down the highway at 65mph while checking tweets, buying movie tickets online, or booking reservations at a restaurant. This scenario is the not-too-distant future of driving, reports the Wall Street Journal , as auto manufacturers seek to design an innovative "connected car" full of Internet-accessible gadgetry. The push for a tech-infused car comes as a national push for rules banning phones in cars seems to be fizzling out and automakers look to entice the youth demographic. More»

American Idol Wants Obama

Producer says he's got a better voice than Mitt Romney

(NEWSER) - If the whole presidency thing doesn't work out for Barack Obama, he could have a future in show business. American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe was duly impressed with the president's brief rendition of "Let's Stay Together," he said yesterday, in a tweet spotted by Politico . "@BarackObama we loved your vocal performance so much we'd love to invite you on to #AmericanIdol this Season for a duet with Al Green." More»

Obama: 'I Don't Put People on Food Stamps'

President takes on rivals in interview, says he 'badly' wants to win

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama appears to be shifting into campaign mode. In an interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News last night, the president wasn't afraid to call out his would-be challengers by name, saying, "We've got a test of Mr. Romney or Mr. Gingrich or Mr. Santorum's theories. We tried it for 10 years. It resulted in a huge crash." He also directly took on Newt Gingrich's assertion that he is a " food stamp president ." More»

GM Reclaims World's No.1 Spot

2011 disasters knock Toyota into 3rd place

(NEWSER) - General Motors is back on top of the world less than three years after its bankruptcy and restructuring. The company is once again the world's top-selling automaker, with 9 million sales worldwide in 2011, almost a million more than second-placed Volkswagen. Toyota, which took top spot from GM in 2008, fell into third place after production cuts caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and flooding in Thailand. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Make Romney the Head of GM