Jim Bunning Voted Against Auto Bailout

Ex-Tiger Jim Bunning No Longer Welcome In The Motor City After Voting Against Auto Bailout

Jim Bunning is a six-term Congressman and now two-term Senator from the State of Kentucky, but he is also a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer. What's not to love about him?

Even though he is a staunch conservative, Bunning is well liked on both sides of the aisle and fans who remember him from his days on the Tigers and Phillies generally do so with fondness. (He threw a no-hitter for both of them!) That's why this weekend was a typical one for him—hang out in Washington until Friday, maybe vote on a couple of bills, then head out to the heartland and greet his fans. Except this weekend those fans are in Michigan and he just voted against the bill that would have kept the auto industry from going under.

The Gibraltar Trade Center has canceled an appearance by former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jim Bunning at a weekend sports card show after the Kentucky congressman voted against the loan package Thursday night to help Detroit's auto companies.

Bunning is a former Hall of Famer who was a popular draw at the shows. He was set to sell autographs this weekend at the center on Eureka Road in Taylor....

Robert Koester said his father's decision to drop Bunning came within 20 minutes of discovering how he voted on the bailout package.

I guessing letting auto workers lose their jobs and then charging their kids $45 a pop for souvenir balls isn't the savviest political move of his career. The cancellation should be considered a favor, since the crowd would probably prefer to bean him to death with used spark plugs.

Good for him

The auto industry should sink or swim

I don't want to see the Big three go down, but it is NOT CONSTITUTIONAL for the Fed. Govt to select who they help, and tell the free enterprise how they have to run their companies, and not help others. They broke the law when they helped one brokerage company but let another go down!

With the auto industry, that was the Senate's problem with the package, it is not constitutional! They will have to work it out differently.

But, since when has our congress cared about the constitution anyway!

if they auto indusrty go under we will fall with it .. and i onestly think that our economy and lifestyle will be the wy it was in 1920

gs78 wrote:

Good for him

The auto industry should sink or swim

Agreed.

detroitwings82 wrote:

if they auto indusrty go under we will fall with it .. and i onestly think that our economy and lifestyle will be the wy it was in 1920

You mean late 1929? The economy was great in 1920....they didn't call it the roaring 20's for nothing.

bobrob2004 wrote:

The Gibraltar Trade Center has canceled an appearance by former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jim Bunning at a weekend sports card show after the Kentucky congressman voted against the loan package Thursday night to help Detroit's auto companies.

Why are they mixing politics in with sports? If I shopped at that particular trade center (which I don't obviously), I would never again shop there as a result of this.

I mean if I found out all 25 players on the Tigers' 25 man roster voted for whoever was running on the Communist ticket this year I wouldn't stop cheering for the Tigers.....although I would wonder why the hell the whole team voted for a third party candidate...especially a Communist.

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

The Gibraltar Trade Center has canceled an appearance by former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jim Bunning at a weekend sports card show after the Kentucky congressman voted against the loan package Thursday night to help Detroit's auto companies.

Why are they mixing politics in with sports? If I shopped at that particular trade center (which I don't obviously), I would never again shop there as a result of this.

I mean if I found out all 25 players on the Tigers' 25 man roster voted for whoever was running on the Communist ticket this year I wouldn't stop cheering for the Tigers.....although I would wonder why the hell the whole team voted for a third party candidate...especially a Communist.

They are trying to avoid a riot. Most of the people that will seek his autograph are affected by the auto companies. These are the same people who supported Bunning when he played for Detroit. Now Bunning doesn't want to support them.

Bunning is from Kentucky. Kentucky has a great deal of foreign factories. It's no wonder why he voted against the auto bailout.

Obviously I want them to get the bailout (personally I think it's inevitable that they'll get it). My dad works for a supplier that does most of their business with the big 3. GM and Chrysler owe the company a lot of money, which obviously they don't have. So the company can't buy materials and without materials the workers don't work. If the big 3 don't get the bailout, they'll file for bankruptcy and won't have to pay the liabilities to the company and my dad will lose his job.

bobrob2004 wrote:

Obviously I want them to get the bailout (personally I think it's inevitable that they'll get it). My dad works for a supplier that does most of their business with the big 3. GM and Chrysler owe the company a lot of money, which obviously they don't have. So the company can't buy materials and without materials the workers don't work. If the big 3 don't get the bailout, they'll file for bankruptcy and won't have to pay the liabilities to the company and my dad will lose his job.

I also want them to get help NOW, but they have to find a constitutional way. And I think Bush will bail them out.

catbox_9 wrote:

detroitwings82 wrote:

if they auto indusrty go under we will fall with it .. and i onestly think that our economy and lifestyle will be the wy it was in 1920

You mean late 1929? The economy was great in 1920....they didn't call it the roaring 20's for nothing.

thats what i meant

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

The Gibraltar Trade Center has canceled an appearance by former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jim Bunning at a weekend sports card show after the Kentucky congressman voted against the loan package Thursday night to help Detroit's auto companies.

Why are they mixing politics in with sports? If I shopped at that particular trade center (which I don't obviously), I would never again shop there as a result of this.

I mean if I found out all 25 players on the Tigers' 25 man roster voted for whoever was running on the Communist ticket this year I wouldn't stop cheering for the Tigers.....although I would wonder why the hell the whole team voted for a third party candidate...especially a Communist.

I am boycotting the Trade Center

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

The Gibraltar Trade Center has canceled an appearance by former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jim Bunning at a weekend sports card show after the Kentucky congressman voted against the loan package Thursday night to help Detroit's auto companies.

Why are they mixing politics in with sports? If I shopped at that particular trade center (which I don't obviously), I would never again shop there as a result of this.

I mean if I found out all 25 players on the Tigers' 25 man roster voted for whoever was running on the Communist ticket this year I wouldn't stop cheering for the Tigers.....although I would wonder why the hell the whole team voted for a third party candidate...especially a Communist.

They are trying to avoid a riot. Most of the people that will seek his autograph are affected by the auto companies. These are the same people who supported Bunning when he played for Detroit. Now Bunning doesn't want to support them.

Bunning is from Kentucky. Kentucky has a great deal of foreign factories. It's no wonder why he voted against the auto bailout.

I would shake his hand and tell him thank you

gs78 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

The Gibraltar Trade Center has canceled an appearance by former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jim Bunning at a weekend sports card show after the Kentucky congressman voted against the loan package Thursday night to help Detroit's auto companies.

Why are they mixing politics in with sports? If I shopped at that particular trade center (which I don't obviously), I would never again shop there as a result of this.

I mean if I found out all 25 players on the Tigers' 25 man roster voted for whoever was running on the Communist ticket this year I wouldn't stop cheering for the Tigers.....although I would wonder why the hell the whole team voted for a third party candidate...especially a Communist.

They are trying to avoid a riot. Most of the people that will seek his autograph are affected by the auto companies. These are the same people who supported Bunning when he played for Detroit. Now Bunning doesn't want to support them.

Bunning is from Kentucky. Kentucky has a great deal of foreign factories. It's no wonder why he voted against the auto bailout.

I would shake his hand and tell him thank you

I'm not sure I care enough to go that far, but I do agree with him. I'm not a Michigander and I realize the auto industry is sensitive to those who are as they employ a large portion of people living in the Detroit-area. We even own some American cars...3 of the 6 cars belonging to my family are American. My problem with these bailouts is where do they stop? Giving companies billions of dollars to reward their poor business practices when there isn't money to be given away seems as foolish as the bad business that got the companies where they were to begin with. My mom has never missed a mortgage payment so she is not entitled to a bailout or any sort of financial compensation. If she would have been less responsible, perhaps she, too could have been rewarded.

I like to think I'm a pretty strong Democrat (even economically....I'm all for spending money on causes that merit money) but I can't agree with rewarding failure. I was always taught if you screw up, you pay for it not somebody will fix it for you.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

Obviously I want them to get the bailout (personally I think it's inevitable that they'll get it). My dad works for a supplier that does most of their business with the big 3. GM and Chrysler owe the company a lot of money, which obviously they don't have. So the company can't buy materials and without materials the workers don't work. If the big 3 don't get the bailout, they'll file for bankruptcy and won't have to pay the liabilities to the company and my dad will lose his job.

I also want them to get help NOW, but they have to find a constitutional way. And I think Bush will bail them out.

Bush sucks for doing so

Shame on you Dubya

Alright... well I'm gonna share my opinion even though I already did in a different thread.

I'm GLAD that Jim (Trade Center owner that I have known for a long time) canceled him! You all may disagree, but to not give the companies a LOAN, not a bailout, is stupid. The entire enconmy is affected by the auto company.

If the auto workers, which is a huge number of people, lose their jobs, they won't be consuming as much. If they aren't consuming, all the other companies suffer. Our entire economy goes down, therefore the rest of the world's economies suffer.


Also, on a personal note..... My mom lost her job. She was a head person at Ford crash developement. Many of her friends have, and many of my friend's parents have, lost their jobs as well

US auto woes spell trouble for Japanese makers too

By YURI KAGEYAMA – 1 day ago

TOKYO (AP) — In recent years, Toyota has edged closer to overtaking General Motors as the world's biggest automaker.

But now as GM and the entire U.S. auto industry teeter on the brink of collapse, Toyota and other Japanese carmakers are hardly rejoicing. They say the bankruptcy of any of Detroit's Big Three would spell serious trouble for them as well.

Should that happen, "the damage to our business is certain to be tremendous," Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman Hideaki Homma told The Associated Press on Monday. "The conditions for the U.S. auto market are extremely tough right now, and any additional negative is sure to make things worse."

One major problem is that Japanese carmakers in the U.S. share many of the same parts suppliers. If a Detroit automaker were to collapse, suppliers would likely follow, setting off a chain reaction that could would wreak havoc for Japanese production in the U.S., a vital market.

More broadly, the U.S. crisis could lead to huge job losses and further weaken consumer spending, especially for big-ticket items like automobiles. Together, the three big American automakers employ 239,000 workers in the United States. Counting other businesses that depend on the automakers, economists estimate that 2.5 million jobs would be lost if all three companies went out of business.

"Whether it is the impact on consumer confidence or the impact on the suppliers that we all share, having one or more of the major automakers in severe distress has consequences for the entire industry," said Simon Sproule, corporate vice president of global communications at Nissan Motor Co., Japan's third-biggest carmaker.

A possible advantage from a collapse of the U.S. auto industry could come only many years later — perhaps in a decade — when Japanese manufacturers would compete against weaker rivals in the U.S., especially if they further exploit their lead in green technology with hybrids or electric vehicles, said Koji Endo, auto analyst with Credit Suisse in Tokyo.

"But that's for the long, long term," he said. "For now, the situation is bound to get worse for the Japanese."

After the U.S. Senate last week rejected an auto industry bailout, the Bush administration is considering ways of providing emergency aid to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, which have said they could run out of cash within weeks without federal aid. Ford Motor Co. says it can survive 2009, but it has also asked Congress for a line of credit.

While Japanese automakers are in a far better financial state than their American counterparts, they are all getting battered in the shrinking U.S. vehicle market.

In November, when American auto sales plunged 37 percent to their worst level in more than 26 years, Toyota's sales sank 34 percent, Nissan's were down 42 percent and Honda Motor Co.'s fell 32 percent.

Vehicle sales in Japan and Europe are also waning, and even demand in developing economies in China, India and Latin America is weakening.

"This is a global crisis affecting the entire auto industry: No one is immune," said Nissan's Sproule. "And it is in everyone's interest to see a healthy auto industry that is able to manage through this crisis."

Toyota, Japan's top automaker that makes the Camry sedan and Prius hybrid, has already slashed its profit forecast for the fiscal year through March to 550 billion yen ($5.9 billion), or about a third of its previous year's earnings. Expectations are rife another downward revision is coming.

For now, there are even alarming signs the Japanese may be falling in the footsteps of the U.S. automakers, said Endo.

GM, which has already idled five factories this year, announced Friday it is temporarily closing 21 factories across North America. Toyota has also suspended production at several North American plants in recent months.

The region is critical for Japan's automakers — both Toyota and Honda sell more vehicles in North America than they do in Japan.

"There is absolutely no way in my view that the Big Three's woes can work as a plus for the Japanese automakers," said Tsuyoshi Mochimaru, analyst for Barclays Capital in Tokyo.

"So what if there might be a market-share increase some years ahead? The pie itself is shrinking," he added. "Sales volume is plunging. And that's why all the automakers are suffering."

So far this year, Toyota appears to be on pace to overtake GM in global vehicle sales. Last year, Toyota's group sales rose to 9.366 million vehicles, just shy of GM's 9.37 million.

Toyota's Homma notes that 15 or 20 years ago, when there was a backlash among some American politicians and consumers toward Japanese products, Toyota may have gotten criticized as benefiting from — or even causing — U.S. automaker's demise.

But these days, Toyota is no longer viewed as foreign, and consumers understand that Toyota employs American workers and purchases from American suppliers, he said.

"We are a member of the American auto industry," Homma said. "Without (a bailout), chaos is sure to come."

TG wrote:

Alright... well I'm gonna share my opinion even though I already did in a different thread.

I'm GLAD that Jim (Trade Center owner that I have known for a long time) canceled him! You all may disagree, but to not give the companies a LOAN, not a bailout, is stupid. The entire enconmy is affected by the auto company.

If the auto workers, which is a huge number of people, lose their jobs, they won't be consuming as much. If they aren't consuming, all the other companies suffer. Our entire economy goes down, therefore the rest of the world's economies suffer.


Also, on a personal note..... My mom lost her job. She was a head person at Ford crash developement. Many of her friends have, and many of my friend's parents have, lost their jobs as well

If the Big 3 agree to change their ways; I have no problem with them getting a loan


But it will be business as usual


I don't blame Bunning one bit for voting no


I would have done the same

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I don't think it had anything to do with the Detroit workers. He's from Kentucky so he shouldn't care about the people of one city in a state he's not representing. The auto industry has a big impact in Michigan but very little outside of there. Other than my uncle (who lives in Michigan) I don't know a single person who works for the auto industry. I'd venture to guess Kentucky is similar to California in that regard.

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I don't think it had anything to do with the Detroit workers. He's from Kentucky so he shouldn't care about the people of one city in a state he's not representing. The auto industry has a big impact in Michigan but very little outside of there. Other than my uncle (who lives in Michigan) I don't know a single person who works for the auto industry. I'd venture to guess Kentucky is similar to California in that regard.

Alright, then if he isn't affected by it, doesn't understandit, and really doesn't care, then we don't need him here.

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I don't think it had anything to do with the Detroit workers. He's from Kentucky so he shouldn't care about the people of one city in a state he's not representing. The auto industry has a big impact in Michigan but very little outside of there. Other than my uncle (who lives in Michigan) I don't know a single person who works for the auto industry. I'd venture to guess Kentucky is similar to California in that regard.

Alright, then if he isn't affected by it, doesn't understandit, and really doesn't care, then we don't need him here.

What is your opinion on coal fields?
The Eastern Mountain Cold Fields (located in Kentucky) are the most productive cold fields in that nation. That is what Bunning should be concerned with.

Yep, and coal in Ohio, PA and WV is a major employer, yet MI congressmen love putting these Americans out of work, even though they use smoke stack scrubber technology that makes coal power plants safe. Yet the Democrats want to do away with coal power plants.

BTW, guess what drywall is made with? Gypsum -- which is a byproduct of coal burning at specially built coal power plants! They just built the special smoke stack on a nearby coal power plant to produce gypsum for drywall production.

Also coal can be used to make gasoline. (Coal gasification)

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I don't think it had anything to do with the Detroit workers. He's from Kentucky so he shouldn't care about the people of one city in a state he's not representing. The auto industry has a big impact in Michigan but very little outside of there. Other than my uncle (who lives in Michigan) I don't know a single person who works for the auto industry. I'd venture to guess Kentucky is similar to California in that regard.

Alright, then if he isn't affected by it, doesn't understandit, and really doesn't care, then we don't need him here.

What is your opinion on coal fields?
The Eastern Mountain Cold Fields (located in Kentucky) are the most productive cold fields in that nation. That is what Bunning should be concerned with.

I really am not worried about the coal fields. But I'm not going to go to Kentucky and try to make money in that area from people who are suffering. I'm not going to come somewhere and act like I care about them, but basically vote against them having jobs.

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I do


Be a cold day in Hell before I buy anything there again

Jim Bunning for President in 2012

gs78 wrote:

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I do


Be a cold day in Hell before I buy anything there again

I'll be working up there this weekend. And I'm glad Jim Bunning won't be in there any time soon.

TG wrote:

gs78 wrote:

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I do


Be a cold day in Hell before I buy anything there again

I'll be working up there this weekend. And I'm glad Jim Bunning won't be in there any time soon.

And neither will I



I don't care if they were giving away free cases of beer



Bunning should be praised for not loaning tax money to an industry that has wasted billions since last summer

gs78 wrote:

TG wrote:

gs78 wrote:

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I do


Be a cold day in Hell before I buy anything there again

I'll be working up there this weekend. And I'm glad Jim Bunning won't be in there any time soon.

And neither will I



I don't care if they were giving away free cases of beer



Bunning should be praised for not loaning tax money to an industry that has wasted billions since last summer

Yay. Jim Bunning just made even more people lose jobs. Now I'm excited.

Spoiler:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

Well I don't glame the owner of the trade center for canceling him.

I wouldn't go if he was there after he pretty much said you Detroit workers who's jobs will all be affected by this. He doesn't have to care, he won't be affected because he is rich.

I don't think it had anything to do with the Detroit workers. He's from Kentucky so he shouldn't care about the people of one city in a state he's not representing. The auto industry has a big impact in Michigan but very little outside of there. Other than my uncle (who lives in Michigan) I don't know a single person who works for the auto industry. I'd venture to guess Kentucky is similar to California in that regard.

Alright, then if he isn't affected by it, doesn't understandit, and really doesn't care, then we don't need him here.

What is your opinion on coal fields?
The Eastern Mountain Cold Fields (located in Kentucky) are the most productive cold fields in that nation. That is what Bunning should be concerned with.

I think Bunning understands the situation


It is the C.E.Os; Executives. Labor Leaders and the UAW that don't