Anti-Manufacturing

John Dingell, who's an ornery SOB, is throwing around the insults at Henry Waxman for daring to challenge him for his post of chief protector of auto industry fuel economy standards in the Congress.

Dingell, who is in the process of whipping up support from colleagues to retain support of the influential committee, told a Detroit radio show last week that Waxman lacks a concern for the manufacturing industry, particularly the auto industry (workers in which populate Dingell's southeast Michigan district).

"At a time when the auto industry, American manufacturing, American industry needs somebody who understands these things in that particular spot to look after them and see that they are fairly treated," Dingell said, "he wants to put in an anti-manufacturing, left-wing Democrat."

Hmm. Anti-manufacturing? Interesting that the groups that send manufacturers their loans, who have every interest in keeping manufacturing strong, want to cut greenhouse gas emissions by precisely the same number as Waxman does.

A group of large financial institutional investors will on Tuesday call on rich countries to cut their emissions by up to 95 per cent by 2050, in the sector’s strongest demand yet on climate change.

The group of more than 130 investors, with a combined $7,000bn under management, includes Calpers, Calsters, several other US public sector pension funds, and several UK public sector pension funds. The group also includes Blackrock Investment Management, Deutsche Asset Management, HSBC Investments, Schroders and BNP Paribas Asset Management.

Those anti-business businessmen!

By the way, is anybody asking how successful Dingell has been in protecting the auto industry so far? Has he really allowed them to succeed? Is that why they're coming to Congress asking for handouts or they'll have to dissolve their businesses? Was resistance on fuel economy really positive for them? Maybe they need a push.

By the way, I tentatively support help for the auto industry and the saving of millions of factory jobs, as long as in the exchange, Detroit starts making efficient cars that people want to buy. But that might require management with heads dislodged from their ass. That Dingell supports the aid package as well makes me more, not less, dubious.