I've been reading a little bit about the bailout in the online editions of the Detroit newspapers. I've read that the president of the UAW definitely wants the deadline for the union wages and benefits becoming "competitive with the foreign transplants" to be into 2010, rather than anytime in 2009. I don't quite understand the UAW organization, but the observation was made in one of the papers that if the deadline was in 2009, which is the current condition proposed by President Bush, the union president would have to take whatever structure is decided upon to the membership for a vote. If the changed conditions became effective in 2010, he apparently does not have to get membership ratification. (Don't ask me why, I don't quite understand the UAW's internal rules.)

The implication in one article I read was that the UAW president definitely does not want to permit the membership to become involved because he feels they will be more willing to "cave", accepting much deeper cuts in pay and benefits in order to keep their jobs than the president thinks is acceptable. The UAW leadership is apparently more willing to play chicken with the government, continuing to demand their higher pay and benefits at the expense of either other stakeholders in the companies or by getting additional funding from the Treasury Department. They apparently continue to feel that the massive campaign contributions made to the Democrats and the union help in winning Ohio and Michigan in the last election has created an IOU from the incoming Congress and administration.

At this point, whether or not to change the conditions attached to the bailout bridge loan is totally within the authority of President Obama. But several of the Democratic Congressional leaders--the lovable Congresspersons Pelosi and Frank and Senator Dodd, are already making noises that new legislation should be prepared for consideration by the new Congress that would provide for more money and a longer bailout period with less reliance on "giveups" by the UAW. They're quite certain they could get such legislation passed by the new Congress.

If there was ever a time that I actually wanted the GOP to filibuster legislation, it would be on this issue. But if the new legislation being talked about happens, I give up!