It seems a little late in the game, but General Motors Corp. CEO Rick Wagoner, Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mullaly and DaimlerChrysler's U.S. head Tom LaSorda have finally won an audience with President George Bush. For six months, the trio had been clamoring for a meeting with the administration to discuss the problems facing the U.S. auto industry. Many factors led to the Republican losses on Tuesday, but arguably an air of concern for these icons of U.S. industry could have helped the Republicans seem in touch with the concerns of both business and the blue-collar workers who run the production lines. Instead, Bush squandered the opportunity. Now after the midterm elections pass, the lame-duck administration agreed to meet the trio on Tuesday. Of course, there is little the administration can probably offer the troubled companies now that the Bush White House no longer has a Republican Congress to support it. As a matter of fact, considering the lame-duck status, perhaps the trio should seek an audience with in-coming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi D.-Calif. and Michigan Rep. John Dingell, who will probably chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee.—Matthew Wurtzel
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