Synder cautions national GOP chair, other GOP members on GM talk

Rick Snyder, the businessman from Ann Arbor who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor of Michigan, has some stern words of warning for Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele, and any other GOP member who might conflate GM’s bankruptcy woes with President Barack Obama’s agenda: Cut it out.

In a statement released by Snyder’s campaign late Tuesday afternoon, Snyder said:

“I would caution my fellow Republicans and the Chairman of our party not to confuse appropriate criticism of the President’s policies with an inappropriate criticism of a company that is struggling to get on its feet. We want and need GM and all Michigan businesses to succeed, especially given our current economic conditions. I was pleased to see that GM is beginning to repay the American taxpayers earlier than expected. It is important to remember that the decision to provide GM with taxpayer funds was a decision made by both President Bush and President Obama.”

Snyder is referring to media reports that Steele, who was in Holland Tuesday speaking to the Ottawa County Republicans, attacked GM and Obama over the announcement that GM had lost $1.2 billion in the third quarter of this year.

“Today’s release of General Motors’ financial results is further proof that President Obama’s economic experiments are wrong for America,” Steele said yesterday in a statement.

“Sadly, GM has not only failed to turn a profit since the president poured $50 billion of the taxpayers’ dollars into GM’s bankruptcy restructuring, but it has actually lost $1.2 billion.”

Steele once said GM would become Amtrak under Obama’s financing plans. Ironically, GM when announcing it had had losses, also announced it believed it would repay the $50 billion loan from the U.S. government back by 2011, years ahead of schedule.

While Snyder cautioned Republicans to be careful in their criticisms, he also said he too had issue with the Obama administration’s stimulus program.

“I have my own concerns with how economic stimulus funds are spent and the current administration’s policies, particularly in light of the Recovery.gov report that credits jobs creation in areas of the country that don’t exist. But I would never applaud or capitalize on the shortcomings of an American company for a political benefit.”

Interestingly, Snyder has been silent on the bailout of AIG and others which was created by President George W. Bush, a Republican.