Posted on 04/06/2009 9:56:23 AM PDT by RatherBiased.com
Ford Motor Company has applied for $5 billion in taxpayer funds for retooling, and has access to an additional $9 billion line of credit from the government. Yet, the company was a financial sponsor of Al Sharpton’s national convention last week that featured a speech by Vice-President Joseph Biden.
In a letter today to Steven Rattner, who directs President Obama's auto industry task force, I wrote,
Ford’s financial support for Sharpton places into doubt the judgment of Ford executives. I can think of no expenditure further removed from the core mission of saving the company and the American auto industry than bankrolling Sharpton. It is your responsibility to ensure that no more capital is wasted on controversial political causes, no matter how supportive they are of the administration you represent.
In a Complaint filed today with TARP Inspector General Neil M. Barofsky, I wrote,
Ford’s major donation to Al Sharpton’s group at this critical time calls into question CEO Alan Mulally’s commitment to what he called “shared sacrifice” at Congressional hearings in December.
Ford was a sponsor of the National Action Network 2009 National Convention (NAN) that took place April 1-4, 2009 in New York City. NAN was founded by Al Sharpton and the convention is his major fundraising event of the year. Dr. Carl Horowitz of the NLPC staff attended as observer.
NAN did not disclose the exact amount of Ford’s gift, but a “sponsor” designation for last year’s event cost $50,000. Ford has recently closed 17 plants in North America and has laid off over 50,000 employees. Last year, the company lost $14.6 billion.
Other corporate sponsors of last week’s event included American Honda, Anheuser Busch, Colgate-Palmolive, Comcast, Entergy, Home Depot, Johnson & Johnson, Macy’s, PepsiCo, Pfizer and Wal-Mart.
Bailout recipients GM, Chrysler and Citigroup were sponsors of the same event in 2008, but were not identified as sponsors for 2009.
Reportedly, sponsors of last year’s event received subpoenas as part of the federal investigation into Sharpton’s personal and organizational finances. NAN’s finances have been the subject of several investigations over the years. In 2008, the group reported that it owed $1.9 million in unpaid payroll taxes.
Last week’s event featured a speech by Vice-President Joseph Biden, and two members of the Obama cabinet, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
During last year’s campaign, Sharpton blasted Biden for calling Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."
Sharpton seemed pleased by the administration’s attention. He said, "I think it's noteworthy that this is the first civil rights organization the administration has sent their top people to [and this is Biden's] first trip to New York as vice-president.”
A Sharpton Shakedown.
LOL. All you FReepers who were going to buy Fords because they didn’t take any bailout funds are eating crow.
Which means that they have not received any bailout money to date.
God Bless American business!
*cough*cough*cough*
Ford received no money from the government...why do some freepers who post such lies want the autos to fail? As for supporting Dems...most of you defended AIG bonuses...they gave tons of money to the Dems...I will never understand why conservatives hate American business and have become communist lovers (China).
God Bless America without American business...cough, cough. A country that makes nothing will soon be finished as an economic and military power and with our natural resources, we are an inviting target for ...say China.
Hey all you freepers who bought foreign crap cars...you sold out your country, probably caused a depression and a new socialist America...now don’t you feel silly? You will eat crow because there won’t be much else to eat.
One of the Ford family members(don’t know if he is still with the company) is a zero population enthusiast. Is anyone surprised that Ford is surviving?
There are car companies in the south comrade..
Is Ford still giving millions to gay advocacy groups?
Good points....
Ford has not taken bailout money. Only GM and Chrysler
And, I have noticed many who complain about the auto bailouts have been less critical of AIG getting money (even defending the taxpayer funded bonuses for their execs). The auto bailouts have been a lot less than the AIG bailouts...and most of the auto bailout will stay in America...not wealth redsitributed outside of the US (where most of AIGs money will go).
You do not get to pick and choose your socialism. I would prefer no bailouts for anyone...although the auto bailouts will actually help create wealth (via manufacturing) unlike the AIG bailouts.
Granted, Ford should not be supporting Sharpton...he is a racist and a fraud.
Ford help[ed illegals here in Texas & ran some of the most racists commercials Ive ever seen on TV down here....anti-white of course
If you support any type of bailouts you are a socialist.. For the record, I was oppose to Tarp and other bailouts...
” all you freepers who bought foreign crap cars...you sold out your country”
Well,,, let’s see: First I bought an Astro van. 5 transmissions in 80 thousand miles. So,, then I bought a Ford pickup. The oil pan rusted out, blew on the freeway and took the rest of the engine with it! Then I inherited a 10 year old Lexus. It’s now 18 years old. Runs like at top, 185 thousand miles. Then I bought a Highlander, 2001, only repairs so far are brake pads and rotors, and oxygen sensors. So I screwed American auto makers, and America by buying good cars? Uh uh! American auto makers screwed us, by making junk, and bad deals.
In this regard, Ford was no worse than GM or Chrysler. If you examine the statistics carefully, it seemed that Ford was targeted more for its economic vulnerability at the time than a leading position in supporting the gay agenda.
Corporate liberalism sucks.
Original article link is dead.
I guess it di’nt happen then since it no longer exists at Al Reuters.
In other news
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/993400/posts
GLAAD to Honor Ford Motor Company for Commitment to Diversity and Fairness
US Newswire ^ | 9/30/03
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.