Farmington Hills, Michigan (CNN) - Hours after Detroit automaker General Motors reported the largest annual profit in its history, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he was "delighted" the industry was profitable.
"I love American cars, and long may they rule the world, let me tell you. I want them to do well," Romney said at a chamber of commerce meeting in Farmington Hills, Michigan, later adding of the industry: "I'm delighted it's profitable."
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But as his opponents have repeatedly pointed out, Romney opposed a federal bailout largely credited with pulling the struggling industry out of collapse.
In his speech to a friendly audience of more than 400 people, Romney did not mention his opposition to the bailout. Instead, he repeated an assertion that he had recommended the path taken months later by the Obama administration.
"I love the auto industry. I want to see it thrive and grow," Romney told the audience. "I'm glad it went through a managed bankruptcy process, which I recommended from the very beginning to shed unnecessary costs and get its footing again."
Romney has said he would have solicited private financing to inject capital into Detroit auto manufacturers.
In an unspoken reminder of the uneasy politics of his stance - a highly-charged position in Michigan ahead of the state's February 28 primary - on Thursday Romney accepted the endorsement of state Gov. Rick Snyder, who has said the bailout was effective in helping turn around GM and Chrysler.
Neither man made mention of their difference in opinion.
"We have the right man here to help lead our country, but there's a special bonus. He was born and raised a Michigander," Snyder said of Romney. "He understands our state. He's one of us."
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Yeah, Mr. One Percent loves the auto industry so much, he would have let it die along with millions of jobs. Romney was dead wrong – and Obama was dead on.
ChriSevan – You obviously don't understand a thing about what you are asking. Forced into union status??? They have been unionized for years. How did it impact the national economy??? Do you know how many Americans work in auto-related jobs all over the U.S.? Please, get at least a minimal understanding before commenting.
WOW, you really are about freedom of speech, Thank you so much & I will keep in respectful, well at least in the grey area, Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now why would Mittens avoid mentioning the bailout, especially with all that retro advice he had for the President? BTW, didn't Team Romney tell him the Chrysler came from Canada and that the last thing Mittens needs is to be seen in the same newlines as Donald Trump? Andrea Saul, what are you getting paid for?
Romney avoids mention of bailout at Detroit event.
Just like his five sons who avoided military service.
Flip-flop Romney cannot run away from his record when Mitt railed against saving the American auto industry. Romney wanted to let Detroit fail & go bankrupt.
President Obama's plan to save the American auto workers at the time was not popular, and of course Mr. "every which way the wind blows" Romney jumped on the bandwagon to criticize the president.
President Obama's foresight & leadership ended up being highly successful for American automakers, and Romney simply cannot take credit for it now no matter how desperately Mitt tries to lie about it.
Mitt and car companies and bankruptcy go way back together. Remember, even his father was in charge of a car company, American Motors. You remember American Motors don't you, oh I forgot, American Motors went bankrupt, oops, I guess like father, like son. But I'm sure if Mitt wanted the car companies to go bankrupt or if he was just playing to the extreme right again. But how would we ever know.
romney is like a dog eating it's vomit
CNN won't touch the story about how Rmoney stole the Maine primary from Ron Paul.
How many times (over 20X) did he repeat the word CONSERVATIVE when he was on that severe rant last week? When a flip-flopper goes silent, he has to be in severely serious trouble.
there goes slick willy again
Dr. Mitteckle and Mr. Romneyhyde would sell his mother if he thought it might get him one more vote. I bet he would send his boys to Afghanistan if each deployment was worth two votes each.
It's not just that he's back peddling (again) by avoiding saying what he'd been saying all week. The big profits announced are the opposite of what he and others had been predicting by calling Obama and everything he's done a failure. And they are a harbinger of an accelerating recovery continuing to accelerate. Especially as those profits are distributed through dividends and new investment in plant and equipment. So, now Mitt is trying to take credit for the turn around!. And they think Obama is arrogant...
BREAKING NEWS: Mitt Romney cannot turn his head without turning his shoulders.