Mitt Romney was wanking forth on MTP Sunday about the horrendous disadvantage American automakers have because of labor costs, only briefly mentioning the 800-pound gorilla in the room -- namely, health-care costs -- as "benefits."
Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan set him straight:
One of the reasons there is a cost disadvantage is that other countries provide health care for their citizens. In America, we put that entire burden on business.
Mittens nonetheless tries to regurgitate the "$70-an-hour" lie:
Romney: The companies across the ocean have come here, made plants in the U.S. -- Nissan, Toyota, and Honda -- they're able to make cars at $45 an hour labor costs plus benefits and legacy costs, our cost is $73 an hour --
Granholm: It is not! That has been totally debunked -- now, you know, Mitt Romney, that this is not --
Romney: Labor costs and legacy costs and benefits is $73 an hour.
Maybe Romney should ask those companies where they stand on national subsidization of their industry. Because back in Japan, they understand that underwriting their manufacturing capacity is the key to a competitive economy ... which is why they keep the yen artificially low. This subsidization is part of why those same automakers can operate at lower cost here.
Romney and the Republicans have made it clear that Detroit can go suck eggs. They just don't want to say it on TV.
