Romnesia on auto rescue, but 'Detroit remembers'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Conservative media talking heads were furious with CNN's Candy Crowley after the second presidential debate for real-time fact checking Willard "Mittens" Romney during the debate about the White House response to Libya and making Mittens look like a fool.

CBS's Bob Schieffer would have done the voters of this country a favor last night if he had followed Candy Crowley's lead and real-time fact checked Romney on this exchange during the debate, especially since both candidates invited it:

Romney stated that he was for "government guarantees" for the auto industry after it came out of a managed bankruptcy.

Obama said to Romney, "You were very clear that you would not provide government assistance to the U.S. auto companies even if they went through bankruptcy. You said that they could get it in the private marketplace. That wasn't true."

Romney said in response, "You're wrong," three times. The Republican concluded, "People can look it up."

Obama stated, "Detroit remembers."

So Steve Benen looked it up. Obama is right. Setting the record straight on the auto rescue:

Romney told viewers last night that his position was that American auto makers "can get government help and government guarantees" as part of the bankruptcy process.

Depending on how generous one is inclined to be, this is either a lie or a stunning case of "Romnesia."

Jonathan Cohn, who's done some great reporting on the auto rescue in recent years, noted Romney's condemnation during the Republican primaries of using public funds for the industry. Here's what Romney said during a debate in late 2011:

"My view with regards to the bailout was that whether it was by President Bush or by President Obama, it was the wrong way to go. I said from the very beginning they should go through a managed bankruptcy process, a private bankruptcy process. We have capital markets and bankruptcy. ... My plan, we would have had a private sector bailout with the private sector restructuring and bankruptcy with the private sector guiding the direction as opposed to what we had with government playing its heavy hand."

As a substantive matter, this didn't make any sense -- capital markets were frozen at the height of the crisis, and the money simply wasn't there. It was either the government or nothing. Last night, Romney argued the opposite of his position, saying he supported auto makers getting "government help."

By any measure, this isn't just a flip-flop; it's failing to tell the truth about a flip-flop.

And in terms of political salience, all of this only serves as a reminder to the nation -- most notably some folks in Ohio -- that if Romney had his way, the American auto industry would have collapsed, waiting for private investment that would have never come.

Detroit remembers.