The “new” General Motors, which is 60 percent-owned by taxpayers, emerged today from Chapter 11. The corporate "re-invention" must convince balky Republicans on Capitol Hill that it has a future. Karl Rove, President Bush II’s communications consigliere, is the man for the job. The Wall Street Journal reports that Rove is a buddy of GM chairman Ed Whitacre, an executive who earned his management stripes at AT&T. Lacking any auto experience, Whitacre is taking a “crash course” on GM in anticipation of the first board meeting in August. That's comforting, but many politicos question Whitacre's qualifications. That's where Karl fits in.
Rove has praised the Obama Administration’s auto task force for choosing Whitacre, calling the selection “a very astute pick.” Rove is in position to reassure jittery Republicans like Tennessee’s Bob Corker that GM is in good hands with Whitacre. Corker led Republican opposition to the initial Bush Administration bailout of GM. Most recently, he's upset with GM’s decision to build its next generation subcompact car in Orion Township, Mich., rather than Spring Hill, Tenn. GM made that decision June 26 after meeting with Corker and other Tennessee politicians on June 10 in D.C.
There is a need for damage control. Call it a Corker courtship. Aggressive outreach by rock star Rove to Corker and other GOPers would give Whitacre plenty of breathing space. Rove is among intellectual leaders of the rudderless GOP. His sharp criticism of Obama bolsters his credibility among Republicans. Karl’s last WSJ column (July 9) is called “Obama Can’t Be Trusted with Numbers So Why Should We Trust Him With Healthcare?”
C’mon Karl, Whitacre, GM workers and U.S. taxpayers need your political charm.