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Follow the money

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor November 21, 2008 05:09 PM

Congressional leaders told automaker CEOs that unless they show them a good plan, they won't show them the money.

But could it be that the auto bailout got stuck in neutral because the industry hasn't been showing the money to Congress?

Quite possibly, suggests an analysis out this afternoon by a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog group.

"Most lawmakers, especially those on the finance committees that heard this week from pleading GM, Ford and Chrysler executives, don't owe much payback to Detroit. Perhaps as another sign of its hard times, the automotive industry ranks 34th among contributors to Congress, far behind Wall Street and even below crop producers, retailers and accountants," the Center for Responsive Politics says.

By contrast with the reception for the $25 billion loan package for automakers (it's possible Congress will reconsider next month), Congress did, after one failed effort, approve $700 billion to rescue Wall Street and other financial firms, who are among the biggest sources of campaign cash for members of Congress.

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