While General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC dodged bankruptcy filings last month when the federal government agreed to give the automakers up to $17.4 billion in loans, the money isn't helping suppliers, who are having trouble accessing cash to continue operating as Detroit's Big Three implement unprecedented production cuts.

Linda Hasenfratz, chairwoman of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, said "hundreds" of suppliers could go out of business in the next two months because U.S. auto production has virtually stopped as manufacturers look to cut costs and trim inventory. Suppliers' cash reserves are dwindling, she said Tuesday night during a speech at the Automotive News World Congress, a gathering of industry leaders held at the Renaissance Center.

But here's the rub... UAW head honcho Ron Gettelfinger was all over the papers yesterday morning claiming that the bailout cash the autos received was nice, his Big Labor bosses weren't going to meet Congressional deadlines for reforms and reorganizations.  In other words, he gave everyone fair warning that the union was about to break all of her promises to the people of the United States of America.

Dishonesty from the Big Labor bosses is something we're used to here in Michigan but elsewhere across the nation it might come as more of a gut punch.  So what then are the odds that Congress will reach back into its bag of magic money to rescue hundreds of companies who have been all-but obsoleted by the same Big Labor bosses who are still in the process of twisting the knife they just plunged into the nation's back?  Your guess is a good as mine... assuming it involves really freaking tough odds.

The worst part is, as suppliers do continue to struggle and more Michiganders find themselves on the unemployment line, sending the total number of moms and dads who've lost work under Jennifer Granholm and John Cherry's watch skyrocketing towards 400,000, the odds of them getting any sort of timely assistance remain even slimmer.

Problems continue to plague the state's unemployment insurance agency and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce has stepped in now to add its voice to the chorus of pro-job individuals and organizations demanding accountability and action from the Democratic administration and their legislative lap-dogs.  The Associated Press reports:

...The Michigan Chamber of Commerce said Michigan's unemployment insurance agency and Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office should have anticipated the problem but instead focused on less pressing issues such as renaming the labor department. The unemployment system is financed through employer payroll taxes.

They're asking the legislature to open an investigation into why feet are being dragged and problems we've known about for weeks continue to go unaddressed.  Unfortunately, no one from the House was in town yesterday to offer any thoughts on the situation.  Something about fancy dresses and tuxedos, champagne, parties, music... the new bourgeoisie.

And as frustrating as that is and should be there is some news with which you can warm your heart and renew your spirit.  According to the Ivory Tower, failed Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Geoff Fieger lost a bid in federal court to allow him to make... colorful... comments about judges he doesn't like.

In a 2-1 opinion Tuesday, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said Fieger failed to show his reprimand for making vulgar remarks about judges amounted to the kind of harm that warranted a hearing on the code's constitutionality.

See, he'd won this giant frivolous lawsuit and had it overturned on appeal.  His response wasn't to go back to the well and to get back to work but instead was to go on the radio and compare the appeals court judges to Adolph Hitler with a handful of profanities thrown in to boot.

Just goes to show you, the first person to resort to nazi references still loses most arguments, even when it's FIEGER TIME!