Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14), a staunch and vocal critic of Washington’s efforts to bail out and nationalize businesses, today called on President Obama to be even-handed in his handling of the nation’s automobile industry and to demand the resignation of United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger.

“For decades, U.S. automobile executives have made one bad choice after another and led their companies down the path toward ruin. But at the same time, union bosses share equal blame for failing to act responsibly to achieve long-term stability and prosperity for their members, consumers and the auto industry as a whole,” Mack said.

“United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger deserves particular blame for his failures to modernize the UAW, for organizing and threatening labor strikes that have heavily contributed to the demise of the U.S. auto industry, and for refusing long-term concessions that would help General Motors, Chrysler and Ford create cost-savings and preserve jobs.

“If President Obama is willing to fire the CEO of General Motors because of his failures, then he should be even-handed in demanding Ron Gettelfinger’s resignation for his equally egregious failures,” Mack said.

“Sadly, the Obama Administration, like the Bush Administration before, will instead do all it can to pick America’s winners and losers regardless of the consequences to the free market and the American way of life.

“I urge the President to stop and look both ways before he continues down this dangerous road. I would hope that President Obama would instead decide that freedom matters, that freedom works and that the path to renewed prosperity is not by destroying the very ideals that made our nation great,” Mack said.”