Liberal radio host Ed Schultz doubts that General Motors' much-anticipated electric car, the Chevy Volt, will help nurse the ailing automaker back to health.
But not so doubtful that Schultz won't gush about the Volt in a radio ad for GM.
Here's Schultz warning his listeners about the vehicle during Monday's show after playing a clip of President Obama describing his rationale for giving GM and Chrysler more time to restructure (click here for audio) --
OBAMA: And so today I'm announcing that my administration will offer GM and Chrysler a limited additional period of time to work with creditors, unions and other stakeholders to fundamentally restructure in a way that would justify an investment of additional taxpayer dollars. During this period, they must produce plans that would give the American people confidence in their long-term prospects for success.
SCHULTZ: An insider has told me the Volt won't make a dime. An insider has told me the Volt will not make a dime. They're going to have to make something that's gonna make a dime.
Speaking with a caller later in the show, Schultz expressed more skepticism about the Volt --
CALLER: The president of the UAW is in a no-win situation and that's another reason why I think that Chapter 11 will probably happen.
SCHULTZ: But GM is gonna have to explain, why are you making the Volt if it's not gonna make any money? Forty-thousand dollar vehicle to average Americans is a helluva lot of money. People want a $22,000 car, they want an $18,000 car, and you know what, they'll even take a $15,000 car if they know they're only going to travel about 10- to 12,000 miles a year, you know, to and from work and that kind of stuff, they're not gonna take a long trip in it or whatever. You know, a $40,000 car just to run around and say, hey, I'm green and there's a wiz of a battery in here, practicality seems to have left, left the building when it comes to something like the Hummer.
Talking with another caller, Schultz played his ad for GM (click for audio) --
SCHULTZ: Now this is a spot, and I guess we could call this one a free, this is free-plug Friday on a Monday for GM. GM, GM buys The Ed Schultz Show, not only because of me, but they're buying it because of you, because you're a listener and I have enough listeners that they want to reach and this is the story that they're telling. I want to play this commercial and, can we stop it and start it as we go along? All right, here we go.
SCHULTZ (narrating ad): GM has been all over the news lately, but let me tell you a few things you may not know about GM. This company is completely reinventing itself. It's leaner, greener and stronger. Twenty-two of 24 new vehicle launches between now and 2012 are fuel-efficient cars and crossovers, exactly the kinds of cars Americans want. They've already got more cars that get an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon or better on the highway than anybody.
SCHULTZ (back on show): Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What was that?! What did I just hear there?! They already get 30 miles to the gallon? What, what, did I, did you hear that?!
CALLER: Yeah, but you know what? It's like the Japanese, they had that, you know, 10 years ago, Ed. I mean ...
SCHULTZ: But wait a minute, but right now, but right now what GM is saying is that, hey, they're there.
CALLER: But you know, that's not good enough, Ed. I don't want just 30 miles per gallon. My Corolla that I'm driving right now, it's an '04, you know, it gets 30 in the city and it gets 40 on the highway. You know, give me something better than that, GM. Chrysler, that goes for you too.
And as for Chrysler, I know more about Chrysler than I do about General Motors, Chrysler for that matter, I mean, they put the freaking hybrid in the Aspen and the Durango, the two hugest things that they have. What about throwing a hybrid in a Caliber, you know, the smallest car they got? You know, bump that mileage up to, you know, 40, 50 miles a gallon and, you know, sell it for, you know, $15-, $19,000 for somebody like me to buy.SCHULTZ: All right, there's the voices of America right there, car manufacturers. That's what Michael in Union City, N.J., is saying. Let's play the rest of the spot.
SCHULTZ (in ad): They've got the biggest selection of hybrids too, one for every need. They're making incredible progress on the 2011 Chevy Volt, GM's extended range electric car. Fully charged, it's going to be able to go up to 40 miles without using a drop of gas.
More "incredible" still -- it won't make a dime for GM! But what a deal they're offering on that TruCoat sealant out here in Fargo, you betcha.
This isn't the only questionable ad pitched by Schultz. Another in heavy rotation during his show is for ITM Trading gold merchants (here for audio) --
SCHULTZ: Hi folks, this is Ed Schultz. You know, I'm convinced that everyone ought to own some gold today. Why? Well, because the dollar is traveling down the same road the German mark did in the early 1900s when it took a wheelbarrel full of money to buy a loaf of bread. Financial experts everywhere say our financial system is broken and the bailouts necessary to fix our economy are undermining the dollar.
So call my friends at ITM Trading and get some gold today, 1-888-OWN-GOLD, that's 1-888-OWN-GOLD. Since the dollar hit its peak in July of 2001, it lost over 41 percent to its most recent low while gold went up over 278 percent. I'm afraid the trillions needed in stimulus today to battle deflation are going to turn into runaway inflation, so don't wait. Call my friends at ITM Trading and get some gold today. Ask for their free information packet about owning gold. I got some historic $20 gold coins from ITM and you should too. 1-888-OWN-GOLD. That's 1-888-OWN-GOLD.
When it comes to "stimulus" that could trigger runaway inflation -- the TARP bailout, federal loans for automakers, Obama's so-called rescue and recovery plan -- Schultz has yet to encounter any that hasn't made his heart go pitter-pat.
