DEALERGATE - Oklahoma Dealerships

In a follow-up on my previous post regarding Dealergate, let's take a look at the dealerships picked for closure here in Oklahoma.

Ballard's of Clinton - Charles McKinsey, owner
Eddie Cordes Jeep-Eagle-Dodge (Lawton) - Eddie Cordes, owner
Fenton Motors of Stillwater - Travis Fenton, owner
Janzen Jeep (Enid) - Jerry Janzen, owner
Jensen's (Fairview) - Larry Jensen, owner
Crossroads Superstore (Atoka) - Robert Sullins, owner
John Thomas Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep (Cordell) - John Thomas, owner
Milo Gordon Chrysler (Lawton) - Michael Wyatt, owner
Oakley Jeep (Bartlesville) - David Oakley Jr., owner
Reynolds Autogroup (Durant) - Terry Reynolds, owner
Williams Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep (Stigler) - Buren Williams Jr., owner
Wilson Jeep (Stillwater) - Dathan Wilson, owner

Let's also examine their political contributions.

Eddie Cordes: $4,750 to the Republican Party since 2000
Jerry Janzen: $650 to state GOP candidates
Robert Sullins: $500 to Brad Carson (D), $500 to State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D)
Michael Wyatt: $500 to Tom Cole (R), $1,350 for state Democrats, $250 for state Republicans
David Oakley Jr. : $1,000 for state Republican candidates
John Thomas: $500 for state GOP candidates
David Oakley Jr.: donated to PACs, mostly before 2000
Terry Reynolds: $500 to Jim Inhofe (R), $250 to Dan Boren (D), $500 to Brad Henry (D)
Dathan Wilson: $100 to state GOP candidates

That comes down to $8,250 to Republican candidates versus $3,100 to Democrats. Once I get the time, I will break down the dealerships that will remain open.

DEALERGATE OUTRAGE: Chrysler Shut-Downs Politically Motivated?

Reports are surfacing the the 789 Chrysler dealerships being shut down may have had a different motive for the shuttering than one would think.

Bloggers Joey Smith, Doug Ross and others have uncovered the fact that 90% of the owners of these dealerships gave money to Republican candidates and causes, while only $450 was donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

There are many instances of dealers who either gave to Republicans or did not donate anything at all being shut down, while another local dealer who had connections to the Democrats was the only dealership in the area chosen to avoid closure.

In particular, Joey Smith discovered two franchises who were chosen over their competitors in their markets: RLJ-McLarty-Landers and Lithia Motors. Thomas McLarty of the RLJ group was Bill Clinton's Chier-of-Staff, and Robert Johnson (also of RLJ) founded Black Entertainment Television; both donated and campaign heavily for Obama and other Democrats.

RLJ-McLarty-Landers has six dealerships, and all six will not be shut down. All other dealers in the area were closed. Lithia Motors has 29 dealerships; two will close, but they may gain five new franchises.

Reuters:

A lawyer for Chrysler dealers facing closure as part of the automaker's bankruptcy reorganization said on Tuesday he believes Chrysler executives do not support a plan to eliminate a quarter of its retail outlets.

Lawyer Leonard Bellavia, of Bellavia Gentile & Associates, who represents some of the terminated dealers, said he deposed Chrysler President Jim Press on Tuesday and came away with the impression that Press did not support the plan.

"It became clear to us that Chrysler does not see the wisdom of terminating 25 percent of its dealers," Bellavia said. "It really wasn't Chrysler's decision. They are under enormous pressure from the President's automotive task force."

Mark Tapscott at the Washington Examiner points out the following:

UPDATE II: White House car czar married to Democratic fund raiser

Maybe it's significant, maybe not, but a colleague here in the Examiner newsroom just reminded me that White House car czar Steven Rattner is married to Maureen White, the former national finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee. And let's not forget that before Rattner became a Wall Street mover and shaker, he was a New York Times reporter. Check out the Wiki bio here.

Stay tuned for more updates on 'Dealergate'