Poor Cory Booker. It turns out that it’s easier to rescue old ladies from burning buildings than to step into the 2012 election without, well, stepping in it. Booker, the Democratic mayor of Newark, N.J., appeared on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” on NBC to act as a surrogate for President Obama’s reelection campaign. And he did a perfectly serviceable job. Asked about the allegations that Obama is anti-business, he said that “over 90% of Americans have seen tax cuts under this president,” which is absolutely true. Asked about the auto bailout, he said that Mitt Romney “would have let the auto industry fail,” which is mostly true. And asked about tax reform, he said “the president’s put forth a bipartisan plan,” which is not, as far as I know, actually true, but certainly makes Obama sound good. Read full article > >

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What Romney should have learned at Bain

“My own view, by the way, was that the auto companies needed to go through bankruptcy before government help. And frankly, that’s finally what the president did. He finally took them through bankruptcy. That was the right course I argued for from the very beginning. It was the UAW [United Auto Workers] and the president that delayed the idea of bankruptcy. I pushed the idea of a managed bankruptcy and finally when that was done, and help was given, the companies got back on their feet. So I’ll take a lot of credit for the fact that this industry’s come back.” Read full article > >

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Mitt Romney’s claim of credit for the auto industry turnaround

Our sister site HLN reports that a Houston, Texas family claims they were locked inside La Fisherman restaurant after refusing to pay a 17 percent tip on their meal. The restaurant's policy states that the percentage will be automatically added to the tab for parties of five or more. Customer Jasmine Marks told Click2Houston.com that the staff was rude, the drinks weren't refilled and her group received generally poor service. Marks asked if she could speak to a manager to have the auto-gratuity stripped from the bill, but claims the staff locked the doors and told her that her options were to pay the 17 percent or speak with the police outside. According to Marks, the police officer who was summoned was unable to give her a straight answer on the legality of the situation. Her party eventually paid the tip in order to avoid any further difficulty. Automatic tips, or “autograts” as they're sometimes called, are often used by restaurants to ensure that their staff is fairly compensated for the greater amount of effort it takes to tend to larger parties. The server will sometimes have a larger table as their sole focus for the duration of the meal, and won't be making tips from any other tables. This tip, which is generally clearly stated on a menu, or when making a reservation for a larger group, ensures that a server will be compensated for their time and not miss out on earning money for that shift. Often, the tip is shared with other members of the floor staff, like bussers and bartenders. Having a stated policy in place – usually 18 percent of the pre-tax amount – can eliminate awkwardness and confusion over tipping etiquette, especially if you're dining with business colleagues or people you don't know especially well. On the flip side, patrons sometimes feel they're being tricked into tipping more (especially if the server hasn't pointed out that the gratuity was already included) or discriminated against if the auto-grat isn't always applied. And servers, while they're ensured a base tip, run the risk of earning a lower tip than they would have if diners had been able to decide on the percentage, themselves. Our tip: always check the restaurant's policy when you're dining with a large group, and be sure to pore over the bill at the end. Weigh in on the auto-grat in the comments below, and we'll share our favorites from both sides of the table in an upcoming post. Take Our Poll

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Tipping point – family locked in restaurant for skimping on mandatory gratuity

With the auto industry and the economy getting a second wind, this year’s New York auto show is notable for sedans and crossovers that are as daring as Dockers on casual Friday.

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At New York Auto Show, Few Fantasies and Many Sensible Sedans

During the last presidential contest, I was often tough on Mitt Romney , once accusing him of “blending in perfectly with his surroundings — a social conservative in Iowa, an agent of change in New Hampshire, a protector of the auto industry in Michigan.” Even losers in a primary process can succeed in impressing, as Mike Huckabee did. Romney did not impress. He ran a campaign both expensive and directionless — a yacht without a rudder. Last month, I saw Romney speak and take questions at a Republican forum in Manchester, N.H. He was more casual and fluent than I’d seen him before — tieless, knowledgeable on economic matters, tough on President Obama’s record, apparently comfortable in his well-tanned skin. Romney seemed a better candidate, precisely because he wasn’t so eager to please.  Read full article > >

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Mitt Romney finds his moment

Dems and liberal bloggers are having a grand old time mocking Mitt Romney in the wake of his spokesman’s claim today that Romney deserves credit for the rebound of the auto industry — even though he opposed Obama’s auto bailout. The fun started when a Romney spokesman told the New York Times that “Romney had the idea first,” claiming he advocated for “a course of action that eventually the Obama administration adopted.”Dems immediately countered by pointing out that in 2008, Romney penned an Op ed pillorying the auto bailout with the title: “Let Detroit go bankrupt.” Read full article > >

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Romney camp explains claim that he deserves credit for auto industry rebound

For once, it’s good to work in the auto industry: Detroit automaker General Motors Co. announced today that it will pay up to $4,000 in profit-sharing bonuses to roughly 45,000 U.S. factory workers this year. The bonuses are twice as big as its…

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GM to Dole Out $189M to Workers

General Motors posted at $2 billion profit for their third quarter earnings Wednesday-a significant improvement for the auto company that dropped four of its eight domestic brands after losing $10.6 billion in 2005. It is the company’s biggest…

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G.M. Posts $2B Profit

To ignore government’s achievements in times of crisis is willfully stupid.

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Bank, auto rescues aren’t getting the credit they deserve

The Treasury Department expects to lose $29 billion on the federal bailouts stemming from the financial crisis, with most of the losses in its housing finance program and the auto rescue.

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Bailout Loss Estimated at $29 Billion