He's got a new book, and he makes a lot of sense to me.

Boy is he right





Remember Lee Iacocca, the VP at Ford credited with the birth of the Mustang, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from their death throes, and the owner of the

Famous quote 'Lead, follow, or get out of the way'   Well, he's back!  He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.



Lee Iacocca writes:

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up

With what's happening?  Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder.  We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of  state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind,

And we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car.  But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course!!!'.



Stay the course?????  You've got to be kidding.!!  This is America , not the damned 'Titanic'!!  I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!!!'



You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone

Off my rocker, and maybe I have, but someone has to speak up.  I hardly recognize this country anymore.



The most famous business leaders are not the innovators, but the guys in handcuffs.  While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. The press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the  America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough!!!  How about you?



I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.



The Biggest 'C' is Crisis !



Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory.  Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself.  It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. George Bush, Dick Chaney and who is this Bozo coming up next? One of the most Liberal Idiots in the U. S. Senate and he is talking about disarming America .  I can't believe the American people are seeing what he is about to do to this country.  May God have mercy on us all.



On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history.  We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.  A Hell of a Mess.  So here's where we stand.  We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.  We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia,  while our once-great Companies are all moving offshore.  We're getting slaughtered by health care costs.  Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy.  Our schools are the worst in the world.  Our borders are like sieves.  The middle class is being squeezed  every

Which way.  These are times that cry out for leadership and we are getting ready to put the most Liberal Senator in the U. S. Senate in as our next President because we want to be fair and elect someone just because of his race.  We

Don't have time to be fair, we need a strong leader.



But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I hope you get the point.



Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and

Throw away our shampoo?  We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.



Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.  Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.  Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again.  Well guess what people, we are having more floods right now. What are we doing to help these people out.  Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen.  Deal with it.  Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time. Why are we allowing people to build in flood plains anyway? If you build in a flood area, expect to be flooded and deal with it. Don't expect the Government to bail you out.



Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing.  All they seem to be thinking now-days is getting themselves bigger salaries and bonuses.  Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?..... likely nothing!



Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem.  The silence is deafening, but these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.



I have news for the gang in Congress and the Senate. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.  What is everybody so afraid of???  That someone on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break.!!  Why don't you guys show some spine for a change? I honestly don't think

any of you have one!



Had Enough?



Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope; I believe in America ................................................ In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.  If I've learned one thing, it's this:



'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action.  Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play.  That's the

challenge I'm raising in this book.  It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in America.  It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work.  Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

Why didnt he run?

He would have got my vote!

He's RIGHT totally. But WHY the hell is he just NOW speaking out?

I for one, think whoever is elected next week needs to get hold of him and make sure he's their FIRST cabinet apointment. SECRETARY AT LARGE would be the best position for him. Or CABINET CEO.

Maybe he'd do for the country what he did for Ford and Chrysler.

Hugs BD

The article that you posted is not penned by Lee Iaccoca, it was modified in a partisan way to bash Barrack Obama.

Here is a link to the correct article that you are referring to... for those interested in reading from the snopes site. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

with warm regards,
Tony

wrote on Oct 31^st, 2008 at 5:18am:

Why didnt he run? He would have got my vote!

He wasn't born here.......

At 82 Lee's still got it....

Hugs BD

thank you Tony, I didn't catch the insertions when I read the abridgement.  I know I'm looking forward to getting the book in its entirety.  I enjoyed both of his other books, and agree with a lot of his thinking.  I would vote for him if he could run although we differ in a lot of points, but I appreciate his integrity and character.  That means more to me in a candidate than anything else.

Jerry

Iacocca was the one who was saying around the conventions that each candidate should make his selections for cabinet positions soon after the convention so that we could get  a feeling for the entire administration.

maybe if candidates did that, they would be forced to give us all a better idea of what they REALLY will do

ok.........he's 82.that was one of my questions......
who would his running mate be?
how long does he propose to take to fix our fiscal house?

I don't delve into the financial arena often, but I still, like 30% of the voters, just don't know how to vote this year........I just don't like anyone! >:(
Now, Lee, on the other hand.........I owned a Reliant.......it was good.............till the payments were finished......not sure finances should be built on planned obsolescence......
Confused Cathi...oh, and if ONE more 'get- out- the- voter' calls to ask me how I'm voting, come visit me in Jail!

Cathi_Pierce wrote on Oct 31^st, 2008 at 11:10am:

ok.........he's 82.that was one of my questions...... who would his running mate be? how long does he propose to take to fix our fiscal house? I don't delve into the financial arena often, but I still, like 30% of the voters, just don't know how to vote this year........I just don't like anyone! >:( Now, Lee, on the other hand.........I owned a Reliant.......it was good.............till the payments were finished......not sure finances should be built on planned obsolescence...... Confused Cathi...oh, and if ONE more 'get- out- the- voter' calls to ask me how I'm voting, come visit me in Jail!

Next time they ask you who you are voting for, tell them Jackson Kirk Grimes fromt he United Facist Union.  If they ask you why, tell them you saw him on the Jerry Springer show, and that you always decide major decisions based on that show.

(NOTE:  That information is all factual.  He is running from that party and was on the Jerry Springer Show)

I am always impressed by undecided voters.  To me it means you are putting time and effort in making the best decision possible.  I took a lot of time before I finally decided but I respect those who want as much information as possible.

In the end for me I am voting based on the fact that I dont want the Dems in charge of everything.  I dont mind either guy I just trust McCain with a dem congress more than Obama wuth one

Thanks for the clarification. The thing is that you right-wingers should know the Iacocca is a kind of conservative....however,  he runs just a tad left of center.

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Oct 31^st, 2008 at 12:05pm:

Thanks for the clarification. The thing is that you right-wingers should know the Iacocca is a kind of conservative....however,  he runs just a tad left of center. Charlie

I get confused easily.  He is conservative and left of center???

I'd call him a conservative Democrat. Some people say JFK was one. This is where Democrats have to go to be effective in office.

The only Republican that hasn't worked his way a bit to the center is Bush. Not a bright idea as has been shown in 2006 and 2008.

Charlie

Charlie, I know Iococca is a bit left of center, and I am right of center, but I would vote for him even knowing he and I disagree on some isssues.  The reason for that is the man is HONEST, and has CHARACTER.  He is the only one on the left that I can say that about.  

You dislike Bush, and that is your opinion, and you are welcome to it.  You have to admit though that he stands for what he believes, and doesn't change with the wind or the polls like Clinton did.  THAT is what I admire about Bush more than anything.  If you and I were to sit down together we would probably find that we disagree with Bush on several issues together, but I appreciate his character.

If you can show me a man who will do what he says I will VOTE for him, even if I don't totally agree with him.  (Within limitations of course)

Jerry

Of course I'd vote for him too.

Bush is a felon. One can only hope that someone will follow Bush and Cheney after they leave office......which can be done. He should have been impeached half a dozen times.

Charlie