Tuning Truck

On numerous occasions, de facto Car Czar Steven Rattner has said that neither he nor the U.S. government wants to be in the auto business--at least not for long. Those sentiments were reaffirmed yesterday when Rattner indicated that the feds are planning to sell off their 60.8% stake in the New GM as soon as possible.

In its race to exit the auto industry, the government probably won't receive a terrifically high return on the loans it has made to

General Motors says Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., will be its new chairman.

The former AT&T chief and ExxonMobil board member will lead newly downsized automaker as it seeks a way out of the government fold when the company is launched later this summer, a GM press release says. Interim chairman Kent Kresa will give up his seat when Whitacre takes over, likely to oversee the sell-off of "old" General Motors assets that remain.

The new General Motors

A new General Motors needs new leadership. So following the replacement of former CEO Rick Wagoner with Fritz Henderson, the General has announced its new incoming chairman: Edward E. Whitacre, Jr.

Whitacre is perhaps best known for his seventeen-year tenure as chairman and chief executive of AT&T, overseeing mergers and expansions that made AT&T the largest telecom company in America. He holds a degree in industrial engineering from Texas Tech, and also serves on the boards of

According to The Washington Post, the White House is readying General Motors for a bankruptcy filing that could come as early as the end of next week. According to the paper, the proceedings would likely grant GM nearly $30 billion in additional federal loans, bringing taxpayer investments into the company to almost $45 billion.

As reported earlier, the plan appears to be to give the government a 50%+ stake in The General, with the White