Today's Papers: DC to Detroit: Die Another Day

The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post all lead with a rundown of the blood transfusion for two of the ailing Big Three: General Motors and Chrysler will collectively receive $13.4 billion by January, with another $4 billion on the way if Congress approves the second half of the $700 billion bailout package, from which loans will be drawn (find the quick-and-dirty version here). In exchange, the companies are expected to produce plans for long-term sustainability by the end of March, with a laundry list of stipulations from the outgoing administration. The Los Angeles Times leads with California Attorney General Jerry Brown's 111-page legal brief arguing that Proposition 8, the voter-approved constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the state, should be thrown out on the grounds that "the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification." A familiar face will defend the Proposition in court: Ken Starr, of blue-dress fame. Auto CEOs Rick Wagoner and Robert Nardelli breathed sighs of relief at the news--President Bush opted not to force their companies to restructure through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, riling Republican free-marketeers in the Senate. But although the Journal calls the lifeline "generous" and the guidelines for reform "nebulous," they're still far from home free: the administration has hesitated to request the second half of the bailout package from Congress, which it could still refuse upon reconvening Jan. 6, despite Henry Paulson's warning that there's only $2 billion left in the original $350 billion pot. The papers agree that the plan as written punts the brunt of decisionmaking to the Obama administration, which will have to face--among other horrors--a United Auto Workers unhappy with the recommendation that wages be slashed to the level of non-union jobs at competing car companies, the Post reports.To continue reading, click here.