SAGINAW, MI (WNEM) -
Voters didn't have to watch the presidential debate very long before the candidates brought up the auto industry bailout. President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney got into a heated exchange.
They disagreed on how to handle the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler. It could prove to be an important issue for voters in swing states like Michigan and Ohio.
"You took General Motors bankrupt, you took Chrysler bankrupt so when you say that I wanted to take the auto industry bankrupt, you actually did," said Romney.
Obama pointed out that Romney was not in favor of the auto bailout. Back in 2008, Romney wrote a piece for the New York Times titled, "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."
"He wanted to take them into bankruptcy without providing them any way to stay open and we would've lost a million jobs," said Obama.
John Kaczynski is the director for public policy at Saginaw Valley State University. He said both candidates told the truth about their takes on the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler.
"They've tweaked it enough from both angles that it sounds good when they say it but they're both really telling the truth," said Kaczynski.
UAW Local 668 President Harry Cripps thinks the auto industry would look much different without Obama. Cripps believes Romney is just trying to gain votes.
"I would think this is maybe a little bit of back peddling, we have to make sure that I'm not offending any people," said Cripps.
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