MIDDAY ROUNDUP

President Bush is alternately praised and lambasted by conservative bloggers for his decision to grant $13.4 billion in immediate loans to General Motors and Chrysler, while liberals are similarly split over the labor concessions Bush included in the package.

Bush sunk the government deeper into debt today by using Treasury bailout funds to aid struggling carmakers, Ed Morrissey declares at Hot Air, suggesting it’s hypocritical for the government to demand financial viability from Detroit. But Bush’s decision was a responsible one, Hugh Hewitt writes at Townhall.com, praising Bush for giving President-elect Barack Obama room to deal with the issue as he sees fit once he takes office.

Bush’s bailout is much better for the United Auto Workers (UAW) than the Senate GOP’s plan would have been, Kevin Drum writes, noting that Bush’s wage-cut provision is non-binding. By including the Senate GOP’s wage demands as targets, however, Bush has effectively raided the pensions and salaries of UAW workers, emptywheel contends.

And Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker’s contrast between Caroline Kennedy and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has bloggers debating who is more qualified for the national policy stage. Though both are “celebrities,” Palin is more qualified because she made her way to fame on her own merits–not by being born into it–Andrew Sullivan asserts at The Daily Dish. Kennedy would implement better policy than Palin would, Dana Goldstein writes at TAPPED, while The Corner’s Jonah Goldberg thinks the “inexperienced” Kennedy is getting a pass from liberal commentators who railed against Palin’s alleged lack of qualifications.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Caroline Kennedy’s Votes – Matt Stoller, Open Left
Franken’s Temporary Lead – Amanda Carpenter, Townhall.com
White House Bails Out UAW – Francis Cianfrocca , RedState
Bush Throws Detroit a Lifeline – Steve Benen, Political Animal
A Warrior for Workers – John Nichols, The Beat
Anyone Want to Sue over Illegal Bailout? – Michelle Malkin
Less Qualified Than Palin – Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish
Obama and Same-Sex Marriage – Ed Whelan, The Corner
Franken Pulls Ahead, for Now – Todd Beeton, MyDD
Long Way to Go, but Franken Leads – Joe Sudbay, AMERICAblog

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Bush Gives Carmakers $17.4 Billion Loan Package – The Hill
Obama Team Assembling $850 Billion Stimulus – Washington Post
Stocks Rise on Auto Bailout – NY Times