No action on auto bailout while Bush in Iraq: White House

Spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters aboard the president’s plane as he flew to Baghdad that she “can’t imagine” there will be any movement on using parts of the government’s 700 billion dollar bailout package for financial firms to rescue the automakers from collapse while Bush is in Iraq.

“I don’t anticipate anything before we return,” Perino said.

The White House has not announced when Bush is due to leave Iraq and return to the United States.

US autoworkers were anxiously awaiting word on whether the White House would take decisive action on an industry bailout, after a 14 billion dollar rescue plan failed to pass the US Senate this week.