Meet The Press: Gov. Granholm calls out Mitt for peddling debunked auto worker myths

Crooks and Liars:

Mitt Romney was wanking forth on MTP Sunday about the horrendous disadvantage American automakers have because of labor costs, only briefly mentioning the 800-pound gorilla in the room -- namely, health-care costs -- as "benefits."

Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan set him straight:
One of the reasons there is a cost disadvantage is that other countries provide health care for their citizens. In America, we put that entire burden on business.
Mittens nonetheless tries to regurgitate the "$70-an-hour" lie:

Romney: The companies across the ocean have come here, made plants in the U.S. -- Nissan, Toyota, and Honda -- they're able to make cars at $45 an hour labor costs plus benefits and legacy costs, our cost is $73 an hour --
Granholm: It is not! That has been totally debunked -- now, you know, Mitt Romney, that this is not --

Romney: Labor costs and legacy costs and benefits is $73 an hour.

Maybe Romney should ask those companies where they stand on national subsidization of their industry. Because back in Japan, they understand that underwriting their manufacturing capacity is the key to a competitive economy ... which is why they keep the yen artificially low. This subsidization is part of why those same automakers can operate at lower cost here.