Chrysler CEO defends Eastwood Super Bowl ad as not political

[kpete]

Chrysler CEO defends Eastwood Super Bowl ad as not political
By Keith Laing - 02/06/12 02:49 PM ET

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Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a radio interview in Detroit Monday that the commercial, in which actor Clinton Eastwood says "it's halftime America, and our second half is about to begin," was not an endorsement of Obama, who declared in his State of the Union address last month that "the American auto industry is back."

"It has zero political content," Marchionne said of the Super Bowl ad in an interview with Detroit radio station 760 AM WJR.

The commercial, called "It's Halftime America," touted the recovery of the American auto companies after the bailouts of 2008 and 2009. The U.S. government lent millions to General Motors and Chrysler, and the companies have seen their fortunes increase along with fellow American car company Ford, which did not accept a federal bailout.

"It was not intended to be any type of political overture on our part," Marchionne continued. "We are as apolitical as you can make us … I wasn't expressing a view and certainly nobody inside Chrysler was attempting to influence decisions."

http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/automobiles/208895-chrysler-ceo-says-clint-eastwood-super-bowl-ad-was-not-political