When leaders of the Automotive Big Three left Washington empty handed Wednesday night, it became clear that the industry's immediate future may now lie with the Bush administration, which has staunchly opposed using the Treasury Department's $700 billion financial bailout program to aid Detroit.

An estimated 14,000 women gathered at the nonprofit, nonpartisan conference held in the Long Beach Arena in Southern California yesterday. The event, which began 22 years ago as a government initiative for female small business owners and working professionals, has grown into the largest woman's forum of its kind in the United States.

Arrived in Detroit on Sunday on a Northwest Airlines flight with a big sigh of relief on the tail end of Hurricane Ike, a bumpy white knuckle flight arriving a bit travel weary to be greeted by the ever cheerful and soggy GM welcome committee.

My week started out at the GM OnStar Radio Station with a rather heated debate on live radio with Cliff Banks of Wards Dealer Business, host Harry Douglas of Car Concerns, Peter Oppewall of www.evtransportal.com, a very informative site about alternatives in transportation, and myself about whether car buyers really want green cars or are we being forced into greener more eco-friendly choices by our government, 35 MPH cafe standards and auto makers or do car buyers really care more about fuel economy, less dependence on petroleum based fuels or protecting the environment, how about you???

Thought I would share this breaking news report by U.S. News and World Report, ranking the new 2008 car models at or coming in soon to dealer showroom floors near you !! Some I agree and some of the best are missing.....your comments would be appreciated!