Money | Barack Obama Make Romney the Head of GM Former Mass. governor could turn around automaker, says Bennet By Jason Farago Posted Jun 3, 2009 7:40 AM CDT Copied Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney arrives at federal court, in Boston, Thursday, April 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Greg Cooper) Barack Obama wants to "take a hands-off approach" with General Motors, but as James Bennet writes in the Atlantic, there's no way to get the bankrupt automaker back into shape "without getting under the hood." GM needs someone who can "bring the hammer down" on its admittedly "able" CEO. It's time to appoint someone who brings an auto legacy and outsider's skepticism to the table: Mitt Romney. Appointing Romney as chairman of GM would give Obama a "political firewall" that would allow him "to move briskly to shrink the company." Romney is a self-proclaimed "son of Detroit"—his father, George Romney, helped turn around American Motors—and the former Massachusetts governor would relish the chance to give the Republican Party new credibility. Romney said that his "heart bleeds" for GM workers; as Bennet writes, "Obama should help ease his pain." Read These Next President asks nation's top generals to loosen up. Federal judge rips into Trump himself in deportation ruling. Government shutdown is here. Here's what to expect. Defense officials react to Hegseth's Quantico meeting. Report an error