Full-Throttle Push for Auto Bailout

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D., Nev.) rejected that idea. His office said he would press forward with a still-unwritten measure next week.

With feelings still raw from the election and the public outraged about the Wall Street rescue, the auto proposal remains a tough sell. Some Senate Republicans have expressed skepticism that the aid would lead to changes for the companies that could make them viable in the long run.

Still, supporters of the auto bailout hope they can snag 12 to 15 Republicans to join with Democrats in pushing it through. They are targeting lawmakers who represent states with auto plants and auto suppliers, as well as Republicans in states with high unemployment rates.

Sen. Carl M. Levin (D.,Mich.) an architect of the carmaker aid, said he was "confident that there will be bipartisan support for legislation to support the U.S. auto industry."

Auto dealers, who have major political clout because their operations are spread across every congressional district, are preparing a major lobbying effort, as well as asking for additional help from Congress, such as new tax breaks for buying cars.

The bill Democrats are writing would insert the government squarely into the car companies' operations. It would require that the companies submit a plan for long-term viability in exchange for the loans, share a portion of future profits with the government and reimburse taxpayers before any other shareholder, according to aides familiar with it.

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