Clyburn: Heads of automakers should step down if they receive bailout

U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn says the Big Three automaker’s chief executives should be fired as a condition of getting $25 billion in federal help to keep operating. The House’s third-ranking Democrat said in a news conference in Columbia on Wednesday that automakers should clean house.

The South Carolinian criticized the executives for flying in separate private jets to congressional hearings and said they should just go into retirement. Clyburn says that’s what happens in football when coaches have lousy records.

He says the automakers need new leadership. Clyburn said he is more interested in protecting local dealerships than helping automakers themselves.

Follow our live news updates throughout the day at http://www.twitter.com/news2.