As Michigan’s primary approaches, auto manufacturing and gas prices are becoming a national discussion.

Although Michigan Congressmen John Dingell and Thaddeus McCotter, sit on different sides of the isle, they agree on the need to strengthening the economy and preserve jobs from the auto industry. 

Appearing together on Fox News, they both agreed high gas prices could mean the loss of some auto manufacturing jobs.

“Gasoline prices tend to go up and down like a yoyo. They will not help anybody. They certainly won’t help the auto industry” Dingell said in an interview with Fox News. 

McCotter, a Republican and former GOP presidential contender has endorsed Mitt Romney. He thinks the health of the auto industry will be “volatile” in Michigan’s primary. “It is going to be the preservation and promotion of America’s manufacturing base for Michiganders heading to the polls both on Tuesday & November.”

Dingell agrees. “Its jobs, employment and the economy. People care about these things and they are very much worried to see to it that what has been done to help the auto industry is carried forward,” he told Fox News.  (read more)

Fox News can confirm that Michigan Republican Congressman Thaddeus McCotter is dropping out of the 2012 presidential race.

McCotter, who struggled to gain traction against better-financed rivals and failed to achieve the necessary support to be invited to Republican debates, announced that he would now support former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the Republican primary.

Most of the Republican presidential hopefuls have spent more time criticizing President Obama than attacking each other.

That all changed when Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., threw his hat into the ring, and he wasted no time zeroing in on fellow 2012 GOP contender, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"Unemployment rising, people struggling in the Obama-Romney economy," McCotter tweeted Friday.

The congressman expanded on that critique during a Saturday interview with Fox News. "We have Obama as the champion of big government, we see Romney as champion of bail out banks in Wall Street bailout. They are less rivals than they are running mates," he said.

McCotter has good reason to focus on Romney. The former Massachusetts governor leads the latest Fox News Opinion Dynamics poll with 18 percent. Plus, as the son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney, he has strong ties to McCotter's home state.

Romney's support of the 2008 Wall Street bailout is at the heart of McCotter's attack.

"Unfortunately, what we're seeing out of Washington today and out of many in the Wall Street community is they're thinking inside an economic coffin for the rest of America," McCotter said (read more)

When playing Monopoly there's not a lot of advantage in buying Park Place unless you plan to build on it.

Today, Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter bought the equivalent of Park Place for the Iowa GOP's Straw Poll coming up in August. A woman representing McCotter, Kellie Paschke, took part in this afternoon's Straw Poll auction for space held at state party headquarters in Des Moines. The auction is a competition of sorts of the amount and quality of campaign space.

McCotter spent the second largest amount of money for his Straw Poll space, $18,000. Only Congressman Ron Paul spent more. His campaign shelled out $31,000. That would be the title holder of the Straw Poll's Boardwalk real estate.

The event is held on the grounds of Iowa State University in Ames. Campaigns sometimes go to great lengths to lure Republicans attending to stick around awhile at their temporary grounds. It's not unusual for an attending Republican to be offered some Iowa pork tenderloins fresh off the grill, maybe listen to some live music and there's the chance to be personally courted by the candidate. Even bus transportation to and from the event is sometimes provided by campaigns.

All of this is in pursuit of votes, one per ticket holder, and tickets for the event are sometimes purchased by campaigns, too. (read more)