Auto rescue's rejection riles Metro area

Detroit Regional Chamber, radio rally Metro residents

Nathan Hurst and Christina Rogers / The Detroit News

DETROIT --Michiganians already staggering under the weight of the nation's most beleaguered state economy banded together Friday morning in ire aimed squarely at Capitol Hill after waking to news that Senate Republicans denied Detroit's Big Three automakers the emergency loans they need to survive.

Whether they had a tie to the auto industry or not, many saw the shutout of a bailout as more than just a misguided decision by lawmakers to leave Michigan's largest employers out in the cold amid the worst economic downturn in decades.

They considered it a kick in the shins to a state already down.

Jerry Watson, a 32-year-old auto supplier employee, said Congress is taking a big risk with lives of millions of Americans, not just Detroiters.

"The government is playing Russian roulette," said Watson, who lives in Farmington Hills. If their inaction leads to widespread job losses, Watson said, "it's going to be on their heads." ....More