It came on Thursday, Feb. 5. Thousands of Chrysler dealers across the country dialed in to hear another in a string of pitches from Press and Steven Landry, Chrysler's executive vice president.

With the passion of a street preacher, Press implored the dealers to order as many cars as possible to help the company as a deadline loomed to prove its viability to the U.S. government.

"You have two choices," Press told the group, according to reports. "You can either help us or burn us all down."

Many dealers would long remember the warning that followed to those who refused to order their whole allotment of cars: "If you decide not to do that, we've got a good memory."

"Our jaws dropped," said Alan Spitzer, who appeared before Congress on Friday and until last week owned eight Chrysler-brand franchises in Ohio. "It was clearly a threat. There was no other way to take it."

Chrysler officials dispute that view, saying executives were simply working to save the company and had no plans to go into bankruptcy at the time.

But the Call has become part symbol, part rallying cry for the hundreds of Chrysler dealers who say they have endured a litany of indignities at the hands of the struggling automaker. Referenced by dealers in numerous interviews and during Chrysler's recent bankruptcy proceedings, it offers a window into the carmaker's increasingly frantic final months, as it sought to bolster its bottom line by pressuring dealers to buy more inventory, even as their showrooms overflowed with cars they couldn't sell.

Honda, Marysville, OH, 1980, $27 million*

Nissan, Smyrna, TN, 1980, $233 million**

Toyota, Georgetown, KY, 1985, $147 million

Honda, Anna, OH, 1985, $27 million*

Subaru, Lafayette, IN, 1986, $94 million

Honda, East Liberty, OH, 1987, $27 million*

BMW, Spartanburg, SC, 1992, $150 million

Mercedes-Benz, Vance, AL, 1993, $258 million

Toyota, Princeton, IN, 1995, $30 million

Nissan, Decherd, TN, 1995, $200 million**

Toyota, Buffalo, WV, 1996, more than $15 million

Honda, Lincoln, AL, 1999, $248 million

Nissan, Canton, MS, 2000, $295 million

Toyota, Huntsville, AL, 2001, $30 million

Hyundai, Montgomery, AL, 2002, $252 million

Toyota, San Antonio, TX, 2003, $133 million

Kia, West Point, GA, 2006, $400 million

Honda, Greensburg, IN, 2006, $141 million

Toyota, Blue Springs, MS, 2007, $300 million

Volkswagen, Chattanooga, TN, 2008, $577 million

Total: more than $3.58 billion

* total of direct subsidies to all Honda facilities in Ohio

** includes about $200 million for expansions of Smyrna and Decherd plants

List does not include joint ventures with U.S. companies.

These data, drawn primarily from contemporary media accounts, are very conservative. They do not account for inflation; some would be worth far more in today’s dollars. They do not include any estimate of subsidies granted to hundreds of foreign-owned auto supply companies that have located in the same areas, virtually all of which were also heavily subsidized. Finally, they do not reflect later news accounts, which often place higher subsidy values.

I call BS.

It all stinks to high heaven and in my estimation represents the power elite doing their best to homogenize the world and dilute America's advantages in the world and humiliate America in preparation for the NWO.

Stupid American businessmen just can't build a competitive car.

I wonder really how the American public would have reacted if the car makers had just put their foot down and said, no contract until the UAW gets realistic about competing globally. Why did they have to cave every time and drag that albatross?