I can take Clint's word for it. Maybe he (and his agent?) didn't realize how much resentment is bred by government market-rigging -- with the auto bailouts as poster-children.

I wonder if he gets it now. The only thing we should be hearing from Chrysler and its unions is "gosh, taxpayers, we really took advantage of our political connections; we're sorry and we'll try to make it up to you."

And even a flag-waving message shouldn't be trading on the rioting of Wisconsin unions. That was another travesty, with no one held accountable.

He's always been a well known Republican. The kneejerk reaction against that ad was hysterical.

Loved the Corner post who went after his family earlier - very mature.

i saw a ram truck, jeep comanche and chryler challenger in that ad. clint might wanna make sure he's watching the same ad as everyone else.

That wasn't a Camaro, it was a Dodge Challenger, probably an R/T with the hood to fender stripes.

In Clint's defense, he probably meant that there was no car prominently featured and actually mentioned in the ad.

Hat trick- Obama, Bloomberg, Eastwood bring you government football.

The most hilarious thing about this post is calling the ad "controversial". It was a pretty, feel good ad full of general platitudes about how Americans rebound. Is that a bad thing now? Sure, the usual suspects got "offended" - Rove, Malkin - but they make their living being paid to get offended about anything. Most people, if they were paying attention at all when it aired, judged it as a vaguely patriotic pep talk. Adding "deeper meanings" to this spot gives it way more credit than it deserves.

What's so patriotic about shilling for Obama and union thugs?

If Ford ran this ad, you could say something like you just did. But it was Chrysler, which is a business that didn't rebound on "general platitudes" or like any other business in the history of America has (if it has rebounded at all.) Mr. "I don't want to run a car company" has been owner/part owner of a car company for most of his presidency. Remember that little part of the equation? Chrysler unions ran the company into the ground - halftime was decades ago for them.

You say you know what most people thought about this ad. I don't. All I know is what I thought, which was Clint being duped.

Notwithstanding his many nods to liberal orthodoxy over the years, I think I speak for a lot of conservatives in saying I love Clint.

But he really jumped the shark with this ad.

Framing things as "get ready for the second half" is so obviously a set-up for a second term for BHO that I think it's disingenuous for him to claim that there was no political intent.

As for him saying it was not a Chrysler ad, as another commentator pointed out, it's sure quite a coinky dinky that the ad was filled with Chrysler cars, and no cars of any other brands, huh, Clint?

And finally, what pathetically poor judgment by Clint to make this ad at all.

We're going to rise and stand up for American Values in the second half?

What American Values would those be that Chrysler embodies?

The value of only staying in business by demanding that every American get taxed and the proceeds get directed to you?

The value of contravening contracts and common law in bankruptcy to place unsecured creditors who happen to be labor unions above secured and senior creditors?

Gee, Clint, you're right. Those *are* terrific American values to celebrate.

What a joke.

Clint is a tremendous actor, and has turned into a talented director.

But this ad was a fiasco.

And BTW, nice ad by Chevy, which also disgustingly wasted taxpayer $$ by having an ad claiming to be a "real survivor" and explicitly dissing Ford as not a survivor.

Hey you putzes at GM, do you think we're so stupid that we don't know which car company wouldn't have survived without a massive bailout that the taxpayers have lost BILLIONS on, and which car company didn't need a bailout?

Where's the outrage at these ridiculous Chrysler and GM ads?

A re-election campaign for BHO, paid for by your tax dollars.