Hotline After Dark -- Tired Of This Town

"World News," "Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with Chrysler filing for bankruptcy.

NPR's Nina Totenberg exclusively reported 4/30 p.m. on "All Things Considered" that SCOTUS Justice David Souter plans to retire at the end of the Court's current term.

"Souter is expected to remain on the bench until a successor has been chosen and confirmed, which may or may not be accomplished before the court reconvenes in" Oct. (release, 4/30).

Totenberg, on the NPR site: "He has made clear to friends for some time that he wanted to leave Washington, a city he has never liked, and return to his native New Hampshire. Now, according to reliable sources, he has decided to take the plunge and has informed the White House of his decision."

NBC's P. Williams also broke in to the "Rachel Maddow Show" with the news.

Williams: "He's 69. He just passed the period where he would be choosing his clerks and that's what got the gossip going, that maybe he wasn't going to stay around. ... Now, this would mean, of course, that Barack Obama would be nominating a replacement on the Supreme Court. And it's important to remember that that probably will not change the philosophical lineup of the court in any big seismic shift."

More Williams: "He has, though appointed by the first President Bush, tended to vote with the more liberal members of the court. ... To have his successor chosen by a Democratic President Barack Obama and confirmed by a Democratic Senate ... means that we're going to get a moderate to liberal justice" (MSNBC, 4/30).

More after the jump, including VP Biden's recent gaffe and the future of Chrysler.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

PLANES, TRAINS & GAFFES

Meanwhile, there was some fallout over Biden saying he would advise his family to stay off airplanes and subways because of the swine flu.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): "What's unfortunate is for people like me and them, to be honest with you, to speak with some level of expertise. We have some of the best people in America at the Center for Disease Control. These are not Republicans or Democrats, but they are real scientists and they are really wonderful people" ("Hannity," FNC, 4/30).

CNN's Martin: "In the words of Sarah Palin, say it ain't so, Joe" ("No Bias, No Bull," 4/30).

Newsweek's Fineman: "Part of the reaction is eye-rolling and there goes Joe Biden again. ... But, this was serious, because it had potential economic effects and it sort of amped up ... this sort of semi-paranoia that's already abroad and in the land. And there's a lot of backing and filling first by the vice president's office. That wasn't adequate. That was a modified, limited hangout, as they used to say in the old Nixon days, and it required, basically, the HHS, the CDC, the DOT and Robert Gibbs to set the story straight. So, it was taken seriously. It wasn't a funny matter."

More Fineman: "I think the other problem here is that the administration has been focused on economics, rightly so. There's a hang-up in a lot of the confirmation and appointment of administration staff, including a lot of people in the health care end of things. ... I don't know that the president and the vice president should have gotten involved at this level, because that in and of itself amps up the sense of crisis" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 4/30).

Dem strategist James Carville: "I love the vice president, but I think ... those are comments he wished he didn't make and I think they've done a good job of trying to clean it up and public health professionals have given people very sound advice. Sometimes things come out the wrong way and I suspect that's one of these instances" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/30).

NPR's Liasson: "The thing that is so interesting to me about Joe Biden is, despite the fact that his complete lack of verbal discipline annoys and irks the president at some times, their personal styles are so different, he still has a strong role inside the White House. He is given big tasks to do. This is a guy who isn't just going to funerals. And I don't know what will happen after this, but so far we don't see any change in that" ("Special Report," FNC, 4/30).

Newsweek's Alter: "This was just a classic gaffe and then it was bad damage control. Instead of trying to pretend he didn't say something, they should have just said he misspoke. ... People are very indulgent of Joe Biden's gaffes. Everybody would have moved on. They should have just acknowledged that what he said was in danger of shutting down the entire transportation industry in the United States" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/30).

GOP strategist Tony Blankley, on Gibbs attempting to clarify Biden's remarks: "On a policy basis, you can't have the whole country hide because a few people might get the flu, but I sort of understand the colonel of wisdom in the vice president. ... That's the wrong national policy and the vice president was wrong to say it, but I think the White House should have simply said he misspoke and not try to mischaracterize the vice president's statement. ... It's a passing little fumble" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/30).

OPENING A NEW CHAPTER

CNBC's Bartiromo spoke with Chrysler Chair/CEO Robert Nardelli about his company filing for bankruptcy.

Nardelli, asked what the ownership of Chrysler will be at this point: "The ownership, as best it's identified at this time, is the following: The union, through the VEBA, will have about 55 percent of the equity; the government, both the U.S. and Canada, would have about 10 percent equity; Fiat at the signing will have 20 percent equity with a hold back of 15 percent equity when they meet three very specific challenges, each of which comes with 5 percent equity. ... It will basically end up at 35, 10 and 55 percent."

Bartiromo: "So are you comfortable with the unions basically running this company even though we've seen that that's been a failure in the past?"

Nardelli: "In the case here in the United States, Ron Gettelfinger, General Holyfield and the entire UAW, as evidenced in their ratification the other night, were very passionate and strong supporters of this transition. ... I'm totally comfortable with the allocation of equity to the UAW."

Bartiromo: "Are you worried about starting something new like this, this new venture with Fiat, when you don't even know how the government is going to treat General Motors, one of the toughest and biggest competitors out there?"

Nardelli: "I think it's critically important that the government be successful in working through a restructuring, a resizing plan for General Motors. They are very large, they're very pervasive across, certainly, North America where we primarily compete. The supply base is inseparably linked, both to GM, to us, and therefore, it will be critically important that they are successful. ... So no, I'm very supportive. I hope the government is successful. I hope GM is successful."

Bartiromo: "The last time we spoke, you said to me, 'Look, it's a death knell if we go bankrupt because nobody is going to buy a car from a bankrupt company.' Now you're filing Chapter 11. What's changed?"

Nardelli: "Boy, I tell you, if I was ever wrong about something, I'm tickled to death I was wrong about that. If you look at our performance January, February and March, February we gained almost 2 points of share. And if you look the PIN data through April now, we basically are holding to the industry levels. So we're holding share. ... Let me say this, to the customers, the loyal customers out there, to our dealer network, I can't thank you enough for continuing to demonstrate your confidence in Chrysler" ("Closing Bell," 4/30).

Meanwhile, Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI) appeared on the "Ed Show." Chrysler is in his district.

Peters: "There's no question that we wanted bankruptcy to be the absolute last option. ... Bankruptcy can be uncertain and it also can drag on. We didn't want to do that, and certainly incredible progress was made in this last month. You had the UAW stepping forward, major concessions, major change in contract. ... We had the major banks step forward and cut a deal, a deal that was a fair. ... Everybody had shared sacrifice, but then it came to a group of hedge funds ... and some non-bank investment firms that said, no, we want even more."

More Peters: "I think they made a bad business decision, because now that Chrysler has gone into bankruptcy, they're likely to fare worse than they would have fared had they dealt with the Treasury. They certainly didn't do their shareholders any good, and they certainly did not do the country any good. That's for sure."

Peters, on Obama: "I had an opportunity to talk to him prior to the announcement, and he was very clear that ... he's going to be protecting the retirements of Chrysler workers, health care plans. ... The president has made it very clear that he wants to see a viable domestic auto industry. He understands that that is essential for a manufacturing sector" (MSNBC, 4/30).