Majority oppose bailout for Detroit

DETROIT, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. adults remain divided on a bailout for Detroit's Big Three automakers with many blaming the industry for the mess it's in, a recent survey indicates.

In a survey of 1,003 adults conducted Thursday through Sunday, a majority of respondents -- 55 percent -- indicated they opposed a federal bailout of U.S. car manufacturers, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Although the U.S. Senate rejected the measure, 42 percent indicated they would have supported the downsized $14 billion bailout package. Automakers had asked for $34 billion.

Behind the sentiments is a sense that automakers brought their troubles upon themselves.

Even a majority of Democrats -- 72 percent -- were inclined to blame the industry, rather than the economy, for the industry's problems, the Post said.

In the Post-ABC News poll 60 percent indicated they believe losing one or more of the U.S. auto giants "would make no difference or would be good for the economy," the Post reported.

Opposition to the bailout was strongest in the South and West while respondents in the Northeast and Midwest were split evenly on the issue.

The survey results included a margin of error of at least 3 percentage points.