GM bars presidential candidates from plants

General Motors -- or Government Motors, as it's known to critics of the auto bailout -- reportedly is steering clear of the political spotlight this year.

The Detroit Free Press reports that GM is banning presidential candidates from visiting its plants at least until Election Day passes.

"We would like to put all of our energy behind selling our cars and trucks," GM Vice President Bob Ferguson told the Free Press.

The move comes as the Obama campaign folds the GM story into its campaign message. Vice President Biden often tells campaign crowds that the unofficial Obama bumper sticker should be: "Usama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive."

But GM is apparently loath to appear siding with one party or another, considering it relies on Americans to buy its products.

Mitt Romney, for his part, has been critical of the nearly $50 billion auto bailout. The Treasury Department still owns roughly a third of the stock. And while GM has emerged from bankruptcy proceedings, the company's stock value has dropped 36 percent since its opening.

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