Report: Ford pulls bailout ad after criticism from press, questions from White House

Ford Motor Company has shelved a television commercial indirectly criticizing its competitors for accepting government bailouts to avoid bankruptcy in the wake of media criticism and, reportedly, a call from the White House. The ad, first uploaded to YouTube months ago, was part of a series featuring real-life customers who were thrust into press conferences where actor / reporters asked them to explain their decisions to buy a Ford. "I wasn 't going to buy another car that was bailed out by our government, "the customer, Chris, said in the ad. "I was going to buy from a manufacturer that 's standing on their own: win, lose, or draw. That ' s what America is about is taking the chance to succeed and understanding when you fail that you gotta 'pick yourself up and go back to work. Ford is that company for me. " The ad came under fire earlier this month when various media outlets began to point out Ford 's apparent hypocricy, noting that while the automaker did not receive a government bailout, CEO Alan Mulally urged Congress to aid the industry and accepted various federal loans. (Excerpt) Read more at mlive.com …