CLAYCOMO, Mo. (AP) - President Barack Obama has used an appearance at a Ford Motor Co. plant near Kansas City to urge Congress to stop threats of a government shutdown and agree to raise the debt ceiling.
Obama said Friday that refusing to raise the debt ceiling is like buying a pickup truck and then refusing to make the payments. He said when individuals don't pay their bills, collectors start calling and "your credit goes south."
Obama says the same thing happens when a country doesn't pay its bills - interest rates will rise, and Ford will have fewer buyers for its vehicles.
The metaphor was tailored for the audience at Ford's Claycomo plant, which makes the popular F-150 pickup truck.