GM, Chrysler merger on hold

NEW YORK/DETROIT: A deal to merge General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC has hit an impasse after the Bush administration ruled out funding for it, three people with direct knowledge of the talks said. This puts any merger of the struggling automakers on hold until after the US presidential election, sources said.
The development adds a new element of uncertainty for the embattled U.S.auto industry as Detroit���s political allies warn the sector faces a deepening financial crisis that threatens tens of thousands of jobs. It also opens the door for Cerberus Capital Management, which owns Chrysler, to restart talks with the Nissan-Renault alliance run by Carlos Ghosn.
The PE firm has seen that option as a backstop to an outright acquisition of Chrysler by GM, one of the sources said.The sources declined to be named as they were not authorized to discuss the private talks. GM and Cerberus declined comment.