[derklug]

Ford, GM and Chrysler all took low interest loans from the government, but GM and Chrysler needed to get relief from their creditors and declared bankruptcy. The government bought out the creditors of GM for stock and will recoup a portion of that money at the upcoming IPO. Ford and GM have repaid the low interest loans and don't "owe" the government any money, but the bailout portion is typically used as the amount that GM still "owes" the government. If the IPO fails to generate the kind of money the government spent, people will once again howl about how GM isn't paying back the taxpayers.