Dealers cite progress at D.C. parley

The 500 dealers and dealer representatives attending the National Automobile Dealers Association's Washington conference heard Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood say the government is on track to pay all properly submitted cash-for-clunker claims by the end of the month. [...] Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, D-IIl., wrote letters to General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group urging them to negotiate a compromise about dealership closings with four dealer groups. Since dealerships sold an average of 761 new vehicles in 2006, the total payout to the more than 2,000 affected dealerships could approach $5 billion.