by Laura Conaway

In newspapering, the bigger letters in the typesetter's box used to be made out of wood. Even today, you'll hear editors talk about a story's "getting the wood" — meaning it came with a honking big headline.

I guess when you believe your hometown's lifeblood is about to drain away, you break out the wood. The Detroit Free Press went huge today with a front-page "Message to Washington." I'll text the lede (as they say) after the jump, but check the picture for full impact.

Bonus: Alternate take on the bailout from PBS.

 

From the Detroit Free Press:

You don't want an economic disaster on your hands. Not when you could have prevented it. And not in times that are already the worst in a generation.

But that's exactly what you'll have — and more — if one of the three Detroit automakers goes belly-up for lack of a government-backed loan. There will be economic hell to pay — not just in Detroit, but all across America, including in your state, in your district.