WASHINGTON -- From a high school auditorium near the birthplace of Elvis, Toyota was greeted like a hometown hero this week when it announced its eighth vehicle assembly plant in North America.

Students cheered as the automaker showed off a Highlander sport-utility vehicle which will be built starting in 2010 at the US$1.3 billion plant near Tupelo, Miss.

Gov. Haley Barbour called Toyota Motor Corp. the "world's premiere auto manufacturer," and Senator Trent Lott, the U.S. Senate's No. 2 Republican, promised "when you are in our constituency, we are warriors on your behalf."

Toyota's choice of Mississippi for a new plant should give it more clout on Capitol Hill.

With Michigan-based automakers facing hardships, a few more members of the U.S. Congress on its side helps as Toyota takes on some legislators who openly question whether what's good for Toyota and other Japanese automakers is good for America.

"They're manipulating the yen and it creates big differences in what they can sell their automobiles for," said Senator Debbie Stabenow, who represents thousands of Detroit-based auto workers.

"Most of their vehicles are still coming from Japan."

Previous story: Take the torture out of tax season

Next story: Quick Money Sun Flashes

Source: [url=http://calsun.canoe.ca/Business/2007/03/04/3694393-sun.html]Canoe.ca[/url]