Auto plan must show long-term viability: Bush

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Thursday that he wanted to be sure that any plan to aid ailing U.S. automakers ensures their long-term viability and that the government does not throw "good money after bad."

"No matter how important the autos are to our economy, we don't want to put good money after bad," Bush told NBC News during a day of congressional testimony by automaker chiefs about their restructuring plans as they sought billions of dollars in government assistance.

"In other words, we want to make sure that the plan they develop is one that ensures their long-term viability for the sake of the taxpayer," Bush added, according to excerpts from the interview.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Editing by Sandra Maler)