South Carolina dealer Jim Hudson, a self-described workaholic, says that for years he resisted industry leadership posts because he was so tied up with his own dealerships.

But now that he has agreed to be the 2008 chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Association, Hudson vows to devote full energy to the job.

"I am going to try to make an example" for others, Hudson said in an interview at AIADA headquarters in Alexandria, Va., overlooking the Potomac River across from the nation's capital.

Hudson, 64, grew up on a tobacco farm in Turkey, N.C. He is a first-generation dealer. He started with an Oldsmobile dealership in 1980.

8 brands, 5 locations

He's now president of Jim Hudson Automotive Group of Columbia, S.C. The group sells eight brands at five locations, mostly in the Columbia area. One of his two sons is following in his footsteps.

Hudson says he wants to inspire other dealers to get more involved with elected officials at the grass-roots level. And he promises he'll show up in Washington whenever it appears dealers and automakers would benefit from face-to-face lobbying.

"I will be up here to support them in any way I can," he says.

About his priorities for the year, Hudson says, "I want to keep what we've got going and build upon that."

For the moment, it seems Hudson and other AIADA leaders will be playing more defense than offense in Washington this year. They will be on alert to resist proposals they oppose, more than they will push their own agenda items.

President Bush is in his last year in office. He's dealing with a Congress controlled by Democrats. Everyone in government is more focused on elections than policy initiatives.

So an AIADA priority — repeal of the federal estate tax — is "a dead issue right now," Hudson says.

Under a 2000 law, the tax is being phased out over 10 years. But if Congress takes no further action, the tax will come back in full force in 2011.

"That's the most unfair tax there is," Hudson complains. "It has put many a business out of business."

Seeks action on Korea

AIADA represents the interests of 11,000 import-brand dealers. This year, association leaders hope Congress will approve a free-trade agreement with South Korea.

"It could open doors to some of the greatest trade changes that we've ever had in this country," Hudson says. An agreement would enable dealers to sell more imported pickups, he says.

What about the potential proposals AIADA is on alert to stop? AIADA President Cody Lusk says the association is on guard against lawmakers seeking to raise revenue from taxes aimed specifically at businesses with overseas-based parent companies.

AIADA also is wary of possible trade sanctions against countries that don't have the same environmental standards as the United States, Lusk says.

"Environmental issues are just beginning with the (fuel economy) debate, not ending with" it, he says.

Hudson said Lusk and other AIADA staff members are the best the organization has ever had. Many of them were recruited from Republican congressional offices and the White House.

Hudson said he is a devoted Republican but insists that AIADA will work with members of both parties.

The armed forces are a big part of the Columbia, S.C., region. And Hudson, an Army veteran, has added to his charities a group that provides shelter and support for families of wounded service members who are undergoing medical treatment.

"I don't think we appreciate enough what these guys are doing, and ladies," Hudson says.

Other leading causes for the Hudson group are the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening diseases, and an organization that helps homeless people return to self-sufficiency. Hudson says his company donates more than $200,000 a year to charity.

Says Hudson: "We set aside a certain amount of dollars for every car we sell to be contributed. It works out to be a large amount of money at the end of the year."