Not that the boys at General Motors have done a bang up job or anything the last few years, but . . . I keep thinking that if the Obama crew would just focus on getting the banks fixed and credit flowing again a lot of this US business pain and suffering would self-correct. Of course, that would get in the way of the Mighty O’s channeling of his inner Hugo Chavez. Still, if any other U.S. companies are considering asking this government for a hand up, they now know that it’s gonna be a “Hand Up The ‘ol Wazzoo!”

Bottom line — the termination of GM C.E.O. Rick Wagoner was more Obama Kabuki theater gone wild — a sacrifice to the general public that would still rather buy a big pick-em-up-truck than a sh_t-box tin can, now that gas is again around the two buck mark.

Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive of the automotive Web site Edmunds.com, called the move “political theater” to appease an increasingly bailout-weary public.

“American taxpayers are not happy,” Anwyl said. “But this way you’re able to point to Rick and say he’s gone, and that creates an environment where the loans become politically palatable.”

By all accounts, Wagoner made progress in fixing GM. While CEO, he cut its U.S. work force from 177,000 to roughly 92,000 today.

Wagoner also closed factories; shed the unprofitable Oldsmobile brand; globalized GM’s engineering, manufacturing and design to save billions; and led a resurgence in quality and performance of its long-neglected cars. In 2007, the company reached a landmark agreement with the United Auto Workers that shifted massive retiree health care costs to a union-run trust and ushered in a $14-per-hour wage for new hires, about half that of a current laborer.

But critics, including many members of Congress, say Wagoner moved too slowly, failing to cut enough of the company’s huge health care and pension costs, and relying too long on high-profit pickup trucks and SUVs as gas prices rose and the market shifted toward smaller vehicles.

In the past four years, GM has piled up $82 billion in losses.

Still, Wagoner had the company moving in the right direction, Anwyl said.

Who’s next? Who knows. The Obama crew wants sweeping new powers from Congress to take over financial companies that are not banks, if they feel like it. Maybe Ford should keep an eye in it’s rear view mirror. After Chrysler is gone . . . they’re probably next!

Cause, like in the movies — “He’ll be back!”

[Update]

Laer Pierce offers this:

Who’d have thought a year ago that the federal government would today have the power to force out the head of a private corporation? And yet, curiously, those same powerful hacks seem to lack the power to remove Ron Gettelfinger, the president of the UAW. I wonder what’s up with that …

You know, if I were a less suspicious man, it might not occur to me that the Obamarxists are doing all they can to drive down the value of GM and Chrysler so that were they “forced” to take the companies over for their own good, the cost of doing so would not be so dear.

But I think that’s exactly what they’re doing.

Our fearless leaders seem bent on the destruction of the US economy. At the G20 we’ll see if they want to cripple the world at large, which is what their cap-&-trade plans suggest. Yeah, a good ol’ cap&trade war — big fun for everybody! Totalitarianism rises from the ashes of chaotic destruction like the mythical Phoenix — oh ya betcha!

Over at Track a ‘Crat an ex. pat Brit living in D.C. comments on our Pres and his actions as opposed to his campaign promises.

Some people thought that President Obama, true to his more moderate campaign language, would shy away from his radical tendencies once in office.

Suckers.

Michelle Malkin has this one:

Barack Obama, auto repairman-in-chief, is on TV promising to guarantee that your GM/Chrysler car gets serviced and repaired.

Only thing he forgot to promise: the free tire gauges!

Heh!

At Hot Air, Ed Morrissey gets this in on the All About The ‘O’ Auto Warranty Program:

Good news, American auto owners! If you’ve been eyeballing a Lexus or a CRV because you want to own a car whose maker will be around long enough to honor the warranty, take another look at Detroit. Instead of handling their own warranties, Uncle Barack and his dog Spot will handle your warranty — along with a hefty new bureaucracy: {…}

This is great news — for fans of the DMV.

{…}

Government does not belong in the business of offering auto warranties. Two years ago, that would have been so obvious as to elicit derisive laughter for even mentioning it. But when we get a bunch of used-car salesmen in the White House and Congress, this is the result.

Double heh!!

Meanwhile, in an unrelated vein, The Anchoress’ Sandra Bullock/Rush Limbaugh dream gets a poster.

Triple heh!!!

Technorati Tags: GM CEO, Obama, Rick Wagoner

When I read this with my morning coffee in hand and mouth, I think I spewed more than I ingested! Andrew Klaven, conservative book author and screenwriter who’s August 2008 Washington Post column called out the conservatives in Hollywood for “whispering” while the Loony Lefties are “shouting”, has an opinion piece in today’s Los Angeles Times called Take the Limbaugh Challenge. In it he puts forth the argument that virtually all of those folk that excoriate Rush Limbaugh have never listened to his show and therefore know not of what they speak squeal/whine about.

Whenever I interrupt a liberal’s anti-Limbaugh rant to point out that the ranter has never actually listened to the man, he always says the same thing: “I’ve heard him!”

On further questioning, it always turns out that by “heard him,” he means he’s heard the selected excerpts spoon-fed him by the distortion-mongers of the mainstream media. These excerpts are specifically designed to accomplish one thing: to make sure you never actually listen to Limbaugh’s show, never actually give him a fair chance to speak his piece to you directly.

You know these folks — shoot, that’s about all there is around this neck o’ the woods. Be it Rush, Hannity, Hewitt, Prager . . . they hate ‘em all, but they’ve never listened to them. I remember a good 17 years ago I said something to one of our friends acquaintances about really enjoying listening to Dennis Prager. “I HATE DENNIS PRAGER!!!!” spewed from her mouth in an involuntary reflex. Nope, not in Kansas Oklahoma anymore, Okie. But, back to Klavan and his challenge to LA liberals:

By lifting some typically Rushian piece of outrageous hilarity completely out of context, the distortion gang knows full well it can get you to widen your eyes and open your mouth in the universal sign of Liberal Outrage. Your scrawny chest swelling with a warm sense of completely unearned righteousness, you will turn to your second spouse and say, “I’m not a liberal, I’m a moderate, and I’m tolerant of a wide range of differing views — but this goes too far!”

There is more untruthfulness in that statement than in a speech by President Obama. Even the commas are self-deceiving. You’re not a moderate or you wouldn’t be reading this newspaper. You’re not tolerant of a wide range of views; you are tolerant of a narrow spectrum of variations on your views. And, whatever you claim, you still haven’t listened to Rush Limbaugh.

After a laundry list of typical liberal excuses for not listening to Rush, Klavan cuts to the chase with the real reason:

You’re a lowdown, yellow-bellied, lily-livered intellectual coward. You’re terrified of finding out he makes more sense than you do.

“Terrified” — yeah, lefties do that well. It’s in their Calvins, hardwired in their DNA most likely. Next week that space will feature those that “took the bait”.

Can’t wait!

Technorati Tags: Andrew Klaven, Rush Limbaugh

And so is this Marine:

I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth around” to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.

I’m tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to “keep people in their homes.” Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I’m willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them-with their own money.

I’m tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros, and Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the religious freedom and women’s rights of Saudi Arabia , the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China , the crime, and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Gay people of Iran , and the freedom of speech of Venezuela . Won’t multiculturalism be beautiful?

Like “they” say — read it all!

[H/t: Ace]

I don’t do this often, but this is too important to excerpt. From the D.C. Examiner comes this editorial:

Expanded Americorps has an authoritarian feel

By Examiner Editorial – 3/26/09

With almost no public attention, both chambers of Congress in the past week advanced an alarming expansion of the Americorps national service plan, with the number of federally funded community service job increasing from 75,000 to 250,000 at a cost of $5.7 billion. Lurking behind the feel-good rhetoric spouted by the measure’s advocates is a bill that on closer inspection reveals multiple provisions that together create a strong odor of creepy authoritarianism. The House passed the measure overwhelmingly, while only 14 senators had the sense and courage to vote against it on a key procedural motion. Every legislator who either voted for this bill or didn’t vote at all has some serious explaining to do.

Last summer, then-candidate Barack Obama threw civil liberties to the wind when he proposed “a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded” as the regular military. The expanded Americorps is not quite so disturbing, but a number of provisions in the bill raise serious concerns.

To begin with, the legislation threatens the voluntary nature of Americorps by calling for consideration of “a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people.” It anticipates the possibility of requiring “all individuals in the United States” to perform such service – including elementary school students. The bill also summons up unsettling memories of World War II-era paramilitary groups by saying the new program should “combine the best practices of civilian service with the best aspects of military service,” while establishing “campuses” that serve as “operational headquarters,” complete with “superintendents” and “uniforms” for all participants. It allows for the elimination of all age restrictions in order to involve Americans at all stages of life. And it calls for creation of “a permanent cadre” in a “National Community Civilian Corps.”

But that’s not all. The bill also calls for “youth engagement zones” in which “service learning” is “a mandatory part of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency.” This updated form of voluntary community service is also to be “integrated into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics curricula” at all levels of schooling. Sounds like a government curriculum for government approved “service learning,” which is nothing less than indoctrination. Now, ask yourself if congressmen who voted for this monstrosity had a clue what they were voting for. If not, they’re guilty of dereliction of duty. If yes, the implications are truly frightening.

Totally frightening! Totally fascist! Benito would be proud.

However, The Anchoress cautions us to not be afraid:

DO NOT BE AFRAID. Everything happens for a reason. All is in place for a purpose. You just hunker down, stock up on some tuna, candles, batteries, ammo, duct tape and good books, keep the family close, get quiet and pray – and stay positive, because if you believe all things happen to God’s glory, well…here come glory.

Things are moving very fast for a reason, and after being delayed for 8 years, this train ain’t stopping for anything.

This administration, and this Congress is getting totally out of control. Sometimes fear is a good thing — especially if it spurs one on to action. Better start stockin’ up!

Technorati Tags: National Community Civilian Corps

The hatred of Sarah Palin by the Left is past the derangement level — it’s totally pathological. In evidence, they are now trying to bankrupt her and her family via endless trivial lawsuits. NRO has the skinny:

While holding elected officials accountable is laudable, most of the matters are beyond trivial. One of the complaints against her was for talking to reporters about the presidential campaign while she was in the governor’s office. Another objected to her office press secretary offering a statement to clarify a statement put out by her political action committee. The latest complaint is that Palin wore snow-machine gear advertising her husband Todd’s sponsor, Arctic Cat Inc, while “in her official duties as governor” when she served as the “official starter” of the race.

Ooooo — the travesty of it all!

So, what’s the defense total so far? Try half a million bucks! If she has to create a legal defense fund I’ll put up a link.

Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin

There’s not a representative or Senator on Capital Hill with the stones to say something like this to President Obama.

“Truth to power?” Not from our crew — shame, that.

The man blogs, too.

[H/t: The Anchoress]