The cars are really getting nice . . . ’bout damn time . . . Might be way too late!

The LA Times writes today, GM earns $865 million in first quarter for its first profit in nearly three years.

Sustained profits are seen as crucial for GM’s ability to float a stock offering to repay some of the $52 billion the federal government has poured into the company over the last year. The bailout made the government GM’s biggest shareholder, owning 61% of the automaker’s stock. The company exited from a bankruptcy reorganization July 10.

“There is a political aspect that the government wants to get out of its GM stake as quick as it can, especially if it can recoup somewhere near the dollars invested,” said Kenneth Elias, an auto industry analyst and partner at Maryann Keller & Associates.

But GM’s still-recovering finances and tenuous capital markets could still leave taxpayers far from a way out.

Will our government ever get itself disentangled from GM and Chrysler? Probably not as long as Obama is the Auto-CEO-in-Chief . . . dude LOVES runnin’ the big show! Of course, true Progressives HATE the automobile — provides far too much autonomy of movement to the clattering masses don’t ya know. Here is the solution to that from David Lazarus, one o’ the LAT’s Lefty Business-Opinion writer: Punish those of us that drive and reward those that take the bus.

Yeah, like that works out here in “45,000 square miles” of La La Land.

Dude — Subway this!

Every time I fire up the ol’ browser and check in with Drudge my head starts spinnin’. Some days I think I’m gonna do a full Linda Blair before I get through looking at the more interesting links. Today’s just another one o’ those days. Consider: GUNMAN KILLS SECURITY GUARD AT HOLOCAUST MUSEUM — your basic deranged white supremacist going off the reservation and gunning down someone because he hates the Jews. 88-year-old James W. von Brunn, the gunman, is still alive — barely. 39-year-old Stephen T. Johns of Temple Hills, Md., the security guard isn’t. BTW — he’s also black, FWTW.

Not to be outdone by owning majority shares in Chrysler and GM, the feds now are going to be the big dogs in Citibank. What could go wrong?

A barrel of oil now sells for over $72 — gasoline has gone up 9% in the last few weeks! Every time the price goes up, so do the gasoline taxes! Coincidence? I. Don’t. Think. So.

Here’s a good one for ya: New GM Chairman declares: ‘I don’t know anything about cars’… As Beavis and Butthead might say — Uhhhhh.

Closer to home: California near ‘meltdown’ as revenues fall… Yup! We’re out here just livin’ the dream!

Our Prez Barry O really know how to impress an ally.

At least the First Lady knows how to wow ‘em in London with her fashion sense.

Must. Stop. Head. From. Spinning.

Boy, seems like only a few months ago that we were bailing out the banks and big insurance companies with TARP funds, and then we had to step up and loan General Motors and Chrysler BILLIONS of tax payer dollars because, well, uh, “they are too big to fail.” Well, Chrysler failed and went into chapter 13, and now the General has joined them with Monday’s largest industrial bankruptcy evah! Guess we’re all supposed to be placated by US, the taxpayers, ending up owning at least 60% of the New GM.

The implications and repercussions of GM being torn asunder with the toxic assets becoming Old GM — to be thrown under the liquidation bus and afterwards Cadillac, Chevy, Buick & GMC soldiering on as the New GM with little to no debt and parity with Toyota & Honda in wage costs — are staggering! The local fallout of 42% of existing GM dealers losing their franchises is mind boggling! What could go wrong?

Well, imagine the government providing incentives for US to buy government-owned GM cars and trucks via tax breaks — gotta make it work, we ALL own it, right? Imaging the government punishing Ford, Honda, Toyota et all because, well, they aren’t “government owned” and therefore are in direct competition with the government’s best interest. Imagine if the Obama administration decides to force those dealers to close that didn’t support Obama in last fall’s election and make sure that those that did get competition-free zones! Never happen you say? Laer at Cheat-Seeking Missiles lets up know that it might already have.

When I first read of Dealergate in a “Red Alert” post by Doug Ross – the supposed effort by the Obama admin to close Chrysler dealerships whose owners are big GOP donors – I decided not to write about it because a key question was unanswered: How many Chrysler dealers are big Obama supporters?

Seemingly, car dealership owners, as entrepreneurs in a business that’s under odious regulation and ongoing threats to its survival by Dem pontificators, would be overwhelmingly Republican, so dealerships forced to close by a Dem admin would be overwhelmingly Republican. I’m not sure that question has yet to be answered, but the story is getting some very sticky traction (at least on the right side of the blogosphere), so it’s officially an Obama Drama.

In Ross’ newest post, he’s been putting dealership locations and political contributions and finding a pattern of GOP-contributing dealerships being closed to the benefit of nearby Obama-supporting dealerships. Here’s one example of many, many presented:

It’s the Chicago way, don’t ya know? Michelle Malkin has it pegged about that and the total silence from the MSM. Imagine if a Republican administration had been doing something like this.

As I’ve stated from the beginning, there is still much to be researched on this issue. Given Obama’s Chicago gangland propensities, anything corrupt is possible.

Some professional journalists, however, have shown obstinate unwilligness to get to the bottom of the decision-making process.

Visit Laer’s site for the specifics and links to the primary data and to Doug Ross’ blog. Me? I’m gonna go off into a corner and twiddle my thumbs and celebrate owning 2, count ‘em, TWO car companies.

Not really . . .

We elected our own Dr. Utopia to be our president. Much of what is shown in the last couple of minutes in this 50 year-old cartoon are happening before our eyes — like a train wreck that we can’t stop and that will eventually roll over all of us.

[H/t: Ace & Right Bias]

Well, 5 days into the Obama Presidency and gee, the fellow sure has been busy. Doing the business of the people, no doubt. No doubt if you don’t believe in the sanctity of nascent human life, no doubt if you aren’t a bit afraid of the terrorists being held in Guantanamo, no doubt if you cringe at the thought of our CIA operatives going full Jack Bauer on some vile American-hating combatant or terror planner to find out just how they are planning to kill all of us. No doubt, if you hate Rush Limbaugh. Say what?

Yep, Prez Barry-O took a swipe back at Rush yesterday, “warning” republicans on the hill not to listen to him anymore, not to consider the concerns of their conservative constituents back home ’cause WE ALL GOTS LOTS TO DO OR THE ECONOMY WILL BE TOILETIZED! And, better than that, “I WON!” Just STFU and deal with it was the unspoken sentiment, or with Rahm Emmanuel on board, maybe it was indeed spoken.

Of course when you take a look at the Democrat’s plan, a lot of the money won’t get into the economy for nearly two years! A big chunk is slated for tax rebates for those that don’t pay any Federal income taxes (welfare by any other name is still welfare, isn’t it?) And what’s up with hundreds of millions for condoms?

Let’s shine some light on a couple of those. First, Obama’s executive order that affects abortion, which he signed one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade SCOTUS ruling. With this order, Obama once again stuck down the rule that disallowed International funding for groups that promoted and or performed abortions. This ruling was first established by Ronald Reagan and then rescinded by ol’ Slick Willy. “W” reinstated it, and now Barry-O has decided that killing the unborn abroad needs to be cool again, supported by our taxpayer dollars, natch. Gerald Warner writes at the Telegraph.co.UK: Barack Obama inauguration: this Emperor has no clothes, it will all end in tears. [h/t: Michelle Malkin]

To anyone who kept his head, the string of Christmas cracker mottoes booming through the public address system on Washington’s National Mall can only excite scepticism. It is crucial to recall the reality that lies behind the rhetoric. Denouncing “those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents” comes ill from a man whose flagship legislation, the Freedom of Choice Act, will impose abortion, including partial-birth abortion, on every state in the Union. It seems the era of Hope is to be inaugurated with a slaughter of the innocents.

{…}

It is frightening to think there is a real possibility that the entire world economy could go into complete meltdown and famine kill millions. Yet Western – and British – commentators are cocooned in a warm comfort zone of infatuation with America’s answer to Neil Kinnock. We should be long past applauding politicians of any hue: they got us into this mess. The best deserve a probationary opportunity to prove themselves, the worst should be in jail.

It is questionable whether the present political system can survive the coming crisis. Whatever the solution, teenage swooning sentimentality over a celebrity cult has no part in it. The most powerful nation on earth is confronting its worst economic crisis under the leadership of its most extremely liberal politician, who has virtually no experience of federal politics. That is not an opportunity but a catastrophe.

The Vatican is not amused:

Archbishop Rino Fisichella warned against what he called the ‘arrogance’ of those in power who think they can decide between life and death.

I warned you all about Obama’s aggressive pro-abortion attitude last Aug.: Obama On Abortion — He’s For It . . . Then Again, He’s For It! Remember, the concept of where life begins is “above our new President’s pay grade”!

And then there’s the continuing war on terror, or war on terrorists if you prefer. With released former Guantanamo prisoners showing up in al Qeada videos one might have second thoughts about releasing those last 200 plus detainees. But nope, one of the new Pres’ first orders of business was to declare that this facility would close within a year. He did give himself some wiggle room, “just in case” I guess, sanity makes a comeback. He also ordered the CIA to close all of its overseas prisons and banned any “US personnel including the CIA from using threats, coercion, physical abuse and waterboarding.” I guess that now all our guys can do is ask, “Is that music a bit too loud? Would you like some coffee with your baklava and a reading light with your Koran?” That’ll really make ‘em talk. Let’s see, what else? Oh yeah, using tactics from his buddy Bill Ayers mentor, Saul Alinsky, Pres Barry-O picks a fight with Rush Limbaugh.

President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

“You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done,” he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.

One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.

“There are big things that unify Republicans and Democrats,” the official said. “We shouldn’t let partisan politics derail what are very important things that need to get done.”

Not being one to take a hit and not hit back, Rush responded:

There are two things going on here. One prong of the Great Unifier’s plan is to isolate elected Republicans from their voters and supporters by making the argument about me and not about his plan. He is hoping that these Republicans will also publicly denounce me and thus marginalize me. And who knows? Are ideological and philosophical ties enough to keep the GOP loyal to their voters? Meanwhile, the effort to foist all blame for this mess on the private sector continues unabated when most of the blame for this current debacle can be laid at the feet of the Congress and a couple of former presidents. And there is a strategic reason for this.

{…}

To make the argument about me instead of his plan makes sense from his perspective. Obama’s plan would buy votes for the Democrat Party, in the same way FDR’s New Deal established majority power for 50 years of Democrat rule, and it would also simultaneously seriously damage any hope of future tax cuts. It would allow a majority of American voters to guarantee no taxes for themselves going forward. It would burden the private sector and put the public sector in permanent and firm control of the economy. Put simply, I believe his stimulus is aimed at re-establishing “eternal” power for the Democrat Party rather than stimulating the economy because anyone with a brain knows this is NOT how you stimulate the economy.

{…}

If I can be made to serve as a distraction, then there is that much less time debating the merits of the trillion dollar debacle.

One more thing, Byron. Your publication and website have documented Obama’s ties to the teachings of Saul Alinksy while he was community organizing in Chicago. Here is Rule 13 of Alinksy’s Rules for Radicals:

“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

Back to the Obama bailout plan. And, what a plan it is folks. 825 Billion and counting — expected to top a Trillion before the Dems are through porking it up to make all good little Dems happy. They’ve got the keys to the car, the credit card for the gas, and a heavy right foot for the go, Go GO — they just don’t have any brakes on this jalopy! “Boldly and swiftly” they plan to lay zillions of miles of new electric grid, to bring online the power of wind mills and other renewable energy outlets — and do it all in the next three years. Yeah, right. They won’t even get through the environmental vetting process in three years, let alone lay a single mile of power line. His radical appointment to head the EPA will ensure that. Also, what I would like to know is how he plans to “cut electric” bills while at the same time impose draconian anti-CO2 measures on energy producers?

The Obama administration is pushing forward with plans to aggressively limit greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming despite fears that the move could further slow the recessionary economy.

The administration plans to portray the limits as a boost for America’s “clean energy economy,” according to congressional leaders and energy experts who have talked with top Obama advisors. The move would spur competition and promote investment in renewable alternatives to imported oil, the government will argue.

At issue is the so-called cap-and-trade initiative, under which the government would set limits on carbon emissions by power plants, factories and other installations, but allow those who emit more to buy or trade permits with companies and facilities that emitted less than the prescribed limit.

The idea is that raising the cost of pumping more carbon into the atmosphere would encourage companies and other emitters to cut back, thus reducing a principal cause of global warming.

But cap-and-trade would amount to a tax, raising energy costs. And several independent studies have suggested that emissions limits could be a drag on economic growth, a concern raised frequently by opponents of climate change legislation.

Not that the wealthy elite that just had to be at the Inauguration were in the least concerned about their “carbon footprint”, as 600 of their private jets were flown into DC for the occasion. Twice the number as for the “War-for-Oil” Bush event. Irony? Or just in-your-face narcissism?

We’ve got at least four years of this comin’ at us. This is the result of days 1-5. Better hope that the 41 Republicans in the Senate, 42 if Coleman ever gets a decent recount in MN, can stick together and filibuster well — otherwise it’s gonna be a painful 48 months!

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