Hardball

What is Obama doing with regard to the automobile industry? It seems, from what we can tell, that he is being pretty tough on them. This piece from today's New York Times made me wonder if he's really on top of the situation.

As the daughter of parents who were loyal members of teacher's unions, and a woman who seems to pay her mechanics close to 90 dollars an hour to work on her car, I find the idea of paying those just hired 15 dollars an hour vaguely shocking. That's in part because I have the klutzy person's reverence for those who understand such mysteries.

But although lawyers and doctors, and those white collar guys climbing the corporate ladder at places like Comcast probably do better, it really isn't a bad place to start. And it does seem like Rick Wagoner, faced with the potential death of American automibles, has done an excrutiating but noteworthy job of preparing GM for a future of green and smaller cars.

It may be that Obama is coming down on GM because we've already spewed out enough money at the large banks-and where has it gotten us? ;-)

But there's no one size fits all solution to this crisis-and not to respect innovation, if when its innovation forced by circumstance, doesn't seem to be a helpful way to move us forward.

For an opposing view from David Brooks, see this.

All I can say is--glad they didn't elect me! Much easier to take potshots from the sidelines.