"Cash for Clunkers" (CARS) is an example of a government stimulus program so successful that it ran out of money in one week, causing the House to re-double its funding in hopes of making their car-dealer, car-buying, non-TARP-eligible constituency happy before they head home for a talking-to. But the big-shot Senate, where ideas beloved by the American people go to die, may very well find an across-the-aisle way to destroy the program — as a tryout for ruining the House’s healthcare reform.
DeMint, unclear on the concept, while still getting out this month’s central GOP message:
“The federal government went bankrupt in one week in the used-car business, and now they want to run our health care system,” Mr. DeMint said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “This is crazy to try to rush this thing through again while they’re trying to rush through health care, and they want to get on to cap-and-trade electricity tax. We’ve got to slow this thing down.”
Didja hear that, non-dog-whistle-enabled citizens? "Slow this thing down" is now the new GOP mantra for everything.
Noted economics scholar ("The fundamentals of our economy are strong!") John McCain, GOP Senator from Arizona, where lots of old people drive Pontiac Bonnevilles, Chrysler Newports and Ford Galaxy 500s around Sun City because they "know where the headlight switch is," has decided to blame speculators for the success of the program, which has so many safeguards on prior clunker ownership and registration that dealers couldn’t stop complaining long enough to tell the media who stopped by their packed showrooms, "Not that I’m complaining or anything!"
On Friday a spokeswoman for Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, said Mr. McCain would lead a filibuster against the bill to give the program more money.
“Within a few weeks we will see that this process was abused by speculators and people who took advantage of what is basically a huge government subsidy of corporations that they already own,” Mr. McCain told Fox News last week.
And look who’s wandered in, arm in arm with Joe Lieberman’s best lady pal Sue Collins, just in time to give the GOP Senators some of that sweet, sweet bipartisan credibility because her name wasn’t on the bill that originally passed?
“The extraordinary reaction to the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program demonstrates that consumers do want to purchase more fuel efficient, less polluting vehicles.
We believe that any extension of the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program must go further in advancing the goals of better fuel efficiency and greater emissions reductions. We will not support any bill that does not meet these goals.
We will insist than any extension of the program requires that the minimum fuel economy improvement for newly purchased vehicles be at least two miles per gallon higher than it is under the enacted Clunkers program. It is also important to include lower-income consumers who are disadvantaged under the current program. So, we would also include a voucher for the purchase of fuel efficient used vehicles.”
Looks like the Senate might demonstrate yet again its storied capability of killing anything that’s popular with the American people, since the House has adjourned and any details that the Upper House decides to change, beyond simply approving the two billion dollars our Representatives added to the plan, will require Congresscritters to return to DeeCee. In other words, clunkers might kill Clunkers.
And that’s what the Senate is for, right?
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Johnny Mac
“Within a few weeks we will see that this process was abused by speculators and people who took advantage of what is basically a huge government subsidy of corporations that they already own.”
If I take advantage of something that I already own, how am I abusing it?
Is it too late to have these guys take courses in remedial English?
DAMN! I’m ready for pitchforks on the mall. So far as I can see, this is the ONLY program so far that has the potential to benefit almost anyone. Of course it must be stopped. These creeps have no idea what it’s like out here in reality land. It must be nice up there on Olympus.
This post reinforces a comment I made earlier today – the Senate was a bad idea that has gotten worse over time.
An Idea for Arizona bumper stickers
”My job was saved
Despite McCain”
Oh, Teddy. Our government went bankrupt last week? But, I thought I heard that the recession is over. I’m confused again. Doesn’t take much these days.
See, I can be snarky too. *g*
Superb post, as ever dear Teddy!
Ya know, quite of bit of the Stimulus “has been working” and most of it hasn’t even been disbursed. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but things are actually improving in many sectors and others have at least stopped their massive declines.
Gee, what has Obama said all along? Stop the bleeding first, then institute structural change to prevent this kind of collapse from happening again. I’d say Obama’s plans are succeeding just as he wanted them to for the most part. So, since he’s in the middle of the fist part, and it’s working, we can either cynically question his motives or skills for that second part, or we can be excited and active to make sure that second part about structural change happens the way most Liberals would want.
Onward and upward!
He’s a clunker, maybe you can trade him in
What’s astounding is that people from California, Texas, and New York allow people from the pissant states to have as much clout as they do.
Makes sense that the GOP strategy would be to “slow things down.” It has probably decided that being the party of “no” is not going to work politically. More importantly however, is that they’re realizing that Obama’s initiatives might work after all. Obstuctionism is a time-honored political strategy.
Of course for the GOP it’s all about Party, screw the country.
If GM were committed to the continued production of a re-badged Corolla (did the Pontiac Vibe die with Pontiac?) at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, would Feinstein be singing a different tune?
and I have birth certificates that prove that TX and CA were borned before the consititution was written!
:~)
Geezus…. Stupid fuckers.
MOST awesome snark, Teddy. I love your “reads”!
and to citizensue, YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!!!
The United States Senate is a CANCER on our body politic.
Can we abolish it?
HAVE PITCHFORK,
WILL TRAVEL!
Gah. I remember some report recently saying that said auto dealers vote Repub somewhere in the 90% or more range. When the Clunkers stuff started coming out this week, and they’re saying they can’t keep up with the demand, I couldn’t help but wonder what these stupid fucks (pardon my Swahili) would be saying as they rake it in.
Sho’ nuff, they’ll happily take it, but gotta get digs in on their way to the bank:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..r_clunkers
If you’re a Repub, are you automatically a hypocrite? Seems that way. And Cody, much of the small percentage of the Stimulus that’s been sent out, in a wide variety of sectors, is working quite well you “world revolves around me” dolt.
Hey, what’s an AP article without an undercurrent of “unresponsible, tax and spending Liberals” weaved throughout the “report,” even when it’s about a bold new initiative that’s succeeding? Oh, and that we need the reasonable and responsible Repubs to come in and keep us wackjob Liberals in check, just as Repubs did the last 8 years when leading America and the world off a cliff.
Predominantly Republican (”O’Reilly/Beck Libertarians”, registered as Independent now) auto dealers will raise hell if their “welfare program” is cut by the Senate. This is the first time in two years that they have sold a bunch of cars. Reports of 20 and more car sales per salesman for July have been common at the local Hyundai dealer.
Something is smelly about the CARS thing needing more bucks. I’ll confess to not being especially happy about it because I’ve always bought fuel efficient cars, and I’d like to get $3500 (or even $4500) to replace my 1993 Accord.
All that is beside the point. According to a colleague who bought a Subaru under the program, about 45,000 cars have been sold under the program. $1B at $4500/car works out to at least 220K cars. What’s up, Doc?
Is there a website where one can go to find out how many claims are in the queue?
The colleague who gave me the 45K car number is a libertarian economist: Markets are the most efficient solution to every problem.
Funny how folks like that are happy to say, “This is a really stupid program, it’s counter to everything I believe about Economics and society. I think I’ll grab one while I can.”
There is a website you can go to but according to Glen Beck if you go to that site the government will takeover your computer.
At what point does ideology differ from senility
The GOP wants to re-destroy the economy. They miss the economy of a year ago, when it was in a complete tailspin. McCain did say “the fundamentals were sound” back then. He probably believed it, too.
Amen! This country plainly needs to go bonkers.
Maybe the state of Michigan should declare war on S. Carolina and this time finish the job for good.
“…where lots of old people drive Pontiac Bonnevilles, Chrysler Newports and Ford Galaxy 500s around Sun City because they “know where the headlight switch is,”…”
So you don’t mind if the eco-fascists who hijacked the whole automotive debate let the morons of America destroy our automotive heritage? Seriously? Don’t tell me what to drive!
I may be missing it in front of my nose, but someone tell me what’s WRONG with Sci Fi’s statement about RAISING the mileage factor in the program?
There ARE documented cases galore of folks with two year old cars switching out SUV’s for more opulent vehicles (albeit with SLIGHTLY better mileage) just to use the govt program to save some money . . .
So I have no problem with tinkering with the program to fix and improve it. To that end, and it GAGS me to say it, I find no fault with Sci Fi’s statement, as written (it was in my local rag, at SFGate, etc. too past few days).
As to the REST of the Senate, the conservs, GOP and Blue Dogs? Joke ‘em if they can’t take a fuck . . .
hey, why not?
Hi Lydia
Being an Arizona state worker, and that McCain voted against the stimulus, that is actually true!!! We got a quite a bit of money that saved quite a few jobs and might have been my own.
Hey Teddy – thanks for this post.
As long as they insist on pouring more gasoline on the financial wildland fire, Cash for Clunkers rebates are as good as any other bailout.
However, the real numbers on this popular program are a mixed blessing. http://market-ticker.denninger…..nkers.html