And, it is hard to tell what the critters do really know much about, with the possible exception of gladhanding and preening. It is depressing to watch them in action.

I was struck by Jon Stewart’s little “autoerotic” commentary last night. The Congresscritters think they know about the auto business. They don’t. They know they don’t know shit about Big FInance. That’s why the bankers get the blank check.

Actually, I’m quite happy that Ecclestone dumped Montreal for Dubai. Less air and noise pollution for the rest of us.

Do we know how many foreign transplant auto co’s employee’s purchase auto’s from their employers compared to the Big 3?

Sooner or later we have to address how many foreign companies can come in our country and dictate our wage and benefit policies.

I liked the part when Wagner was questioned abt if health care was passed in the 80’s wouldn’t be in this mess today and that the auto co’s had never endorsed national health care. Wagnor still didn’t endorse national health care when given the chance. It was like we scratch your back and you scratch ours but he didn’t bite.

I’ll tell you what I’d like to see… take the cream of blogosphere: econ, energy, climate, politics, law… and have ‘em all put their collective heads together. Take the next step to construct online policy forums. Get the best/brightest, enough in each category for diverse ruminations… deep thoughts. Keep ‘em on purpose. Make ‘em serious… deadly serious.

That’s an excellent suggestion. On a tangentially related note, on another thread I read the Berkeley City Council plans to vote on insisting the U.S. prosecute John Yoo for war crimes. It is way past time for sitting around waiting for our elected officials to get things right. They appear hell-bent on following the old adage that a person can’t understand something when their livelihood (or elected seat) depends on them not understanding it.

I think organizing an on-line collaborative effort for progressives to really contemplate how we want the world to function, rather than the way it currently does would have a tremendous impact. Our current government at all levels: federal, state, and local subsidize certain businesses and business practices making them more profitable and giving them a leg up on their competition. Those subsidies (along with various trade policies and domestic rules) are what keep us in the straightjacket we are in. We need to think broadly about how to restructure the whole system to favor a different way (a more resilient way) of doing business. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be fun. And it is clearly necessary.

They own the SEC – so self-deal without concern.