GM Recalls a Million Cars...

For Steering Problems. I wonder when the Congressional Inquiry begins, and whether or not the Obama-administration hack who runs GM, and the overpaid Union jerks who put the things together will be mercilessly grilled for several hours by complete idiots?

Or do we only do that to Japanese auto companies in which the Fed'ral Gub'mint doesn't have a direct stake, and who's unions don't kickback to the democratic (small 'd'; intentional) party?

Guilty secret: I felt sorry for Akio Toyoda last week, if only because after having worked for a Japanese company for seven years I might understand the Japanese mindset a little better than most Americans do. He came here because he had to, but not to answer the questions asked by a panel of five-star douchebags. He had to come to America because Japanese culture demands that he do so, to be seen as both contrite and involved in fixing a problem which is deeply embarrassing to him. His products -- cars with his name on them and the family reputation tied up in them -- are defective. Someone has to be held responsible, and he happens to be the guy in charge.

It's what you do when you're Japanese: you take responsibility, and you apologize, and you promise to try harder. Then you go out and do it. Or else you disembowel yourself. If only some members of Congress held to a similar code, we'd be a much better country for it.

Akio Toyoda did all the right things. He was sincere. He was telling the truth; Toyota will investigate and fix their acceleration and braking problems, and Toyota cars will be even more mechanically-reliable and qualitatively-superior to an American car built by a nosepicking douche with strong communist sympathies.

The dimwits in their rush to bash Toyota may have damaged relations with Japan, one of our best allies, and the second-largest holder of U.S. Debt. That they did so was predictable; it was too good an opportunity for TV time, too good an opportunity to further wound the Union's and GM's competition, and now in the name of fair play, I'm expecting to see GM's President similarly keelhauled and publicly embarrassed, and GM's reputation, such as it is, further tarnished for the purposes of scoring cheap political points.

But I won't hold my breath.

If no one will apologize to Mr. Toyoda, then I will; On behalf of the People of the United States, Toyoda-san, I'm truly sorry that we have elected a political class that is so craven and cowardly.

In the meantime, GM insists that cars with a steering problem are "perfectly safe" and that owners should continue to drive them.... only slower.

You can't make this shit up.