What else am I supposed to think? The Republican party in Congress (or what's left of it, anyway) mounts a stalwart defense against the giveaway of billions of dollars to what Roger Simon calls "a rescue program for incompetent execs and thuggish union leaders", and what does W do? He frantically tries to sabotage the party's last stand against a nationalized auto industry by attempting to divert funds from dollars dedicated to rescuing the financial sector of the economy (keeping the financials of a country operating is not the same as rescuing three individual companies within one industry, incidentally).
NRO points to the procedural overeach by the Bush administration here:
...the Bush administration’s decision to use the bank-bailout funds to rescue the auto companies is both disappointing and wrong-headed. Congress directed the administration to use those funds to save the financial system, not three car companies. Congress’s intent cannot be misconstrued, especially after it explicitly rejected the automakers’ pleas for help.
....Bankruptcy court is the place where cooler heads can sort through Detroit’s Byzantine labor contracts and decide what makes sense and what doesn’t.
His [Bush's] reversal on this issue is a sad affront to his party and its philosophy — not the exit we would have hoped for.
The Republican party will have a lot of tought fights ahead. This victory was a no-brainer - with even some Senate Democrats weak-kneed on the auto bailout - and the President betrayed his party just when they had won the fight, a fight that had strong public backing.
Why? It's all about legacy, of course. Bush didn't want to be known as the president on who's watch the auto industry failed. Instead, he will be known as the president on who's watch the nationalization of the auto industry began. And we all know how well that's going to work out.
Sweet Jeebus, bring on Barack Obama already. At least we'll see the knife coming from the front as opposed to feeling it slicing through the back...
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