A real corker

[dougo]

CBS News:

Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said that the Obama administration's demands of General Motors and Chrysler set "a dangerous precedent."

"I think for all of us who believe in free enterprise, this is the crossing of a major threshold, and it actually should send a chill to people all across the country," Corker said.

This is incredible doublethink. The administration is asking for changes in the auto companies because we gave them billions of dollars and they're asking for more. If they don't want to make the changes, they are more than welcome to give us the damn money back. You know what's not free enterprise? Asking the government for free money, no strings attached. Corker (and the pundits who are echoing his talking points, or is it the other way around?) should be criticizing GM for wanting to go on welfare, not the administration for offering them a deal that protects the people's interest.

Comments

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Corker didn't support any of the bailouts, and I don't really care. What I'm objecting to is the proposition that bailouts with conditions is worse than bailouts with no conditions. I blame the media for reporting it (and Letterman and SNL mocking it) as "President Obama can just fire CEOs at whim now", and Corker and others are making political hay of this egregious misrepresentation.