The auto bailout mess reminds me of a comedy routine.  Peter Cook and Dudley Moore did it years ago.  Moore auditions for the role of Tarzan.  Problem is he has only one leg.

Cook has to gradually break some news to Moore.  The public is not ready for a one-legged Tarzan.  “I’ve got nothing against your right leg,” he says. “The trouble is - neither have you.  You fall down on your left.”

The auto guys auditioned before congress guys for billions in bailout bucks.  Problem was they hopped in on one leg. 

Dudley could talk all day about his experience.  About how thrilling he would be in the role.  But if you were present at the interview you would want to blurt “You twit!  You can’t play Tarzan.  Not ever! Because you’ve got only one leg!”

The auto guys could go on for weeks about their viability.  About their headaches.  About the credit crunch.  About their plans to cut this and patch that.  “And, yes, Madame Pelosi we will make a 3 ft. gossamer car that runs on mayonaise and gets 400 miles per jar.”

If you were present you would want to blurt “You twits!  You’ve got only one leg!  You pay your workers $73 an hour in wage and benefits.  Your competitors pay $48. You have been running a jobs bank where laid off workers get paid two-years while idle. (Used to be they got paid forever and there were 7000 workers in that happy situation.)