Clint And The Bailout Ballyhoo!

Right about now Clint Eastwood is fondly recalling those mid-sixties Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns where he never had to say more than a dozen words in an entire film. After his gravel-voiced soliloquy about the rebirth of the American Auto Industry during the Super Bowl Chrysler commercial he is suddenly the central figure in an election-year political debate over the auto industry bailout of 2009.

First of all why, is there a debate at all? By every rational measure the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler has been a resounding success. At a time of dire economic crisis it kept over a million Americans off the unemployment rolls, preserved our global industrial leadership — and based on the accounting — the government’s investment in Detroit heavy metal paid off far better than the trillions poured into the capital and real estate finance markets during the same period.

And down where the rubber meets the road — there’s no debate. American today cars are better built, more exciting and offer better value. A recent test drive of the new 2012 Chevrolet SONIC LTZ — a mad hot 1.8 liter 4 cylinder, 5-Speed manual economy sports sedan — was proof positive that American car-making is back!