Transportation Policy

The Bailout: Won’t Someone Please Think of the Car Dealers?

Cap'n Transit pointed out the other day how US Senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid, were pushing Bailout 2.0 by emphasizing the precipitous drop in new car sales and the slowing of highway construction as indicators of national crisis. (Mayor Bloomberg, by the way, also alluded to empty dealer showrooms during yesterday's third term pitch.)

By Brad Aaron

4:33 PM EDT on October 3, 2008

Cap’n Transit pointed out the other day how US Senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid, were pushing Bailout 2.0 by emphasizing the precipitous drop in new car sales and the slowing of highway construction as indicators of national crisis. (Mayor Bloomberg, by the way, also alluded to empty dealer showrooms during yesterday’s third term pitch.)

To keep things in perspective, we again turn to “The Daily Show.” Queuing up a Senate testimony montage at the five-minute mark of this clip, Jon Stewart explains the initial House bailout clusterf#@k:

“No wonder it didn’t pass the House. Their explanations in no way explain the problem. To do this you’ve gotta at least use highway wreckage metaphors. It’s the only way Americans understand things. I think the Senate knows what I’m talking about.”

Hilarity ensues.

Video: Comedy Central

Brad Aaron

Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

Transportation Policy