Kathryn, this GM/Chrysler thing is bad. Really bad. The descent into corporatism will doom America: The government is not competent to pick winners and losers, and will mire us in long-term Continental-style economic stagnation if it persists.
Aside from anything else, it should be disturbing that GM appears to have evolved into what Canada calls a “Crown corporation” without its nominal owners having any say in the matter. (If you’re thinking “Crown corporation” sounds like a contradiction in terms, you’re right.)
The Lileks/Kaus reactions are worth reading. The Obama economy is shaping up not just as a Carteresque decline but a global tragedy.