Regarding my post and Henry’s below (and his longer Corner item), the signals could not be any more clear about the present and future machinations and motivations involved in the unfolding Chrysler disaster than what I just saw:

At his presser announcing the matter, the individual immediately to his left (not much room, admittedly . . . except possibly for recent-ex-board members of the Socialist International) appeared to be none other than Climate and Energy Czarina Carol Browner.

Ummm . . . why? At an event to announce an auto company’s . . . state . . . managed . . . future. Ah. Right.

This was mere hours after the EPA head whom Ms. Browner oversees had just told NPR that “The President has said — and I couldn’t agree more — that what this country needs is one single national road map that tells auto makers who are trying to become solvent again, what kind of car it is they need to be designing and building for the American people. . . . [Because that] is free enterprise in a way. [But don’t forget that . . . ] first and foremost the free enterprise system has us where we are right this second.”

Well, actually no, it wasn’t free enterprise that mandated lenders make loans to people who couldn’t pay them back and automakers to make automobiles that people didn’t want to buy. As seems to be this sort’s standard response to failed central planning, we’re hearing others blamed amid calls for more and better central planners. Heaven help us all.