Almost 30 years ago, a steep rise in oil prices drove consumers to buy smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Cars that American auto manufacturers simply didn’t make. The resulting huge drop in sales drove Chrysler to the brink of bankruptcy, but before the market could play itself out, President Jimmy Carter …
Nothing gathers a crowd in Washington like the sight of money being handed out. Thus, in the wake of last weekend’s federal takeover of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, lobbyists for the automobile industry could be found stalking the halls of Congress, asking for help from the government too. Specifically, …