That almost doesn't sound like something that a far left politician would say, but does he mean it? I personally do not think he does. He went onto describe what equated to long term government bailouts. These bailouts would have conditions for government oversight on the industry. Basically, the government would mandate what kind of cars companies could make, what mileage and environmental standards they must meet, and what they can invest in. Obama wants to create an industry that "actually works, that actually functions."

To me it sounds like that word that the Obama campaign tries to hide from so much: Nationalization.

Now for a history lesson: Harry Truman seized our steel mills in the 1950's rather than allow a strike or them to fix their own problems. Not since then have we had Washington toying with nationalization. Now you may say that we are not truly nationalizing, they will still be private entities. Seriously though, this is the functional equivalent. If the companies have private people running it, but the government telling them exactly what to do and how to do it, thats nationalization anyway you try to poetically word it.

Actually Truman was quoted as saying "The president has the power to keep the country from going to hell." Maybe Obama is taking that view on his role as President. Don't forget though, the Supreme Court took that view a little differently and forced Truman to relinquish control.

The scary part of it all is their is so little protest about it. We have more people whining about calling in gay than we have people worried about the government seizing control of everything. Even Obama stated that the governments record as corporate managers is dismal at best. 

The scariest part of all is if these efforts to nationalize fail. If American automotive companies fail and are sold to foreign competitors or investors for fractions of what it should have cost, Americans will lose billions.

We have to look like a group of hypocrites to other nations, not that I care. The point being how can we go around preaching capitalism to the world, then go against that very word. How do you expect anyone to take us seriously if we don't even follow what we tell everyone else they should be doing?

The scope of this bailout is mind boggling, and the government is playing with trillions of our tax dollars and no one seems to care. This is our money, we should have a say in this.