Cars of the Rich and Famous
As I begin writing this, President Obama is on the big screen.
It’s not about helping banks, it’s about helping people.
In today’s Washington Post, there was an “In The Loop” article about Obama’s auto industry task force, the light-hearted takeaway being that maybe Detroit will find it difficult to get a fair shake from the task force because, ahem, few of the members, or their top aides, own cars from the Big Three. Here are the alarming details, along with my take
- Co-chair Timothy F. Geithner (”whose grandfather worked for Ford”) drives an Acura TSX. Come on Tim, you are a master of the universe, you can do better than a bottom-of-the-line Acura, especially given the money you have saved in taxes over the past several years.
- National Economic Council Director Lawrence H. Summers drives a 1995 Mazda Protege. Disgraceful. I guess Harvard does not pay their President much money.
- OMB Director Peter Orszag drives a 2008 Honda and a 2004 Volvo. Zzzzzz.
- EPA Chief Lisa Jackson drives a Prius. Mad props. Practicing what she preaches.
- Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner and Steven Chu don’t have any cars. Worrisome, if you ask me. Practically un-American.
- No car information was available for Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood or Head of Council of Economic Advisers Christina Romer.
And then the top aides.
- Staff Director of the White House Economic Recovery Advisory Board Austan Goolsbee drives a 2004 Toyota Highlander. This better be the 4-wheel drive version. Nothing ticks me off like purchasers of SUVs that cheap-out and buy the 2-wheel drive versions.
- Chief of Staff to LaHood, Joan DeBoer drives a 2008 Lexus. Finally. A rich person that isn’t slumming it.
- Deputy Director of the White House Office of Climate Change Heather Zichal drives a Volvo. Another democrat, another Volvo. What are the odds?
- Treasury Counsel Gene Sperling drives a 2003 Lincoln. A Lincoln? No wonder he is serving in the Obama administration. Maybe a friend of Detroit?
- Senior Advisor at the Labor Department Edward B. Montgomery drives a Harley Davidson. No word on whether Edward is a member of HAMC.
- Senior Counsel at EPA Lisa Heinzerling drives a 1998 Suburu. Time for a new Suby, Lisa!
- Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Diana Farrell does not own a car. But her husband drives a 1985 Peugeot. Psychiatric counseling is in order. When I think of something that is 24 years old, and French, it’s not a Peugeot.
- Senior advisor to Chu, Dan Utech drives a 2003 Mini Cooper. Nice. I hope it is a Mini Cooper S.
- Senior advisor to the Commerce Department Rick Wade owns a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier. Time to stimulate the economy, Rick, and maybe help out Detroit.
- Biden Chief Economist Jared Bernstein drives a 2005 Honda Odyssey. Strange, but I always thought Jared was a man’s name.
