by Ron Hart

Congress dragged Toyota, kicking and bowing, to Washington to testify this week in one of their indignant show trials they so love. I wish they would subpoena themselves and bring Congress before a Senate hearing under oath and the red hot lights of TV cameras. Then we might get to the root of most problems in America, which is too much government intervention, confusing rules, and second-guessing politicians.

Congress will say Toyota executives knew about a few break problems and just “drug their feet” on the matter.

It has been a tough year for Prius owners all around. It turns out there is no global warming.

It is so embarrassing for Prius owners that Toyota has also recalled that sanctimonious smug look drivers have on their face when they talk about how they are saving the world with their car. But on the bright side for liberals, they now are victims and they love that about as much.

The Democratic Congress’ poll numbers have plummeted so quickly that they should post them on the downhill Olympic race where they would be our best shot at a medal. They are trying to divert America’s dislike of them toward big bad business. It is what they do best.

In fact this problem with electronic braking came about because of Federal pressures on CAFE standards where manufacturers were attempting to make lighter cars. Politicians, as they often do, point the finger at big bad business. Then out comes a memo where Toyota cut a deal with their Washington regulators last year on the braking issue. Like with most finger pointing politicians do, usually at least three fingers are pointing right back at them.

The reality is that the businesses we have had the most difficulty with like banking, insurance and mortgage lending, and now car companies, are the ones most regulated. Less regulated businesses who are more free-market regulated have done fine like Wal-Mart, Coke, Google, Caterpillar and Home Depot.

Washington still does not get it; we are taxed and regulated to death. The lone Democrat Senator in Massachusetts and the man who was unable to beat George Bush, John Kerry still wants to push through cap and trade. This is the same man who had the insight and vision to tap John Edwards as his Vice Presidential choice (while Edwards was doing his own tapping of employees) ignores all the recent data uncovered saying that the “global warming” data is dishonest and agenda driven.

The fact that we are broke and man-made global warming has been a hoax does not seem to stop Kerry and other Democrats who do not let the facts get in the way of an opportunity to control and tax more of the economy.

Toyota has all the business incentive in the world to protect their reputation. It is what drives business to do the right thing. When plaintiff’s attorneys and their brethren in the Democratic Congress make it difficult to address a problem for fear of class-action litigation or humiliation then they stall.

And for an administration that is the new owner/operator of GM, but still aspires to get rid the world of the combustion engine, Obama finds it easy to jump on foreign owned Toyota. They must however remember, when U.S. Toyota sales go down they lay off employees at Toyota plants all across the South. The global economy has done more to tie the world together than any Kumbaya political rhetoric.

Clearly politicians do not understand economics or they would not be making all the bad long-term decisions they have of late for our country.

Editor's Note - our friend Ron Hart will be traveling today to see a speech in Florida, by libertarian humorist P.J. O'Rourke,sponsored by the Cato Institute.