Academic

WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Furor grows over partisan car dealer closings. Evidence appears to be mount?

By Glenn Reynolds

WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Furor grows over partisan car dealer closings.

Evidence appears to be mounting that the Obama administration has systematically targeted for closing Chrysler dealers who contributed to Repubicans. What started earlier this week as mainly a rumbling on the Right side of the Blogosphere has gathered some steam today with revelations that among the dealers being shut down are a GOP congressman and closing of competitors to a dealership chain partly owned by former Clinton White House chief of staff Mack McLarty.

The basic issue raised here is this: How do we account for the fact millions of dollars were contributed to GOP candidates by Chrysler who are being closed by the government, but only one has been found so far that is being closed that contributed to the Obama campaign in 2008?

I hope the Public Integrity Section at the Department of Justice looks into this.

UPDATE: A reader notes something about “car czar” Steven Rattner: “Rattner is married to Maureen White, the former National Finance Chair for the Democratic Party.” The comment: “So one of the guys advising SecTreas on this thing is married to someone who used to be one of the people in charge of fundraising for the Democratic Party. This explains so much it’s scary.” Well, it bears a close look.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Megan McArdle notes some skepticism, and the Examiner piece has been updated with additional information that calls this into question. Also, somebody forwarded me an email from John Lott, who’s run the numbers and doesn’t think there’s much here. So don’t get carried away just yet.

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on May 28, 2009 (boomark / email).