When the government inserts itself into everything, everything becomes political

The world is very much a-Twitter (get it?) about Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood’s Chrysler Super Bowl ad.

Not to mention Monday’s USA Today full-front page, four-full page Chrysler Eastwood print ad.

Much of the buzz is political -- a result of the private sector uncertainty and amorphousness created by the government’s $85 billion uber-bailout of Chrysler (and General Motors) .

When the government inserts itself into everything -- everything becomes political.

The Eastwood script is full of President Barack Obama-reelect double-entendres.  That exist only because of the auto bailout -- and what we now know about the all-encompassing nature of President Obama’s nature.

To examine just a few:

It’s halftime. Both teams are in their locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half.

It’s halftime in America, too. People are out of work and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback.

And we’re all scared, because this isn’t a game.

The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again...

Now, this is an Obama-bailed-out Chrysler ad.  So one can be forgiven for assuming that how “we all pulled together” to help Detroit “comeback” -- was the bailout.

...All that matters now is what’s ahead. How do we come from behind? How do we come together? And, how do we win?

Detroit’s showing us it can be done. And, what’s true about them is true about all of us.

This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines.

Yeah, it’s halftime America. And, our second half is about to begin.

Yep, Eastwood says, the auto bailout is showing us the victorious way forward - massive government intrusions and (borrowed) cash infusions.

And the Intruder and BailOuter-in-Chief - Obama - thusly deserves a second half (term).

Wait a second.

By the Obama administration’s own (routinely flawed) math, we will lose (at least) $23.6 billion on our $85 billion auto bailout.

(And for giggles, please remember that Obama once upon a time asserted that we would actually make money on it.  Side-splitting, no?)

Only through the warped prism of Big Government D.C. -- where Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Postal Service, Amtrak,...run wild and hundreds of trillions of dollars behind -- can this titanic loss of auto bailout coin be viewed as a template for national success.

Obama routinely ridicules Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for wanting to “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt.”  By that use of words what Romney of course meant was allowing Chrysler and GM to file for bankruptcy -- like failed companies (and individuals) have done since time immemorial.

Obama’s alternative?  Hand the companies -- with a maximum combined value of about $14 billion -- $85 billion of our money.  And then have them both file for bankruptcy.

Which is, again, exactly what Romney (and we conservatives) wanted.  And which Chrysler and GM could have done without our $85 billion.

What Obama couldn’t do without our bailout coin was commandeer control of the bankruptcy process - and then Chrysler and GM.

Our $85 billion allowed Obama to eviscerate bankruptcy law - and throw secured, preferred bond holders under the bus to the benefit and illegal betterment of his union allies.

Our $85 billion allowed Obama to then have GM convert the Chevy Volt from a car show-only novelty -- to a mass-manufactured showroom novelty.  An overproduced, unprofitable, unpopular, combustible showroom novelty.

Our $85 billion allowed Obama to have GM in 2010 register more green non-energy “energy” patents than any other company on Planet Earth (pardon me – Mother Gaia).  You know, of the Solyndra, Fisker, Beacon Power, (and on, and on, and…) born-to-be-bankrupt variety.

And our $85 billion allowed Obama to have Chrysler (and GM - just you wait and see) become yet more taxpayer-funded arms of his all-encompassing 2012 reelection effort.

With Clint Eastwood as spokesman.

On Super Bowl Sunday.  And at the top of the USA Today .  And on the front page of USA Today on dead trees

Eastwood says he didn’t intend the ads to help Obama.  But that’s not the point.

Obama intended the ads to help Obama.  And Obama, again, got to do all of it on our dime.

Which, again, demonstrates yet another reason why government bailouts of private companies are a terrible idea.

We must never, never make these mistakes again.

Seton Motley is president of Less Government.org.