Forgive my vague recollection, but didn’t the government help the auto industry once before? I’m hazy about that.

I can totally see Ford getting in on this. That was my first thought when I saw the headline about G.M. and Chrysler merging. Ford been around for a long time. As American as apple pie. An icon. It would be a shame to see them fail.

But I agree that all U.S. automakers are in for very tough times, especially now that the ATM housing machine is closed and gas prices are still somewhat high.