More on Cash for Clunkers

The government never, ever, runs anything well:

Far more drivers signed up for the "cash for clunkers" program than anyone thought, overwhelming showrooms, blowing through the initial $1 billion set aside by Congress and leaving dealers panicked over when or if the government would make good on the hefty rebates.

Confusion reigned, even as dollars flowed into dealerships starved for business for months.

The government Web site set up to process rebates of up to $4,500 per new car could not keep up with demand. Washington scrambled to come up with more cash and sent mixed signals about how the program would unfold.

"A borderline train wreck," said Charlie Swenson, general manager at Walser Toyota in Bloomington, Minn. In Glen Burnie, Md., Bob Bell, who owns Ford, Kia and Hyundai dealerships, said his employees were overwhelmed filing for reimbursement from the government's clunky system.

He compared the program to a military operation: "It is a disaster," Bell said. "We met our objective, but the losses were terrible."

Even as they screw up something as straightforward as car rebates, these same people are attempting to take control of a system as complex as healthcare. If they succeed, that borderline train wreck will be look like a success in comparison.