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Thursday, June 04, 2009

The Final Score

Final Score: Why Is a 31-Year-Old Wonk Running the Auto Industry?

By David Asman

FOXBusiness

Brian Deese is a 31-year old deputy auto czar. But exactly what qualifies Brian Deese to help decide the fate of thousands of auto workers and billions of taxpayer dollars is not clear.

Before becoming an influential member of the White House's auto task force, Mr. Deese had never set foot in a car plant. He's a political wonk. He left law school to join Hillary Clinton's campaign and then switched to Mr. Obama's the day she dropped out.

Then he became a car expert.

The New York Times described the wonder kid's rise this way: "It is not every 31-year-old who, in a first government job, finds himself dismantling General Motors (GMGMQ) and rewriting the rules of American capitalism."

Wow! Dismantling General Motors? Rewriting the rules of American capitalism?

So why give such a powerful job to such an inexperienced young man? The answer is: that's what happens when the government starts trying to run businesses -- management decisions get made by political operators instead of by folks who know about the businesses they're transforming.

Real-life experiences and track records are not as important as making the right impression with the political movers in the Oval Office. It's the clever political climbers like Brian Deese who are now making management decisions on behalf of your billions and on behalf of auto companies worldwide.

And if that doesn't make you nervous about what's going on, I don't know what will.

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