Going all the way back to FDR, the relationship between the auto industry and Washington has been a testy one. Detroit and the Feds have fought over everything from government support for labor unions in the 1930s to the imposition of fuel-economy regulations in the '70s. Now, Congress is proposing to appoint a so-called car czar who, in exchange for billions in aid, would impose Washington's will on Detroit. President-elect Barack Obama put his finger on the potential peril when he said: "We don't want government to run companies. Generally, governmentrnhasn't done that very well." Congress, perhaps wisely, has not been specific about what Detroit should do to revive its fortunes. Under the proposed bill, the automakers would have to submit a restructuring plan by Mar. 15. The job of the car czar would be to make sure the plan went far enough. Most indus try and management experts expect this person would play the heavy by gathering the various stakeholders-union, creditors, and management-and forcing them to make concessions.
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