Chrysler gives us a laugh — while whore-mongering for Congressbucks

Chrysler — poster child for capitalism gone wrong — tries to play Congress and public like a fiddle

Chrysler claims it will produce an electric car by 2010.

Here’s more on two electric-priority hybrids (like the Volt) and a pure electric that makes a halfway attempt to challenge the Tesla.

First, is Cerberus that dumb, to pound sand down that rathole when the Chevy Volt and a plug-in version of the Toyota Prius are already in the works?

It’s like the last week have been a Darwin Award poster-child week for the stupidity of capitalism.

Second, there’s the tech side. Chrysler hasn’t done anything at all in the electric world, and as for this new vehicle, it says it is is still working with several partners on the battery technology for its vehicles.

Don’t you normally have things like that lined up in advance of splashy press announcements?

Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda said Tuesday that the company is further ahead on developing electric vehicles than many had thought, but it kept the cars secret until recently.

“We believe in the saying, ‘Actions speak louder than words,”’ LaSorda said.

Well, so far, Tom, you’re still in the “words” stage. When you make like Tommy Lasorda and win something, get back to us.

And, here’s the kicker (you knew there had to be one, didn’t you?):

Chrysler Chief Executive Bob Nardelli said the technologies the company displayed Tuesday would be accelerated if Congress funds a $25 billion loan program to help automakers and their suppliers modernize their plants to make more fuel-efficient vehicles.

I don’t know if Crazy Uncle Henry’s Damage Derivatives Bailout is good news or bad news here.

On the good news side, it could mean that Congress says, “We don’t have the money for this.”

On the much more likely bad news side, Congress could say, “Ahh, 25 bil? Or even the 50 bil you guys now want? Chump change!”

Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Big Three “loans” rolled into the bailout plan.

And, it would be egregious enough for Ford or GM to get these loans.

But, Cerberus is a private equity company, the apotheosis of capitalism.

Take your fucking lumps.