Olson Pleads for “Cash For Clunkers” Paperwork Extension

Oh holy hypocrisy.

The last thing I thought I would see is an article in FortBendNow describing a letter that my congressman, Pete Olson (R - Redneck) sent to Department of Transportation Ray LaHood pleading with him to extend the deadline for submission of paperwork for the wildly successful “Cash for Clunkers” program.

From FortBendNow here is the text of his letter:

“I write to express my concern regarding the application deadline for automobile dealers with regard to the cash for clunkers program. I respectfully request that the deadline to submit reimbursement applications be extended to August 31, 2009 while keeping intact today’s deadline for consummating vehicle transactions.

“Many automobile dealers across my district have made a good faith effort to follow the guidelines of the program and have run into problems with website accessibility or rashes of customers in the final days of the program. Even with a clearly defined “wind down strategy,” dealers are still finding it difficult to submit the required paperwork.

“Given today’s challenges facing the automobile industry we cannot let bureaucratic obstacles prevent dealers from receiving their promised reimbursements.”

Smelling a rat, because I have a pretty good memory, but went back and checked anyway, I checked Olson’s voting record on the “Cash for Clunkers” program.

On HR 3435, a bill to extend the program with an additional $2 billion in appropriations, Pete Olson voted No.

To be fair, for the original $1 billion in appropriations, Olson voted Yes, but that is because it was a very small part (Entitlement XIII) of a supplemental appropriations bill that had in it many things nearer and dearer to the cold, cold heart of Pete Olson.

Hey Pete: So you were against the “Cash for Clunkers” program before you were for it?

Classic.