Mika: SUV Owners 'Greedy'

Repent, all ye owners of Suburbans, thou drivers of Explorers.  Mend thy ways, ye Escalade-loving louts!  Take heed of the warning the prophet Mika has vouchsafed unto you: greedy thou art; verily, destroyers of the environment be thee!

Oy.  Mika Brzezinski was on quite a roll this morning.  On the one hand, free-marketers would find much to agree with in Mika's arguments.  As noted here yesterday, whereas Joe Scarborough has been vigorously advocating a federal rescue of Detroit, Brzezinski favors bankruptcy over bailout. But Mika couldn't help muddling her message, delivering a jeremiad against Detroit for producing larger vehicles and Americans for buying them, actually condemning the latter as "greedy."

View video here.

MIKE BARNICLE: We also have to go through, start and push forward a cultural revolution.  I mean the American public for years has balked, along with everyone from Detroit, along with the congressional delegation from Michigan, have balked at anything that means higher gas mileage. And now we're confronted with having to save--and we have to save this industry--but it's being run by people, the top management has to go because--guess what?--one of their latest things they're coming out with, one of their marketing devices to save the company, is a new Hummer! Hello!  Exactly.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: That makes me very angry. John Harwood, that's society also calling for it.  We need to stop.

JOHN HARWOOD: Go to any soccer field on Saturdy.

BRZEZINSKI: Uggh.

HARWOOD: Half the people turn up in Hummers and tanks and, you know, Suburbans.

BRZEZINSKI: It's ridiculous.

HARWOOD: They could buy smaller cars.

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah, they could. But there's a whole mentality there that they apparently want to be greedy, and waste gasoline, and do things that are bad for the environment.  And now we're going to impose on the Big Three innovation to get beyond that?  I'm just not sure it's there, and I'm just not sure this isn't just throwing good money after bad.  I mean, unless someone tells me how this is going to work quickly.

BARNICLE [tongue-in-cheek]: Why are you so anti-worker?

BRZEZINSKI: I'm angry.

HARWOOD: Have you ever bought an American-made car?

BRZEZINSKI [proudly]: I drive Toyotas. They're better.

HARWOOD: They're you go.

BRZEZINSKI: Wait a minute, wait a minute.  I bought one: F-150.  Two tanks.  Plastic seats.