Henry Kissinger once quipped that 90 per cent of politicians give the other 10 per cent a bad reputation. A lobbying blitz by car salesmen, the only profession suffering an even worse perception than congressmen according to a Gallup poll, is helping to prove him right. With thousands of dealerships being shed by General Motors and Chrysler, dealers are leveraging their $68m in political donations during the past 20 years, even enlisting some politicians who opposed Detroit’s bail-out. After plenty of arm-twisting, GM reversed its decision on 15 to 20 closures so far. A proposed law would make the others much more difficult and costly.

The most egregious interference so far comes from Barney Frank, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee overseeing aid to banks and carmakers. His intervention with GM’s chief persuaded him to delay shutting a parts distribution facility in his district, earning him a “car czar” award from Lamar Alexander, the senator. It goes to “Washington meddlers who distinguish themselves by making it harder for the auto companies your government owns to compete in the world marketplace”.