Another stroke of automotive brilliance by the Statists!

Not content with all but killing the American auto industry -- inflicting disastrous labor laws, arbitrary CAFE standards, emissions controls, "safety" mandates, and enough regulations to fill a dumpster -- Democrats issued a new edict today.

The Waxman-Markey bill talks about “harmonizing” fuel-economy rules in California and the rest of the country. The Obama administration will make clear just what that means today, the WSJ reports: The U.S. will jack up fuel-economy rules to 35 miles per gallon by 2016, four years earlier than planned.

Not to worry, though. The new emissions and fuel economy dictates will only cost manufacturers another $1,300 per vehicle!

The plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 900 million metric tons through 2016, the senior administration official said. In 2016, meeting the standards will cost automakers $600 a vehicle in addition to the $700-a-car cost automakers face under standards in existing law, the official said.

Also in 2016, light trucks would have to meet a standard of 30 mpg, and the average for cars would be 39 mpg.

I never realized Democrats were this talented. I knew they could quadruple the budget deficit, destroy the currency, overturn bankruptcy laws, and undermine the military and intelligence communities.

But I had no idea Harvey Waxman -- or whatever the hell is name is -- knew how to engineer automobiles... but sign me up for this beauty!