More from Mister Iacocca:

"A Hell of a Mess

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with
no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running
the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're
losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great
companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas
prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent
energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are
like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which
way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all
the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative
communicators? Where are the people of character, courage,
conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker
for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security
than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away
our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge
new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things
that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane
Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating
the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability
for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after
the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping
it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms
happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're
going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about
how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who
would have b elieved that there could ever be a time when "the
Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this
happen-and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for
paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or
managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening.
But these are the crises that are eating away at our country
and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to
sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our
democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being
replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of?
That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give
me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?"