The following is from an editorial in the San Jose Mercury News:
Mary Barra, General Motors' new chief executive officer, was in a tough spot recently as she tried to explain to Congress why her company didn't quickly recall cars it knew contained defective and clearly dangerous parts.
The choices appeared to be that GM was either corrupt or incompetent. Instead, Barra chose to plead ignorance. It was not a popular choice. California Sen. Barbara Boxer was a leader of the outraged. "You don't know anything about anything," Boxer said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the more he learns about GM, "the more convinced I am that GM has a real exposure to criminal liability."
We're with Blumenthal: The more we learn, the more outrageous GM's actions appear.
It's increasingly clear that GM covered up information about defective ignition switches in Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions and that those defects are linked to 13 deaths and dozens of accidents.
Earlier in the week, Barra apologized for the company's actions during a tear-filled meeting with families who had lost loved ones from these crashes. Then she apologized before a House committee, and promised many of the answers Congress seeks will be found in an internal GM investigation that should be completed in 45 to 60 days.
She apologized a third time at the beginning of the Senate subcommittee hearing, but it was wearing thin.
Barra's strategy is to rely on the results of that internal investigation. It better be finished in less than two months, and it better be a good one.
A substandard investigation is sure to earn Barra an "invitation" back to the Senate subcommittee. And next time, they won't be so nice.