Last week, to no one's surprise, Toyota Motor Corp. announced that it would have the first operating loss in the company's history after decades of growth and prosperity. Many expect Honda Motor to suffer from the same malady.

A lot of people have told Congress that this is not just about the Detroit 3, that it's a global crisis affecting the world's strongest automotive manufacturers.

This is not just about the United States. It is a global epidemic.

Across the globe, governments are reaching out to help their auto companies survive. Other governments are giving assistance without any of the theatrics that the Detroit 3 had to endure to get bridge loans. And General Motors and Chrysler will be required to return to Washington for more hearings so all the politicians can have more TV time, which they find invaluable.

GM and Chrysler are in dire straits. Cerberus even made some slight offer to give up its equity in Chrysler in exchange for loans to Chrysler. But Cerberus made no mention about being willing to give up Chrysler Financial.

GM appears to have enough money for a couple more months of gigantic losses.

Both automakers will have to go back to Washington, flying commercial or driving, and present plans demonstrating that they are viable. That will be a neat trick because nothing seems likely to have changed in the marketplace since their last appearance, and they will not have brought any new models to market in 90 days.

It won't be a slam-dunk. There are still people in Congress who are out to get GM and Chrysler, and they'll be loaded for bear. Plenty of them are still smarting from the last encounter so chances are good that it won't be pretty even though there will be a new administration and Congress.

It's going to be tough for everyone except perhaps the UAW, which will have a few more friends than last time.

It will be painful for most of us, but you do what you need to do.

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