Or, if you prefer the way Democrats will be spinning this, “Romney to Detroit: Drop Dead.” You’ve read the op-ed, now see the video. Should an unprofitable, uncompetitive industry be forced to restructure or should the feds dump a few billion more into the national money hole? Mitt’s squarely within the conservative mainstream on this one (which wasn’t true of his position on the financial bailout), but when a would-be party standard-bearer whose family made its name running an auto company pipes up, it carries a little extra weight. At least, it does on a slow news day.

Exit question: Can we reach any conclusions about his intention in 2012 from this? Supporting a bailout would have exploded his economic cred within the party, but he could have chosen to simply duck the issue lest he alienate Michigan voters. As it is, given the Republican orthodoxy on this subject to which he’s lending his name, the state’s a mortal lock to go blue again in four years no matter who the nominee is.