Lay off Toyota, says Miss Governor

Mississippi Governor and former Washington lobbyist Haley Barbour has taken to the editorial page of The Washington Post to plead for, um, fair treatment for Toyota. In the editorial, Barbour suggest Toyota has received less than fair dealing from Congress on the runaway Camry issue in order to boost American car manufacturers.
Barbour's argument is silly. Instead of pointing out how Toyota, with Washington's help, succeeded in burying its safety problem, Barbour makes an economic argument for giving Toyota a pass. Barbour argues that Toyota is just as American as Ford and General Motors because it employs many non-union Southerners, particularly in Barbour's state of Mississippi.
Certainly Toyota has been a boon for American workers, particularly in the South. But we fail to see how providing jobs absolves Toyota for selling defective cars.