Good news: GM now owes taxpayers $35 billion (and by the way, how are those electric cars working out in DC?)

Well, the meme that the Obama campaign and its spokespeople in vintage media continue to promote is that a heroic Barack Obama saved General Motors.

Of course, as Andrew Malcolm reports today, it was the American taxpayer that saved GM -- at huge and needless expense.

General Motors shares fell to a fresh 2012 closing low of 19.57 on Monday. The stock hit 19 in mid-December, the lowest since the auto giant came public at $33 in November 2010 following its June 2009 bankruptcy.

Normally you might say, tough luck investors. But this is Government Motors. The Treasury still owns 26.5% of GM, or 500 million shares. Taxpayers are still out $26.4 billion in direct aid. Shares would have to hit $53 for the government to break even.

Those shares were worth about $9.8 billion as of Monday. That would leave taxpayers with a loss of $16.6 billion.

But that's not the full tally. Obama let GM keep $45 billion in past losses to offset future profits. Those are usually wiped out or slashed, along with debts, in bankruptcy. But the administration essentially gifted $45 billion in write-offs (book value $18 billion) to GM. So when GM earned a $7.6 billion profit in 2011 (more on that below), it paid no taxes.

Include that $18 billion gift, and taxpayers' true loss climbs to nearly $35 billion.

Which brings me to Washington, DC, which is still suffering from days-long power outages after major thunderstorms rolled through the area. I wonder how those electric cars are working out in the DC area?

If you're in the DC area, are you happy you don't have an electric car? Yeah, with the power outages, are you happy you don't have an electric car? Because two million, five million, three schmillion, whatever. Aren't you glad you don't have an electric car? By the way, how are those windmills working out for you? How are the windmills and solar panels working out? Are they running your air-conditioning for you?

...It's a good thing you don't have an electric car or you couldn't get around, you couldn't escape. Isn't it amazing.

Thank goodness, the masterminds in D.C. are instructing GM and other automobile companies to create even more electric cars. Never mind they don't work for s***. Misery loves company.