When he urged Americans to "stop driving" their Toyotas last week, was Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood speaking as the head of a federal agency concerned with highway safety or as a sales advocate for a nationalized General Motors?

In testimony before the House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation last Wednesday, LaHood said: "My advice to anyone who owns one of these vehicles is stop driving it, and take it to the Toyota dealership because they believe they have the fix for it."

Later that day, LaHood tried to clarify his remark, adding that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "will continue to hold Toyota's feet to the fire to make sure that they are doing everything they have promised to make their vehicles safe. We will continue to...