Well yesterday's operative word was "might" as in the congress might pass a bill to support the auto industry and prevent the potential bankruptcy of General Motors (NYSE: GM), Ford (NYSE: F) and privately held Chrysler. Things have changed and for now might has become won't -- as in nothing doing!

Republicans in the Senate clashed with the UAW, Democrats and the White House over a thinly viable plan to provide a $14 billion aid package to forestall industry collapse and give all sides the opportunity to improve a bad situation in the first quarter of 2009 under certain conditions.

The breaking point was the UAW's refusal to agree to immediate wage cuts. While headlines pronounce the deal dead, I say let's wait and see. After all this is Washington, DC, where any reasonable facsimile of the truth has a high probability of being posturing and pretending.

I have been following this saga all week and three days ago I posted Auto industry bailout: A bloated government to lead a bloated industry, when I did not see an easy solution for such institutionalized problems - on all sides. This was followed by Auto industry bailout: Oil companies should take over!, a very provocative suggestion that brought a multitude of comments from our readers, taking the bait. In a more congenial mood I continued with Auto industry bailout: Can't we all just get along? yesterday hopeful some good might come out of intense negotiations in the Capital. Intense yes, successful no, or at least not yet.