You have got to be kidding me

1) Financial crisis occurs. Myriad, sundry reasons.
2) Reduce myriad, sundry reasons down to one: banks did Bad Stuff and are now undercapitalized.
3) Ergo, to reduce the damage to the American economy and reverse the Bad Stuff, give TARP cover to banks, ostensibly so banks can become profitable.
3a) TARP cover has strings attached, natch.
4) Demagogue that bank-caused financial crisis led to auto maker crisis.
5) Force banks to write off very significant loans now in default by auto makers.

Hm. Force banks into unprofitable banks further into unprofitability to save unprofitable auto makers.

See the logic here?