General Motors, a partially owned subsidiary of the federal government, has decided to reinstate 600 less than profitable dealerships to its dealers' roster. In a Washington Times article, a GM spokesman cited litigation costs chiefly as the reason."By doing this we save a lot of time, energy and dollars," said Jim Bunnell, GM general manager of network support, saying the company wished to avoid a "very large arbitration process."But the real reason for the dealership reinstatements may have less to do with cost than the dynamics of big government and old fashioned politics.  The Washington Times further reports:Congress-brokered talks between dealer groups and the automakers began in September. But those talks stalled over disputes about the review process for targeted dealerships and other issues. Looming over the fight has been the threat of federal legislation to deal with the closures. Lawmakers warned that if a deal wasn't reached, that legislation...(Read Full Post)