Cash for Clunkers critiqued by John McCain

These programs have been tried before and generally have been regarded as failures and rip-offs.
If it is such a great program, why is it scheduled to last just a four months?
And why is this buried in a war-appropriations bill?!

.: United States Senator John McCain :: Press Office :.:
"Mr. McCain. Mr. President, I wanted to go into a bit more detail about the “Cash for Clunkers” provision the Senate passed yesterday as part of the $105 Billion war supplemental. I continue to believe that the American people would be appalled to learn the specifics of this “Lemon” legislation. Here is a quick summary:

* Any person that trades-in a car he or she has owned and insured for at least one year that has a combined fuel economy value of 18 miles or less per gallon is eligible for:

o $3,500 toward the purchase of a new car if it has a fuel economy value at least 4 miles per gallon higher than the trade-in, or a new truck if it has a fuel economy value at least 2 miles per gallon higher than the trade-in;

or

o $4,500 toward the purchase of a new car if it has a fuel economy value at least 10 miles per gallon higher than the trade-in, or a new truck if it has a fuel economy value at least 5 miles per gallon higher than the trade-in.

* The auto dealer that sells the new car, must accept the trade-in and crush it, then submit paperwork to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the money is directly wired to the auto dealer. This is ripe for fraud and abuse and the bill provides a penalty of a mere $15,000 fine for each abuse.

* Only cars costing less than $45,000 and purchased between July 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009 are eligible.

. . . "