...but who will protect the clunkers?

Sure, they don't have the freshest coats of paint, GPS, or posh interiors. They may smell like mildew on the inside, have who knows what under the driver's seat, and may even need an extra push to get out of 3rd.

But....

They still work. In fact they get millions of Americans to work everyday. They save American workers alot more than a measly 4,500 most of the time by allowing them to avoid the car payments(don't forget interest) associated with buying a new or used car from a dealer. The clunker is not under warranty, but it does allow people the joys of learning to take care of their possessions, escaping the throw away society that has created an economy based on impulse buying, not educated spending. If taken proper care of, a clunker can far outlast the residual value of a federal program by an average of 20 years.
In fact, Congress could learn alot from owning a clunker. Instead, Congress seems to be threatened by them judging the fact that all turned in clunkers' engines will be locked up with a very nasty chemical instead of simply being scrapped for parts. Could it be our saviors in DC fear the humble little clunker's message of frugality and responsibility?

You better believe it.