Now we start getting to the heart of the matter:

Senator on Toyota: Should U.S. consider ban on Japanese cars?

A U.S. senator said Tuesday that the U.S. should consider banning Japanese-made cars until Japan’s government guarantees the vehicles have no defects.

That would be no different than Japan’s multi-year ban on U.S. beef because of fears American cattle might be infected with deadly BSE, commonly called mad cow disease, said Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., who was U.S. Agriculture Secretary during the dispute with Japan.

No situation is beyond the reach of the politician who wishes to exploit it.