jeff bennett, any thoughts? >> guest: what's may ised me covering this industry is what he hit on is the vast amount of information that really goes uncollected by the automakers and whether it's a question there is just so much of it out there or they don't have resources to get that it's very interesting to see how they continue to wrestle with this problem not only internally between the layers that they have there, between engineers talking to designers, but just on how they collect and communicate with their dealers who really are on the front line, the mechanics, who sigh things even more. heck, i've seen, i've been in many a dealership or even at the local autozone or local, you know, o'reilly's and they're saying, oh, yeah, this is an issue we see all the time. no one really seems to take, take notice about it. you know the one thing that gm has done or is pledged to do is that it has a big customer call center now here in warren, michigan and now engineers are being directed to spend at least some time

host: jeff bennett covers the auto industry for the wall street journal.joins us just outside of each -- of detroit. from the wall street journal. gm sinks $35 million into the recall. the new gm chief had this to say. -- $300 million into recalls. >> i would like to provide an update. recall has the expanded beyond the review by the federal regulators. as of now, two congressional committees have announced that they will examine the issue. it has been reported that the department of justice is looking into this matter. in each case, we have pledged to cooperate fully while we work to make the recall itself as smooth as possible for our customers. these are serious development that should not surprise anyone. something went wrong with our process in this instance. terrible things happen. as a member of the gm family and as a mom with a family of my own, this really hits home for me. we have a college is very but that is just one step -- we have a polity i. ologized.e a politp these letters and bulletins will explain the issue and the process for getting th

. >> on the next washington journal, jeff bennett talks about the investigations into general motors.ne point 6 million vehicles recalled due to faulty ignition switches. look at president obama's executive action changing over time payrolls. the american medical association -- washington journal, live every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern. >> a look at the global energy supply. topics include oil prices, nuclear energy, and renewable energy. earlier from the former director of national intelligence, dennis blair who now cochairs the commission on energy and geopolitics. and the former ceo of bp, john brown. he council on foreign relations posted this event earlier this month. >> good afternoon. i'm bob lack well, the senior fellow for american foreign-policy here at the council. council,half of the let me welcome you to this with admiralent dennis blair and lord john brown ofthe strategic consequences the american oil boom. proceed is wel will have a conversation among the three of us for half an hour and then we will turn it over to you for comments and questions. we will end promptly

bennett says he thinks the u.s. attorney should walk away with a plea deal with jeff thompson. the businessman could get as little as six months of home confinement in exchange for that information he's given to prosecutors. this entire interview with bennett will be on ourself www.wusa9.com be with as of right now. >> for people just joining us, is it possible the mayor could be indicted before the april 1st primary? >> yeah. i think so. i've been talking to a lot of people. there's a lot of buzz on the streets from people in position to know and believe ron machen could bring an indictment. they don't know that for certain. >> any idea why bennett is talking now because he talks to everybody? >> he has to talk now. before they were more concerned about the trial. now they're concerned about charges, trial and the primary coming up. should point out just about of campaign now is doing a poll. if you ask me what are the candidates doing, how is it impacting the election? they don't know. >> doing this now and the fate of the mayor is in the voters' hands as early voting begins t