Report: Senator to investigate GM's handling of Hummer deal

[sleeve]

General Motors has already begun turning the lights off at its Hummer brand, though that may be no fault of multiple potential buyers. We're not just talking interested parties from China here, either. According to brand enthusiast website HummerGuy, several American-based companies have expressed viable interest in snapping up the SUV-slinging manufacturer over the past few months. Even more surprisingly, all of the potential offers have reportedly fallen on deaf ears.

Both Raser Technologies and Electric Motors Corporation have supposedly made The General offers worth considering, and GM has left them unanswered. These whispers haven't just been crawling around the web ? they've evidently made their way all the way to Illinois Senator Roland Burris (above), who has promised to look into the matter himself.

While we'd be thoroughly surprised if such an investigation had any repercussions, we have to wonder why GM would say no both of the EV builders unless it thinks it can make more money winding down the brand by selling off tooling and manufacturing rights, or perhaps just avoiding bureaucratic headaches. Some experts believe GM might be worried about competition from future extended-range EVs, but we have a hard time imagining one of the world's biggest manufacturers losing sleep over a couple of startups. Either way, as with Saab before it, there remains a sliver of hope for the brand, but we certainly wouldn't bet on another eleventh-hour miracle.

Maybe there is still hope? but I don't think anyone in government can help.