Why Didn't the Department of Transportation Go After GM - Years Ago?

Ray LaHood, Former Secretary of Transportation

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You've heard about the General Motors ignition switch recall, the testimony on Capitol Hill, and incensed politicians 'wanting to get to the bottom of' why at least thirteen voters are now dead.  Yes, you've probably heard this and more over the past few months.
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But, as with the best (and worst) stories, there is a undercurrent beneath this one which has been given little to no coverage since the ignition switch story broke.  Might this be because there IS no story, or might it be because there IS a story and the Federal Government which was running 'Government Motors' at the time want it to go neatly, quietly, and completely away?  I don't know.  I'm just a guy in my PJ's who woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep.
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What I do know is that at least 13 families just like mine will never see their lost family member ever again - well, not in this life, anyway.
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AOL Autos has a post which states that the NHTSA knew about the ignition switch 'issue' back in Q4, 2007.  In fact, GM knew about the tendency of some of their Chevrolet and Saturn vehicles to 'shut off' by sliding into 'Accessory' mode on the ignition all the way back to 2005.  Between 2004 and 2014 the NHTSA received EWR notifications (Early Warning Reports) informing them that at least 51 instances of death occurred from GM vehicle ignitions shutting down while the vehicle was in transit.
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And yet, the NHTSA waited for YEARS to act upon information which it began accumulating in 2007?  Why is that?
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Autosafety.org tracks recalls and monitors results reported by the NHTSA and they sent a letter to NHTSA Acting Administrator, David Friedman, requesting specific information about why the NHTSA took such a HUGE interest in Toyota's Sudden Unintended Acceleration issues, yet said NOTHING about GM's ignition 'problem' nor 30 known EWR reports regarding outstanding Jeep Grand Cherokee fuel tank fires.  You can access the full text of the letter by clicking HERE.
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It is almost as if the NHTSA purposely stayed away from any and all EWR reports which linked (preventable) deaths associated with any General Motors or Chrysler Corporation products.  If I were a suspicious man, I would think that there was something 'going on' between these two Auto Makers and the Federal Government between 2008 and 2014 when the GM ignition issue finally went public...  
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Actually, now that I think about it, the Feds sold their (oops, sorry, 'our') remaining GM stock shares on the open market in the final weeks of 2013.
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Luckily for me, I'm NOT a suspicious man - I'm just a guy in his PJ's who woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep.
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I'll leave it up to professionally 'suspicious' folks in the Fair and Balanced Media to do the hard work in discovering what actually happened over the past six years and why dozens people had to die - all for the lack of a 57-cent part not being replaced in their GM vehicles.
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I'm sure it will all come out in the wash.
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My bet?
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It was this guy's fault...
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As for me, I'm going back to sleep.

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Just like the rest of the Media.

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Night all...