BAILOUT: Yes or No?

[Koga No Goshi]

While I can see the angle many of the absolute free marketers are getting out, theory and reality are two different things. Guys, this is bad. REAL BAD. If the FED hadn't take the appropriate steps already, this would have been a hell of a lot worse (think depression). I'm not going to put this country, 99% of which isn't responsible for this problem, to hell for a few years just to say I stood my ground.

I agree it probably has to be done. I'm digging in my feet and being stubborn, knowing that my personal opinion isn't going to change that something HAS to be done. And I actually do trust Congress, on the whole, to recognize that and act accordingly. But I think the partisanship comes in when people are trying to use this as a way to, yet again, sneak in provisions for no oversight, no regulation, no accountability, or corporate tax cuts (such as with the McCain alternative plan.) If this bill had gone through exactly as our President presented it and insisted it MUST pass, QUICKLY, with no add-on's, without oversight and regulation attached, there's no telling how this money would have been used and it would be too late to try to do something about it being misused. I don't think having serious concerns about DOING THIS RIGHT, rather than DOING THIS FAST, and not being billygoated into signing something too quick like with other bad big gubment interventions like the Patriot Act can, or should, be called partisan hackery.

[Ice]

I agree it probably has to be done. I'm digging in my feet and being stubborn, knowing that my personal opinion isn't going to change that something HAS to be done. And I actually do trust Congress, on the whole, to recognize that and act accordingly. But I think the partisanship comes in when people are trying to use this as a way to, yet again, sneak in provisions for no oversight, no regulation, no accountability, or corporate tax cuts (such as with the McCain alternative plan.) If this bill had gone through exactly as our President presented it and insisted it MUST pass, QUICKLY, with no add-on's, without oversight and regulation attached, there's no telling how this money would have been used and it would be too late to try to do something about it being misused. I don't think having serious concerns about DOING THIS RIGHT, rather than DOING THIS FAST, and not being billygoated into signing something too quick like with other bad big gubment interventions like the Patriot Act can, or should, be called partisan hackery.

Doing right is doing it fast. The more time we waste bickering over stupid things, (exectitve compensation, in a 700 BILLION DOLLAR Bill), the faster we can start the recovery.

I'm amazed you actually trust Congress. Have you listened to a lot of what the big shots (speaker of the house, leader of the senate majority) sound like? They don't know their *** from their face. There is a reason why Bernanke and Paulson made the bill a page and half long.

[Koga No Goshi]

Doing right is doing it fast. The more time we waste bickering over stupid things, (exectitve compensation, in a 700 BILLION DOLLAR Bill), the faster we can start the recovery.

I'm amazed you actually trust Congress. Have you listened to a lot of what the big shots (speaker of the house, leader of the senate majority) sound like? They don't know their *** from their face. There is a reason why Bernanke and Paulson made the bill a page and half long.

I trust Congress on the whole to recognize that something must be done and act accordingly. The fact that SOME form of bill WAS going to be passed has been an almost foregone conclusion since day one, whereas if public sentiment had its way this thing would be dead, dead, dead. So that puts Congress at the very least ahead of the general public, in this case, doesn't it?

[Ice]

I trust Congress on the whole to recognize that something must be done and act accordingly. The fact that SOME form of bill WAS going to be passed has been an almost foregone conclusion since day one, whereas if public sentiment had its way this thing would be dead, dead, dead. So that puts Congress at the very least ahead of the general public, in this case, doesn't it?

Considering the bill failed due to partisan reasons, no it doesn't.

BTW, this is funny. I just caught Pelosi, speaker of the house, on tv addressing the House. She blames this all on the republicans, which is HILARIOUS due to the fact that this was a combination of FED policy, democratic policy, and republican policy. This is why I hate politicians with an utter passion.

She then goes on to talk about what great credentials Paulson has along with Bernanke. She calls Bernanke an expert on the Great Depression, which closely resembles what is going on now, but then wonders why the bill drafted by the two gives sole power to them to deal with the crisis and any extra money. It honestly boggles the mind. She is a idiot.

[seireikhaan]

Considering the bill failed due to partisan reasons, no it doesn't.

BTW, this is funny. I just caught Pelosi, speaker of the house, on tv addressing the House. She blames this all on the republicans, which is HILARIOUS due to the fact that this was a combination of FED policy, democratic policy, and republican policy. This is why I hate politicians with an utter passion.

She then goes on to talk about what great credentials Paulson has along with Bernanke. She calls Bernanke an expert on the Great Depression, which closely resembles what is going on now, but then wonders why the bill drafted by the two gives sole power to them to deal with the crisis and any extra money. It honestly boggles the mind. She is a idiot.

Exactly why America needs a purging. In a democracy, change must come from the bottom up, from the people. Perhaps if this crisis rocks us enough, we'll wake up not just to meet our own financial responsibilities, but also stop having such apathy over our political situation.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Exactly why America needs a purging. In a democracy, change must come from the bottom up, from the people. Perhaps if this crisis rocks us enough, we'll wake up not just to meet our own financial responsibilities, but also stop having such apathy over our political situation.

Ban the Democratic Party and Republican Party and force them to create completely new ones. Something like that.

[seireikhaan]

Ban the Democratic Party and Republican Party and force them to create completely new ones. Something like that.

Wow, way to totally misrepresent my statement. Good job.

[Ice]

Exactly why America needs a purging. In a democracy, change must come from the bottom up, from the people. Perhaps if this crisis rocks us enough, we'll wake up not just to meet our own financial responsibilities, but also stop having such apathy over our political situation.

They aren't apathetic, just idiotic. This is why you leave stuff like this to the Federal Reserve and Treasury Security. I mean they do this stuff for a living and are very well educated in current and past economics situations and principles. The Fed has come a very long way dealing with these kinds of crises.

[GeneralHankerchief]

I trust Congress on the whole to recognize that something must be done and act accordingly. The fact that SOME form of bill WAS going to be passed has been an almost foregone conclusion since day one, whereas if public sentiment had its way this thing would be dead, dead, dead. So that puts Congress at the very least ahead of the general public, in this case, doesn't it?

If the public wants it dead, dead, dead, who is Congress to deny them?

[Koga No Goshi]

If the public wants it dead, dead, dead, who is Congress to deny them?

Well that's why we're in a you-can't-win. Both Republicans and Democrats are voting against the first couple variants of the bailout in sufficient numbers to stop passage. And that is most certainly in some part because of re-election considerations and public sentiment. I do not believe that the original bill should have been passed as-is. If it had, and that unaccountable money had gone poof, everyone would be blaming the "Democratic congress" anyway, even though a bailout has been high pressured by both McCain and Bush. It's funny that many of you seem quick to condemn that people in Congress seemed as concerned with how they'll come out in the "blame game" when this is said and done, as what's best for the country, and then quickly render your own blame judgments. Congress is never perfect but I think what we have is a result of a) our system and b) the passive aggressive moods of the voters.

I am not sure expecting better than what you're seeing is rational, given the way our system works, and given the way people cast votes. Especially in the House, where all representation is very local and each of those people is there representing a narrow slice of the constituency. I'm horrified by a lot of Bible Belt congresspeople like Coburn but I have no say in him keeping or losing his seat.

Edit: Err Colburn might be Senate? Still the same situation though, no say in his seat. ;)