it's not a bailout proposal. it's a ransom note.

[unblock]

i have no doubt that the subprime mortgage mess, derivative products, and affected institutions are in need of SOME kind of serious government assistance.

however, the 3-pager bush/paulson/bernanke put before congress resemble no piece of legislation i've ever seen. actual laws have carefully thought out details, oversight, review, reporting, provisions for contingencies, and so on.

this one simply says, "give us all your money and let us do whatever the hell we want with it." that's not a piece of legislation! that's a ransom note!

they proposed that their actions not be subject to any other law, nor be reviewable by any court. in other words, paulson could give the entire $700 billion to his dog and there's not a damn thing anyone could do about it. if he doesn't already have a dog, he could buy one. in fact, with $700 billion, he could probably buy ALL of them.

[Hugin]

1. I'm surprised it wasn't assembled out of letters cut from magazines.

Like in the movies.

Could that have been the original plan and that's why it's so short?

[Joe Chi Minh]

2. Excellent point. Except the Democrats can pistol-whip them and kick their butts.

[unblock]

3. the problem is that congressional democrats' usual game is to scream and then capitulate.

perhaps that is changine with obama seeming likely to win, but for a long time, congressional democrats have been full of sound and fury signifying nothing (to completely twist a wonderful quote from shakespeare)

[screembloodymurder]

4. No deal.

We do not negotiate with terrorist. These thugs are economic extortionist.

[Blaze Diem]

5. 'Ransom Note' is the absolute truth. This is how to describe this mess whenever

we discuss it, henceforth. This is how I will reference it when sending a message to Congress, to the local papers, and my emails to TV News Shows.

Excellent. Thank YOu.
The $700 Billion Ransom Note.
crooks & liars, indeed.

'Hurry up & pass this thing. We've got our foreign bank accts ready and waiting for the BIG Deposit. We MUST secure the deposits before the October Suprise hits. You've got till the end of this week..or ..or..else! And you can't ask any questions about it after this. EVER'

Damn buch of thieves.

[Speck Tater]

6. Also like a stick-up note a bank rober would use. NT

[unblock]

7. especially when they're holding a gun to congress's head!

give us all your money or THERE WILL BE A RECESSION AND IT WILL ALL BE YOUR FAULT!!!!
NO TIME TO THINK!! HAND IT OVER NOWWWWWWWWWW!W!!

[DemReadingDU]

9. not just a recession, but a DEPRESSION of the largest magnitude

and a civil war and a world war

But the banks are going to collapse anyway without the passage of this bill.
Watch the Dr. Chris Martenson Crash Course videos tomorrow (he's moving to a faster server tonight!)
http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse

These top Republicans are ensuring they have ALL our money before the collapse, the rest of us will be paupers.

[Joe Chi Minh]

8. Well, I hope that, like a female bank-teller in Edinburgh did, when handed a

note by a bank-robber, saying "This is a stick-up! Give me your money!", Congress tells Paulson and Bernanke to go to the back of the queue and wait their turn, like everybody else, i.e. behind all the rest of the citizens of the US - ALL OF THEM MORE PRODUCTIVE - waiting for a return on their taxes!

Their efforts, after all, have been so counter-productive, they should feel lucky to be allowed to sleep rough and not behind bars.