Perhaps the reason they picked a really big number is to make sure there is enough to pay the interest on borrowing whatever amount is really necesasary for the bail-out.  My stockbroker told me, "oh, no, T-bill yields are really low now so the interest cost will be very low."   Why would anyone want to invest in T-bills in that case?

We the people wanted everyone to have a house even if we could not afford it...so the need for 20% down and real income was dumped...Congress and the Exec told Fannie and Freddie to make homes possible for all ...We wanted everything we could not afford and the politicians gave it to us...Then Wall Street took it to the next level with greed by leveraging the subprime mortgages to extremes.............WE all got what we wanted........People there is NO free lunch...This is a real mess....The great depression was characterized by banks NOT lending money for ANYTHING......We can blame the government or wall Street....but they gave us what we wanted.....and we could be on the brink again...so people put away your smart ass comments..I hate it like everyone else....but we are rolling the dice....Do we believe Bernacke and Paulson or not? You get only ONE choice...............

FIRST:  Let's get term limits and eliminate "career" politians.

SECONd:  Let wall street and banks fend for themselves.  They will find a way to stay afloat.   Believe me, "the harder the storm. the sooner it's over".   The Gov should not bail them out!!

I've heard it spoken; " At this rate of decline, in ten years the U.S. will be a third world country ".  

Can you imagine pulling this at any private sector job?  "Well boss, I need a $200 million advertising budget for 2009."  "And how did you arrive at this figure?"  "I JUST WANTED TO PICK A REALLY LARGE NUMBER."  You'd be out the door before the echo died.

And how, may I ask, does this do ANYTHING for those of us who played by the rules. We took a 30% pay cut in April, sold our house in July, relocated to a town house that needs renovation because we did NOT want to go into default. We played by the rules, including an $11,000 penalty for early payoff of our mortgage. Maybe we should jsut be happy to be called patriotic! Not any more. We have learned our lesson. We should have stayed in the chateau and waited for Paulsen and Bernanke to save us from ourselves. This is beyond contemptible. Three kids to get through college, watching the bottom drop out on their savings, trynig to keep a high credit score...for what??? The privilege of saving others from their poor decisions? Give me a break.

Could this be the 2008 version of "It's a Wonderful Life", with President Bush playing the part of Jimmy Stewart and and the authors of the bailout plan playing the other members of the cast?

I don't want anyone to lose their homes,businesses, savings, etc. but I do think this is a little much.  It seems to me the root of the problem is GREED, GREED, and more GREED!!!. If everyone would just following the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", we wouldn't have all theses problems.

I wonder what FDR and all the old timers who lived through the stock market crash of 1929  and the great depression would say about all of this?  I know my late grandfather, who lived in that era and who used to tell me many stories when I was growing up of how he and his peers lost their life savings, will be spinning in his grave if the government comes to the rescue of all these big corportions and CEO's.  He just would not believe all of this!!!!!!!!

There is no question that if we do not nurse the banking industry back to financial health;this generation will realize another great depression......very soon. This 700 billion dollar first aide package must be accompanied with certain stipulations,the most important of which would be banks lending in favor of big construction projects;infrastructure,schools,etc.the majority of these projects are already designed,have been planned out for several years,and have been sitting idle,awaiting the necessary funding.The jobs these projects create would quickly infuse much needed cash into our economy.Not being able able to secure a home or auto lone is irrelevant if your un-employed.

It suprises me just how dumb MOST American Citizens are. Judgeing from the prior

comments posted,  MOST readers do not realize just how critical this matter is. The

bailout is not about saving the rear of Bankers, Brokers and Mortgage lenders. It is

about saving you, me and the USA from certain financial collapse. I would like to see an old German person write in and explain what happened in Germany after WW1 when their economy went to hell with mega inflation and severe depression.

How long do you think the USA can last if the World stops buying our US Treasury

and Corporate Notes , and investing in our Stock Market? How long will we last when the World pulls all of their money out of our financial institutions? China has

already told its Banks to stop lending to our Banks.  Imagine what happens in a small town when the primary employer  closes down, then apply that same scenero

to the US as a whole. People, this is where we are headed if something is not done

NOW. It took the US Government's 1930's CCC program just to put food on peoples table in the 30's, no cars, no frills, no nothing that you are now accustomed to. This financial mess will do to the US, what Osama  was not able to

due by the 9/11 attact, even though he had the same objective to destroy our

economy. Wake up fokes, we are just days away from complete disaster.

eat my grits...that's all I'll have  left.