Tom Toles for October 21, 2010

I like the “Paid for by ‘just ordinary folks for republicans’”

^Yeah, the same folks who fund the Tea Party.

And wasn’t it actually Bush who pushed the bailout? Only with no strings attached whatsoever?

Of course. I’m not sure the Democrats could have done any different, though – the laws don’t allow them to ask for strings. That would be meddling in private enterprise! It was “bail out the banks, or crash the entire global economic system.” Not a great choice for anyone.

“I’m not sure the Democrats could have done any different, though – the laws don’t allow them to ask for strings. That would be meddling in private enterprise! ”

Exactly. I do remember the debate on that push and how it needed to be done ‘now’ and how putting any strings on it would be meddling and would discourage the banks from lending.

We finally find something we can agree upon jack. I flagged four of them myself today.

Doesn’t it feel as if we’re trying to get rid of cockroaches though….kill one, three more show up?

What can you say about a thousand dead Wall Street Bankers?

It’s a start

More realistically I am puzzled that we Saved General Motors with taking a percentage interest, which they are supposed to buy back. The Wall Street Banks we just give them the money to save there A$$es and ask for a promissory note to be paid back when they feel like it!!??? Now the Bankers are all upset that we want some sort of Rules for them to live by so They don’t screw up again? The Wall Street Banks would not have qualified for any loans based on their own lending standards. They need to follow the same guidelines that they set for their customers. Of course it was Congress that allowed them to do what they got away with. And we all know in our hearts that Congress always lives by the rules they set for the rest of US. What??? You say they don’t??Wow, what a surprise.

Regulate the most devious and treacherous among us or they will take immoral advantage of the rest of us and may even think they can make all the rules in there own interests.

@meetinthemiddle, Bush just didn’t “push” the bailout. The bailout was written, funded and passed by Congress in Oct. 2008, before Obama was even elected. And yes, Obama added more accountability/strings after he was elected. (Though I’m not defending Geithner. Time to cut him loose.)

excellent example that government can’t do anything right!! The government shouldn’t have give Wall Street the money in the first place!

“excellent example that government can’t do anything right!! ”

Should private enterprise be in charge of our social services and military defense, then? Cause I certainly wouldn’t want someone checking to see if my fees are all paid up before they decide whether or not to save my house from burning down.

Michaelwme, These two bills were very different. The TARP bill was designed to bailout Wall Street, and it is looking like it will ultimately only cost taxpayers under $100 million, considerably less than the Savings & Loan bailout under Reagan in the late 1980s.

The Stimulus bill was about 1/3 tax cuts, and 1/3 long-term infrastructure spending (most of which has not yet been spent), and extensions of unemployment benefits.

^For purposes of campaigning for an election you expect disagreement issues like how the stimulus money was spent. But to try to save the country, it looks like only Democrats are trying. Having had my wealth cut in half, I know who I am blaming, and it is NOT the Dems.

UN–BELIEVABLENONSENSE….TELL ME ABOUT THE ACCOUNTABILITY

The “free market” biting the hand that fed them. Is the “trickle down” just tea?

Is the toon right?

Possible…it IS america.

Serious question. Has anyone really analyzed what would have happened to the US and global economies if the Big Three auto companies and the banks had not been given bailouts? I’d think there’s a Nobel prize waiting there for some interprising economist.

Tigger and Howie rail against the bailouts, but I shudder to think how deep the depression might have been if the Treasury and Congress had done nothing.

^ what I remember clearly is that 99 percent of every reputable economist from every political stripe said we had no choice but to bail them out.

Rockngolfer,

You can blame Barney “Banking Queen” Frank & Chucky “Cheese” Shumer for that!

Oh and “But to try to save the country, it looks like only Democrats are trying.” Are you nuts??? Every Dem is RUNNING from their voting record, avoiding Obama and making up lies about their apponent just to stay in office.

You think these people, the elected Democrat politicians are proud of what they have done? In two words HELL NO!

Get yer 9 iron our of yer butt and start looking at the bigger picture!

josefw is a fine example of a loud-mouthed know-litrle partisan parrot who does little but repeat corporate propaganda and treats elections like football games where you root for your “team” and disparage the other “team”.

It’s not about political party and repeating corporate propaganda won’t make you right.