Lets see, We borrowed money to pay back what we borrowed, right? That's like one of us getting a cash advance on our credit card to pay the minimum payment on our other maxed out credit card! Please, someone explain to these idiots about accountabiliy and cutting spending and stop borrowing!

There is one man who can get us out of this mess, for a while, time to just cut to the chase and put Bernard Madoff in charge of Treasury!

We don't really have an accounting of where the TARP money went. If it went to buy mortgage backed securities that were unmarketable, then we are getting an immense cash flow. Although the panic made these assets tainted, the vast majority of mortgages are being paid, refinanced, and rolled over. If the government is collecting that cash flow, we need to see where it is on the books. As people become wiser to the ways of the political class, they will demand transparent accounting so that they can know where the country actually is. My guess, Obama has a different set of books to show to the Chinese. Citizens need to become educated in these matters so that they are no longer whipsawed and snookered by the political class.

Big Business and their lobbyists and their lackey political representatives rule the USA. Accept reality all you little ones!

Wait, didn't Obama already cut $100 million from his budget earlier this year? When is this guy going to quit chopping so much money out of the budget?

I have been involved in government for two plus decades. My observation with this background is that we have a world class corrupt system. It is about lobbyists knowing the system and making it work for them.

Take Goldman Sachs. There best lobbyist was in fact the head of the US Treasury, Paulson. He cut just a few big deals that made Goldman Sachs literally tens of billions. They gave money to AIG, Goldman Sachs heavy underwriter of AIG, saved Goldman Sachs tens of billions. They let Bear Stearns go under, competitor of Goldman Sachs. They boosted Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs heavily underwritten them, saved tens of billions for Goldman Sachs. The TARP has been a who's who of Goldman Sachs and a few others.

This is a classic example of the economic school of thought know as Public Choice. The power of government (public) in deciding who wins or loses. Along the political spectrum it at times looks communist but is clearly fascist. It is government not so much owning the means of production, but being the tool of a few corporations to structure the economy for those few corporations benefit.

Corruption, corruption and corruption! Big Guys right.

I wouldn't argue with your analysis. After listening to George Bush speak this week, I don't think he would either. He was hoodwinked by Paulson and the TARP will be the mistake of his presidency and he said as much.

I see no difference with the current administration. The political class of this country is corrupt to the core.

I think it is important to write that again and to remember it for next November. THE POLITICAL CLASS OF THIS COUNTRY IS CORRUPT TO THE CORE.

In November of 2010 the entire House of Representatives will stand for re-election; all 435 of them. One third of the Senate, a total of 33 of them, will also stand for re-election. Vote every incumbent out! And I mean every one of them. No matter their Party affiliation. Let's start all over in the House of Representatives with 435 people who have absolutely no experience in running that body, with no political favors owed to anyone but their own constituents. Let's make them understand that they work for us. They are answerable to us! Time to clean up America!