Open Thread

November 17th, 2008 10:05 AM

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Should Congress halt the bailout?

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe said Saturday that Congress was not told the truth about the bailout of the nation's financial system and should take back what is left of the $700 billion "blank check'' it gave the Bush administration. "It is just outrageous that the American people don't know that Congress doesn't know how much money he (Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson) has given away to anyone,'' the Oklahoma Republican told the Tulsa World. 

Is he right? Was Paulson's unauthorized change of direction inappropriate? Is it time to rethink this entire bailout, and stop throwing good money after bad? Or do we need to stay the course? Finally, should this bait and switch caution us about bailing out the automakers?