Not all bad

Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the U.S. House's Republican Study Committee, is one Republican who's ready to stand atop history yelling stop. On Friday he released a statement about the impending bailout of corporate America. Here's the crux of it:

At this point, Congress is being asked to support an uncertain entity, costing
an uncertain amount of dollars, for an uncertain duration – a decision that will
have implications for generations to come and requires absolute certainty. We
are being asked to go ‘all in’ with taxpayer dollars, and once our government
and the taxpayer is on the hook, there is no fallback option. My fear is that
taxpayers will be left with the mother of all debts, the federal government
becomes the lender and guarantor of last resort, and our nation finds itself on
the slippery slope to socialism.

I'm beginning to hear more and more chatter from conservatives who are waiting anxiously for the elected leaders to stand up for this. Democrats are ready to stand up - and request more regulation. Who is brave enough to say maybe less government intrusion is a better way?

One post (against the bail-out) noted that there is significant risk to the markets and the economy without the bailouts as well. So the choice is between pain now but a clear message that the government will not save corporate America (or individual Americans who make bad decisions) or pain down the road spread lightly on those who caused this mess and burdonsomely on those who had no hand in it at all.