Well, yeah, but I wouldn't want that to depend on whether or not the firm generates a profit. And indeed, there's no need for that to be in the temporary measure before the election ... I have seen back of the envelope figures of around $150b, and that sounds reasonable if the full bailout is supposed to be $700b.

That can indeed be the first thing brought to Congress to start pounding away at the vestiges of the Republican Senate Fillibuster ... make them vote against making the executives who created the mess personally liable, or else turn class traitor in defense of their own necks, especially the large Republican class up for re-election in 2010.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.