Funny--last time I checked, the President didn't have a f*cking checkbook. It was the liberal senators that took over in the last 2 years that passed the bailouts.

The poster wasn't talking about TARP, he was talking about our misadventure in nation building known as the Iraq war.

Although it's worth noting most of congress, including the Democrats, went along.

Although Bush doesn't get off scot-free--he didn't veto the f*cking thing.

  Not only did he not veto it, his administration (primarily the Treasury folks, headed by Goldman Sachs alumni Paulsen) basically went to Congress and said "The economy will die within weeks (if not days) if you don't give us this program." So, again, you can fault the Democrats for not having the backbone to tell them to go to hell or even that they had better damn well be reporting back weekly for approval, but placing primary responsibility on them is incorrect.

If nothing else, the depression length information is pretty informative, and the argument about public vs private investment is pretty close to the heart of the matter...