Government is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back!

The AIG bonus structure has been 'known information' for months now. Chris Dodd definitely knew about the amendment to allow bonuses since he was the one who put it in there (and received over $100,000 in campaign contributions from AIG in 2008, as did Obama himself). Tim Geithner put the whole AIG package together in the first place according to the AIG, so he has no excuse for not having known about it.

So why, suddenly, is the news plastered with quotes and clips of outraged Congressmen and Senators exclaiming about how they won't rest until they reclaim the $165 million paid out (by contract) to AIG employees. They're going to break the contracts to do that. If they can break contracts, might I venture to ask what it might be that would (or COULD) stop them from taking anything they want that anyone has?

I don't know about the rest of Americans, but I personally think the AIG employees would probably do a better job stimulating the economy with their bonus money (which they are to be paid as part of their contracts) than the government could possibly do. Why bother getting money back from AIG employees when you're only going to spend it on Swine Odor Research or some other equally wasteful pet project?

The 'Bridge to Nowhere' earmark was *twice* the amount of money as these bonuses, so where does Congress get off feigning outrage at AIG when their own unique mixture of incompetence and corruption has cost taxpayers so much that $165 million is practically chump change?

Forget the AIG bonuses. That may be the only money spent well in recent months. Congress, if you must be outraged about something, how about doing something to get our money back from all the ridiculous pork projects you've passed lately. That would certainly make Americans applaud.

Here's a message for Congress: We're not outraged at AIG. We're outraged at YOU.

OK, forget everything I just said. Michelle Malkin says it so much better here: Spare us Your Fury, DC Hypocrites