Democrats, Republicans Excoriate President Bush

Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY): “Once again the Fed has put the taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars to bail out an institution that put greed ahead of responsibility and used their good name to take risky bets that did not pay off. The only difference between what the Fed did and what Hugo Chavez is doing in Venezuela is Chavez doesn't put taxpayer dollars at risk when he takes over companies. He just takes them. I have said on more than one occasion that I don't think the Federal Reserve can handle the powers they have and this irresponsible bailout just proves my point.”

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY): “The cracks were showing as the value of mortgage-based securities slipped day by day by day. And the president and his supporters in Congress repeatedly chanted — and still chant the mantra today — that 'the fundamentals of our economy are strong.”

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV): “They were not there asking us to do anything. They were there telling us what they were going to do. We need senators, House members and president committed to change.”

Representative Roy Blunt (R-MO): “Republicans in the Congress feel like we could have had and should have had more information sooner.”