McCain wants bailed out CEO compensation capped at $400,000

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CNBC quotes presidential candidate Senator John McCain as suggesting that executives at companies receiving federal bailouts should not be allowed to receive more than $400,000 per year in pay -- the top salary for a federal employee.

That's an amazingly populist suggestion for a Republican and the commentators are maligning it, not entirely wrongly. After all, they say, given Wall Street's culture of unjustifiably large pay packages, what kind of talent could be attracted with $400,000?

One commentator worried -- with a straight face -- that if pay packages fell that low, some young people could become doctors instead of investment bankers! Oh no, not that!

McCain's comments were vague -- what companies would be affected? And for how long? -- and it's extremely doubtful that any pay cuts that draconian will ever come to fruition. But I think that McCain is on the right track: if companies have tens of millions to pay in bonuses, they shouldn't need taxpayer cash.

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Last updated: February 09, 2010: 09:40 PM

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