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Bankers defend bailout: 'We used different money for bonuses'

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The CEOs of the big TARP-backed banks appeared before the House Financial Services Committee yesterday to talk about the bailout and basically endure a few hours of awkwardness.

The Associated Press reports that "Anticipating confrontations over their own compensation, several asserted that none of the government's money went to bonuses or dividends" in their prepared remarks.

"None of the government's money went to bonuses or dividends?" What does that even mean? It was "different money"? "Oh, don't worry. We used that cash to lend to people. We used other cash to pay bonuses." Well if they had other cash to pay bonuses, why did they need our cash in the first place. It would all be very confusing except that it isn't: It's garbage.

The argument from the banks goes something like this: You send your fifteen-year-old to the convenience store to buy milk and eggs and he comes back a six-pack and a copy of Hustler instead. But don't worry, he explains: "I used different money to pay for this stuff. . . No, you can't have the money you gave me back. I need it!"

That is literally the argument that these CEOs are trying to make and if our elected officials let them get away with it, then there really is no help for an economic recovery package that is also mindful of the value of taxpayer money.

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Last updated: November 24, 2009: 03:50 AM

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