"urgent" crisis?

Press Gaggle Via Conference Call with Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto on the Economy:

Q: I'm just trying to reconcile two points here. On the one hand, you said that there are a lot of members who rightly have questions and acknowledge that this is obviously a huge package, but on the other hand, you've emphasized several times that it's critical that it be done quickly this week and that it be done clean. You know, for lawmakers who are -- I guess I'm asking, isn't there something to be said for being careful beyond the urgency and the haste? Is there a concern here that maybe the administration is being heavy-handed?

MR. FRATTO: No, well, look, I think I would reconcile it this way: This is -- this was not a program that was conceived of or put together hastily. There was an enormous amount of analysis and debate and discussion before we came forward with this program. I think we have anticipated a lot of the questions that members of Congress would naturally have about taking this step, but we have had -- some of the policy staff have had months to think about what a program like this would be like and how it would work. Others have had at least weeks to think about it. Members of Congress have had days to think about it. And it's very, very complex and takes time to think through all of the implications of it and why some alternative ideas might not work as well as this one. [emphasis mine]

Thanks to tsanders for this one.

Why the hell is this something that has been in the works for months, and only now being used as a means of generating fear and trying to hustle an inherently flawed bailout through to approval? Or did I just answer my own question?

I need to read up on the bailout. I think we're about to close the deal on something less stupid than was in the works previously.

note to self

Dear self,

Don't drink so much coffee tomorrow. You're not psychic, you have just drunk so much coffee you can't parse YOUR OWN thoughts.

Kind regards,
You