John and Jane Public see the bailout as rewarding the people who got us in this mess, and they're not happy. There will be political fallout for passing this bill. Fortunately, it looks like it will be directed at both Republicans and Democrats equally.

That's what Alex was saying. It's unpopular, which normally means congress would avoid it like the plague. And yet they still were determined to find a way to vote for it. So for once they seem to be voting because they think something should be passed for its merits, not for political gain. At least that's one read.

What's the latest bailout?

I heard that one of the mortgage caveats would be that if you receive assistance with you mortgage to keep your house, and you sell at a profit you have to pay back the assistance you received.

But if you are an American Samoan bicyclist with such a mental health problem that you race againt cars at NASCAR tracks, you are home free with no income taxes forever!!

I see that as totally fair. I'd support that bailout.

Ya. I think I suggested that earlier.

Whoa, whiplash for Wachovia.

And, more selfishly, this throws a kink in my options. Here in the Bay Area if I lose my job, Wells provides the most likely in-industry lateral move, but I suspect that they'll now be pretty tight on hiring for at least a year while working out the merger kinks.

Apparently I now work for Wells Fargo. :rolleyes:

Citi was only planning to acquire the banking divisions of Wachovia.
Wells Fargo, however, wants the whole corp. !

It's gonna be a fun Friday!

Well, if it makes you feel better the musuem in the lobby of the corporate headquarters building in San Francisco where I used to work (the building not the museum) isn't bad. Small, but not bad.

Also, the least ostentatious corporate headquarters for a national bank in the world.

The thing that irks me is not knowing for certain how this will work out.

Wachovia already signed contract w/ Citi, so I'm sure there'll be some kind of objection from them.

edit: I spoke too soon - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081003/...fargo_wachovia

Well, at least it's good to know that my company is quite popular these days. ;)