Katie Couric's Notebook: Paulson

By: Katie Couric
Topics: Katie Couric's Notebook

Video:
Notebook: Paulson

His nickname on the op-ed pages is King Henry. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is responding to some desperate financial times, with some pretty desperate measures.

He was on Capitol Hill trying to convince Congress to spend $700 billion to buy up bad debt. Not just mortgages, but virtually any kind of debt - from credit cards to car loans. I was tempted to throw my American Express card bill into the mix. Who would know?

Secretary Paulson's proposal would give him broad power to decide which assets to buy and how much to pay. There's even a provision in the plan calling some of his decisions non-reviewable.

Our nation has prospered for more than two centuries with a system of checks and balances. While some type of bailout plan may be necessary, Congress needs to be careful it doesn't fix this financial mess by giving the king the keys to the castle.

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by ctmaple September 26, 2008 8:40 PM EDT: Why isn''t someone asking the question about all the billions of dollars that leave our country every day in foreign aid, the Iraq war, etc. Should we not pull in the pursestrings until we have our own house in order, put America first for a change. Then when we are stable, go back and review the needs of Africa, the "TB problem in Tibet". etc. We must stop the hemorrhage first before we can successly resusciate the patient.; Reply to this comment


by tapper48 September 26, 2008 3:16 AM EDT: I couldn''t agree more with a previous question...when is her contract up??? Her smug tone and trying to get a "gotcha" moment shows her bias...big surprise there. Poor Joe just can''t seem to get it right.; Reply to this comment


by tapper48 September 26, 2008 2:56 AM EDT: I couldn''t agree more with a previous question...when is her contract up??? Her smug tone and trying to get a "gotcha" moment shows her bias...big surprise there. Poor Joe just can''t seem to get it right.; Reply to this comment


by tapper48 September 26, 2008 2:55 AM EDT: I couldn''t agree more with a previous question...when is her contract up??? Her smug tone and trying to get a "gotcha" moment shows her bias...big surprise there. Poor Joe just can''t seem to get it right.; Reply to this comment


by chgo_lawyer September 25, 2008 6:58 PM EDT: Bravo Ms. Couric: You did a good job of not letting Governor Palin off the hook for her not answering direct questions. Since my mom was a single, mother-hockey mom, I have a huge bias for hockey moms everywhere, but that does not mean I want them to be the Vice President when they are not intellectually qualified to hold such a high office. Regardless of our political views, we should not let Gov. Palin or Senator Biden off the hook for answering failing to give direct (and meaningful) answers to simple direct questions on the ISSUES that matter: "It''s the economy, stupid"...not lipstick or pigs or irrelevant rhetoric. To those of you on this blog who are personally attacking Ms. Couric, please think back to 2nd grade and honestly answer this question: Would any of your teachers or your parents have put up with your failure to answer simple, direct questions? The answer is: no. No for Democrats and no for Republicans.; Reply to this comment


by September 25, 2008 1:33 PM EDT: A sit down with Joe Biden explaining how Teddy Roosevelt went on TV during the great depression and then grills Sarah Palin. She should stick to colonoscopies because she is a horrible journalist.; Reply to this comment


by September 25, 2008 1:32 PM EDT: A sit down with Joe Biden explaining how Teddy Roosevelt went on TV during the great depression and then grills Sarah Palin. She should stick to colonoscopies because she is a horrible journalist.; Reply to this comment


by September 25, 2008 1:31 PM EDT: A sit down with Joe Biden explaining how Teddy Roosevelt went on TV during the great depression and then grills Sarah Palin. She should stick to colonoscopies because she is a horrible journalist.; Reply to this comment


by September 25, 2008 1:28 PM EDT: What a journalist.... sits down smiling while Joe Biden talks about Teddy Roosevelt on TV during the Great Depression and then grills Sarah Palin. When is her contract up?; Reply to this comment


by amaram5900 September 24, 2008 11:31 PM EDT: On the subject to the banks, have you all watched the DVDs titled the Money Masters? It explains how the Federal Reserve is not a federal institution and there is no reserve. It explains why and how everything that is happening with the economy is happening. Why is no one talking about the monetary reform act that never got to be voted on and why.
Why would our country pay a bank to make our money and then pay interest on it instead on making it ourselves interest free?; Reply to this comment