Inhofe: 'I Simply Cannot Support Giving A Blank Check To Paulson'

Add Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe to the growing list of Republican skeptics on the administration's bailout plan.

“I simply cannot support providing a blank check to the secretary of the Treasury,” Inhofe said Wednesday in a statement.

“The massive proposed bailout is being rushed through Congress and there is no question this plan would punish the American taxpayer by forcing them to pay the price for the poor decisions made by large investment firms. Supporters of this program admit as much. As a fiscal conservative, it is my belief that this approach is not the answer to our problems.” 

"Historically, massive federal interventions do not have a successful track record, and I’m skeptical that this will do more good than harm," he said.