Katie Couric's Notebook: The Opaque TARP

The word "tarp" makes me think of a big sheet of opaque vinyl, something you would use to cover a swimming pool - or that little sports car in the garage.

As it turns out, that's how TARP, the Troubled Assets Relief Program, is shaping up to be - opaque.

There's been little to no accounting for the ways financial institutions have spent half those funds: $350 billion. So, for good reason, even members of President-elect Obama's own party are cautious about his call to hand over the rest of the dough.

Some pundits have said with sincerity that every penny should be tallied somewhere online, like a big bank statement where all the American people can see each withdrawal and how it's being spent.

Mr. Obama will likely get his funds, but hopefully with the promise of increased accountability for the financial sector.

Something to make TARP transparent, like Saran Wrap, so we can all see what's going on underneath.