An overwhelming proportion of Americans are familiar with Twitter, the online information-sharing network. Perhaps more surprisingly, a large majority also knows that children who are born to illegal immigrants in the United States are automatically U.S. citizens.

Yet the public continues to struggle in identifying political figures, foreign leaders and even knowing facts about key government policies. Only about a third of Americans (34%) know that the government's bailout of banks and financial institutions was enacted under the Bush administration. Nearly half (47%) incorrectly say that the Troubled Asset Relief Program -- widely known as TARP -- was signed into law by President Obama.


..read more of how politically UNINFORMED we tend to be at

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1668/political-news-iq-update-7-2010-twitter-tarp-roberts

the more you read,,,wow

did ya know that most of the tarp money has been repaid too..?

guess it becomes a non issue after all that fussing,,

http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/news/Pages/Taxpayers-Nearly-in-the-Black-on-TARP-Bank-Programs-.aspx

You are correct that TARP was signed by Bush. They only loaned $350 billion of the allotted $700 billion.

In February of 2009 team Obama lead by Geithner decided to loan out the remaining $350 billion in what is known as TARP 2.

The issue is not about who signed the law or not. The issue is that the taxpayers had to bailout banks that were responsible for the financial mess that we are still in.

Coupled with the failed stimulus which was a taxpayer bailout of state governments and unions that did nothing to address the long term issues as we are witnessing today.

Short term fixes for a systemic problem.

And here we go again with this ridiculous new jobs bill.. $500 billion more of short term stimulus that again, does nothing to address the long term problems.

More of the same nonsense.

Exactly. But, our politicians want us to keep fighting about WHO is better and WHO is right. The fact that individuals have a sense of loyalty to a person and party makes it easier for our government to get away with what they DO.

That is true and the OP shows that.

The information in the OP only cleared up the notion that OBAMA has some type of significant or unique loyalty to banks, which is often implied in the discussion of TARP, which was actually NOT Obamas idea or OBamas baby at all and which, in hind sight, was insignificant in terms of the Banks because they paid what was loaned back,,,


which I have a hard time seeing as a bailout, personally


citizens receive loans daily, and most dont have them paid back, and many file BANKRUPTCY so as not to have to pay them back

For me, the issue is the potential disaster if our financial backbone decided to go bankrupt (although I understand some dont think it would be as catastrophic as others do)

I personally think such a 'bailout' was reasaonable ESPECIALLY considering that they paid it BACK,,,,

And dont forget took extravagant company meetings to the St. Regis in Dana Point right after receiving their "Bailout" money.

yep, I have loans out right now and still manage to find time for some entertainment and have even had a vacation in the past year,,,

but as long as my LOAN TERMS are up to date, those banks dont seem to care

Well he did have a loyalty to Solyndra.

not a part of the 'bailout', so kind of irrelevant

but,, yes, loans are given to companies all the time(although IM not so sure they are given by the administration personally) which the administration might or might not endorse

and they get it wrong sometimes too, just like private investors,,,